It is only recently that Creole languages have begun to be given respect. Developing as they did from a blend of a dominant colonial language and that of the subjugated peoples, creoles were
considered lower class, defective tongues. Mooneeram (English and applied linguistics, University of Nottingham, Ningbo, China) uses the example of Mauritian Creole (MC) to demonstrate how a
despised form of speech can become a nationally supported language. She points out the subtleties of syntax and expression that make MC distinct from the parent languages. This is evident from
her many examples. The book focuses particularly on the work of Mauritian writer and translator, Dev Virahsawmy, a long time advocate of the standardization of MC. In his adaptations and
translations of Shakespeare, Virahsawmy in some ways imitates the playwright by creating new expressions in MC and enriching it. By reversing the roles, making the subject language dominant, he
also establishes it as an equal. Mooneeram gives a linguistic analysis of MC as well as providing a description of the socio-cultural stage upon which it thrives. Annotation 穢2009 Book News,
Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
