Austin Clark grew up "poor and black" in Barbados, and immigrated to Canada to attend the University of Toronto. Stella Algoo-Baksh, herself a native of the Caribbean, charts the growth of this significant writer, and also discusses his experiences as a Canadian immigrant, his ongoing connection with the West Indies, and the practical day-to-day issues of history, gender, class, and race. Based on extensive interviews and with detailed examinations of the Clarke archives at McMaster University, this biography maintains a careful balance between Clarke's personal and public life.