This is a book of short stories about the Caribbean and Guyana, the birthplace of the author. It definitely has the flavour of “the islands” with distinctive rendition of the accents and character of the people. Mammita’s Garden is the story of Max, who has immigrated to Toronto, Canada from Guyana and his struggles in the new land while thinking about his memories of the people and places he left behind. Other stories include: A Vampire Life, Mother of Us All, Antics of the Insane, Canine Sun, When It Rains in the Sunshine, A Witch is Getting Married, All for Love, Go an’ Play in the Traffic, A Car is Just Like an Eating Baby, Rain All Day, A Ringer’s Circle, A Longer Life, Memphis, Mouthful, Still Close to the Island and Bitter Blood.

Cyril Dabydeen has been described as: "a gifted Canadian poet" (Toronto Star); the "Pablo Neruda of Ottawa" (Patricia Morley, The Ottawa Citizen); "one of the most confident & accomplished voices of the Caribbean diaspora" (Kamau Brathwaite, New York University); "a fine craftsman and a wonderful weaver of images" (Kwame Dawes, World Literature Today, University of Oklahoma); "an amazing writer" (Douglas Glover); and that his reading style has "Stravinsky's rhythms" (The Ottawa Citizen). Over the years he has read on stage with some of Canada's important writers, including Rohinton Mistry, Dionne Brand, Austin Clarke, and M. G. Vassanji. He is often referred to as "Canada's most popular post-colonial writer" (The Danforth Review). He received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence from the Guyana Awards Council (Canada), May 29, 2010, in Toronto.