Book overview
Ten-year-old Jevaughn, better known by his street name "Bag-a-Trouble," is a dreamer in St. Thomas, Jamaica, who prefers the rhythm of the sea to the dry facts of his schoolbooks. His life changes forever the day he encounters a mysterious old man on a crumbling pier-a trickster who claims to be the legendary Anancy.
Through a magical spider's web and a bottle of seawater, Jevaughn is pulled across the "Middle Passage" into the living memories of his ancestors. From the dark, cramped hulls of slave ships to the sweltering heat of the cane fields and the misty sanctuary of the Maroon mountains, Jevaughn meets those who came before him: Ama, the fierce girl who fought with laughter; Kwesi, the strategist in the fields; and Nanny, the legendary warrior queen.
Guided by the mischievous Anancy and supported by a teacher who sees his potential, Jevaughn must learn that history isn't just a museum exhibit-it's a weapon and a medicine. As he prepares a play for Heritage Week, he faces a modern "Babylon system" that wants him to keep quiet. Together with his rival-turned-friend Keon, Jevaughn must decide: will he play it safe, or will he use the "Web of Memory" to speak a truth that could change his school, his community, and himself?
