Title: Bertha’s Son
Author: Joseph N. Waddy
Publisher: ReadersMagnet, LLC
ISBN: 978-1-959165-69-9
Pages: 197
Genre: Autobiography
Reviewed by: Gabriella Harrison
Pacific Book Review
Joseph N. Waddy’s Bertha’s Son is a powerful tell-all autobiography, candid in the narration of both the good and the ugly. Joseph Waddy, Joe, is conceived by Bertha when she becomes an easy target for his father, Cyril, to manipulate and impregnate. This is made possible by her sheltered life, as she never goes anywhere without her mother’s permission. With no father in sight and a single mother struggling to raise him and take care of her aged mother, Joe finds himself unable to attend school until he is almost ten years old. His burning desire to be educated and become somebody propels him to go to school, even when it means trekking with his feet bare for miles and getting sores, blisters, and infections. Although disadvantaged from the start, as he can’t buy the required books, his determination sees him scale through and pass the Cambridge examinations, much to the shock of his teachers.
Joe goes on to pursue a career in the medical field. One that spans decades and affords him the opportunity to travel. The book also serves as a travelogue, detailing the cultural diversity in the countries he explores. Some of these countries are Germany, France, Britain, Spain, Brazil, the US, and his birthplace Guyana (formerly British Guiana).
There are many enthralling stories in the book, with some being shocking enough to raise eyebrows. Joe lives in British Guiana (Guyana) for many years before migrating to the US in the 1960s. When he arrives in the US, he quickly realizes the battle isn’t over, and he still has many hurdles to scale. With a desire to save lives and grow in the medical field, he presses on amid the racism and jealousy he encounters from co-workers and higher-ups who feel he doesn’t deserve to make any progress before them since he is a foreigner.
The matter-of-fact narration makes it easy to visualize the stories as he tells them. Although it might be more convenient to read the book chronologically, recollections don’t always occur sequentially. Each chapter has an intriguing title that offers a glimpse of what to expect from the chapter, which makes it easy to jump ahead or return to a previous portion of the book. Through this autobiography, he shares a diverse array of knowledge he has discovered during his life.
Bertha’s Son is an inspiring autobiography of hardship and perseverance amid immense struggles. This is a book that tells the story of a man that has truly lived and is worth reading.
