Dominican author publishes first book

Reefe is from the community of Wesley
Reefe is from the community of Wesley

She has always dreamt about telling her story in published print and her dream has finally come true.

Nicola Reefe, a first-time author, of the Wesley village is the newest published Dominican author of the book, ‘This Ability: Finding my Vision’.

‘This Ability’ is an autobiographical account as well as a motivational and inspirational manuscript that tells the story of the life of Nicola Reefe as she grew up living her life with a disability.

In this book, she shows how she overcame her stereotype and rose above societal expectations of the outcome of someone who possess a disability.
Many people have different understanding and preconceived notions about who or what disabled persons should be and Reefe ventures to radically change their thinking and begin to appreciate and marvel at the uniqueness and competence of disabled persons.

Reefe currently resides in Trinidad where she enjoys working at the University of the Southern Caribbean as an Administrator and Part-time lecturer.
She has been accepted to pursue her PhD at the University of the West Indies come September 2016 and anticipates this greatly.

As a trained Psychologist, Reefe intends to use her expertise in helping disabled children find their ‘Ability’. She will be launching a foundation in very short stead under the name, “This Ability” that would be geared towards fulfilling this goal.

Reefe launched her book on May 29, 2016 where many lent their support and approval through their attendance and book purchases.

Copies of this book will soon be available at bookstores in Dominica.

The book was launched recently
The book was launched recently

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30 Comments

  1. Marguerite
    June 3, 2016

    Congratulations and best wishes for your future endeavors. I love the dress!

  2. Wesleyman
    June 2, 2016

    Very Proud of you young lady.

  3. vernetta
    June 2, 2016

    Congrat Ms Reefe. Blessings with your book and I pray to someday own a copy.

  4. Congratulations Nicola Reefe :!:

    Many are happy to see Dominican young people aspiring to a higher education. Many will be double happy if you return to the island to serve your people professionally.

    Your book THIS ABILITY will be a powerful motivational tool to help “disabled” people rise above their problems. Nothing is more effective than a personal testimony. People want to know what has worked in another person’s life.

    I tell people:

    “He can who thinks He can.”

    “Turn that Stumbling Block into a Stepping Stone.”

    God bless you Nicola. The world needs your message.

    Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.

  5. Wesleyian
    June 2, 2016

    Congrats to you and family Nikki.. You have raised the nose of your family and village by extension .. Keep focused and blessed as you strive to bring more positivity to the village and Dominica by extension.. Blessings??????

  6. Lisad
    June 2, 2016

    Congrats Nicola. Keep expanding your ability.

  7. pc babe
    June 2, 2016

    Please release a digital version…..e-book. Thank you. :wink:

  8. out of south city
    June 2, 2016

    I congratulate you, Nicola Reefe, for breaking the chain of stereotyping. This is an area that we have to put behind us and start treating each individual with respect, love and understanding. We have a long way to go because we have been programmed to despise, disrespect and treat each other like crabs in a barrel. We have to understand that we all have potential and have to be in the right environment for us to flourish and go beyond the norm of society. We have to understand that we have everything that we need to function in society but sometimes society doesn’t not give us our just dues.
    We need to stop the division and jealosy and come together as one in order to improve, flourish and build together as a nation. The saying goes,”united we stand, divided we fall.”

    HOTEP (PEACE)

  9. Dorival John
    June 2, 2016

    I hope Francisco Etienne Dodds-Telemacque buy at least ten books to support his fellow villager eh. :lol:

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      June 2, 2016

      Dorival, I am working hard on my very own book, detailing how measurable a place I came from, I am talking about all the murders which took place, rape and homosexuality.

      You will learn about how a certain woman almost beat me to death, one day going home from school, and a murder, the one who killed Eunice actually saved my life. You will read how shortly after that three rascals planed and attempted to murder me in the bush up there at hunt.

      I hope you will buy a copy, though I believe I will give away most of it. I’ve never heard of that lady before reading about her, maybe her mother might be from Wesley but the surname Reefe I’ve never heard mentioned in Wesley, perhaps her father is not from Wesley. I am doing some phone calls right now to find out about her.

      • Admin
        June 2, 2016

        Doh worry man..I will buy your book. I love reading.

        Make sure you send DNO a news item when you are ready.

      • indira Ghandi
        June 2, 2016

        I think her dad was a Fireofficer and her mom is a nurse.

      • Wesleyman
        June 2, 2016

        Son, her grandmother is your neighbor, Ma Elford, she is Sylvie’s daughter… next time let the lady get her moment in the sun, we will talk about your book when you publish it.

      • Francisco:

        “…how measurable a place I came from.

        You refused to be defined by the culture.

        You outgrew your surroundings.

        Please give some encouragement to the younger generation that is trying to push its way up in a moral climate that is not always conducive to becoming the best that one can be.

        I look forward to reading the news article introducing your book in DNO and hopefully getting a copy in my hands.

        Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.

      • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
        June 3, 2016

        But I tipped you all off eh!

        The woman is my very close cousin! Her Grandfather Elford Benjamin mother is my biological aunt, I just did not want to confirm that until I was very sure.

        So, in reality through her father she would recognize my aunt as her grandmother. too! Where it pertains to Wesley there are very few people who are not related

        Remember I said she came from a long line of well educated people; and would not allow a disability to contain her. As long as that Telemaque blood runs through her, only God can contain, and that is not in his plan, for he said he is no respecter of people.

        Ye, I grew up next door to her parents, and siblings, I am a few years older than her mother, although in my mind they have not grown up. I met her grandmother and sister at one of my sisters party in New Jersey, her aunt (mother sister) was there too, she look the same as when she matured in Dominica, her uncle who is the Methodist preacher in NJ was there too, we had a…

      • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
        June 3, 2016

        Dr. Hill believe me if you lived in a place like Wesley when I was growing up there I don’t if you would manage to survive it.

        It was rough, and only those of us who experience knows how tough it existing in poverty, and dealing with some of the evils we live through.

        I am telling twice people try to kill me a kid. Some people reading this may remember a convicted murderer we called “Bagas” (Big-Ass ) his name was Elijah, after he saved me from death, save me from being murdered weeks later he was arrest for the murder of a Step daughter of my grandmother.

        I have some very good memories of the village; nevertheless some thing I have blocked out of my mind.

        Sparrow, sang a calypso “Blood & Sand) in the chorous, one line said “anytime we meet man to man is blood and sand.”

        Hahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahaha. Well I’ve seen blood and sand mixed in Wesley!

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      June 2, 2016

      Dorival, here is what I discovered in my investigation: The name Reefe is not from Wesley, but her mother I was told is from Wesley, and according to what I here her mother might be a nurse, and her uncle is a medical doctor practicing psychiatry. She perhaps have another uncle who is a Methodist Minister, here in the United States.

      If; and I reiterate if the information I just received is true and correct, her father might be from Marigot, who marry this lady mother from Wesley!

      Want to hear more?

      Well, kid Francisco know, something, but I doh talking eh, cause I want you to guess what! I doh saying noffing, eh until it is confirmed.

      The only thing I can say most us are very determined people, and a minor disability will not contain us, I am riddled with more than one disability. I doh call no name eh, but I know but I doh talking oui!

  10. Real Dominican
    June 2, 2016

    Please come home to make a contribution to mental health in your country Dominica. Continue to do great things Nicola.

  11. Cathy
    June 2, 2016

    DNO this story is missing a salient point…what is the lady’s disability?

    • June 2, 2016

      Fair question. I guess we’ll just have to buy the book.

      • Close Friend
        June 2, 2016

        Ms. Reefe is blind in one eye for the age of 6months

      • Mr.Mc LAUGHING
        June 2, 2016

        as u did with ur passport Denizen

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      June 2, 2016

      Well, I Francisco is a sleuth; and I investigated her.

      I can tell you her disability is not contagious, but she is an excellent example of what persons with disabilities can do; wether they are born with a hereditary disability, in the form of a disease or obtained it by physical accident.

      I will simply drop this on you, if indeed the information I got is correct, learn that she is from a long line of a very educated people, a chip from a from the same old stalk! Let us simply wish her well!

  12. Former Labour Supporter
    June 2, 2016

    Great things Nicola.

  13. ahfouthey are.
    June 2, 2016

    congrats! We await books from other Wesley power houses Drs Telemark & Benjamints

    • Mr.Mc LAUGHING
      June 2, 2016

      lol! 2 mad villagers.

  14. Congratulations Ms./Mrs. Reefe. I wish you the utmost success with your book and hope that it inspires thousands of young people, especially young women, to dream big, work hard and achieve their goals.

    • Not a herd follower
      June 2, 2016

      I like the name. After all, Kermit the Frog did receive an honorary doctorate even before Skerrit

  15. oh Yes
    June 2, 2016

    That’s very impressive! All the best.

  16. Observer
    June 2, 2016

    Congrats fellow Wesleyan!

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