Ties That Bind is a fantastic and intriguing love story that captivates the reader page by page. The story in the book portrays a little of the lifestyle in the country of Guyana and touches on the lives of many immigrants moving to North America. Even though a work of fiction, the story rings true for many. The author captures the reader with her suspense driven details and her creative style of writing so that one reading the book is in two minds; wanting to devour all of the chapters, but at the same time, not wanting to finish reading to the end too quickly.

Randolph Rajpersaud, NY USA

Ties That Bind is brilliantly written and very evocative. It is a nostalgic journey of love and perseverance spanning multiple geographies over time. Rosetta Khalideen’s passion to tell a story of intricate human relationships, radiates throughout the book.

Harry Persuad, Ontario Canada

Ties That Bind takes the reader on a journey in time through surprises, setbacks and triumphs. We are reminded to never lose sight of love that’s right in front of us.

Lynette Alli, Ontario Canada

What readers say about Ties That Bind

Absolutely loved this book! A feel-good love story that keeps you hooked from beginning to end. What makes it extra special is how beautifully it weaves in Guyanese culture and little facts about Guyana. As a Guyanese, I felt so connected to this story. The author may have left our shores, but at heart, she’s truly a Guyanese! Can’t wait to meet more Guyanese characters.

Rephana Rajpersaud, Guyana.

Ties That Bind, published by Pine Book Writing in 2026, is a riveting love story of one woman’s journey from the island of San Maria in Guyana to Saskatchewan in Canada, and back to San Maria. More than physical journeys, they are emotional odysseys for the heroine, Nina-Ella. Ties That Bind is Khalideen’s second novel, her first being Time and the River, which also describes the journeys of the protagonist from Guyana to Canada and back to Guyana. While a significant part of Ties That Bind is set in Canada, I feel that the novel is essentially Guyanese, and Khalideen’s love for her mother country is evident throughout the book. Although the novel is a love story, it also deals with social and political issues and life in general.

Dr. Rosetta Khalideen was born in Guyana where she was a teacher. She started writing poems and short stories when she was very young, and many of these were published in The Guyana Chronicle, a national newspaper. Khalideen migrated to Canada and was a professor and an administrator in the University of the Fraser Valley. She is now retired and spends a great deal of her time writing.

In Ties That Bind, the reader is introduced to Nina-Ella as she lands at Guyana’s national airport. When she is asked whether she is just visiting or is a remigrant, even Nina-Ella does not know the answer. Incidentally, I was asked the same question when I visited Guyana about three years ago. Nina-Ella is met at the airport by her mother, Elizabeth, and her care-free and party-loving brother, Victor, who drives her to Naketa Ferry Terminal where they get the ferry for San Maria. On the way home, Nina-Alla and Victor discuss the family’s business, Marchand Enterprises.

Years earlier, Nina-Ella had married Steve Bellar, a consultant from Canada, who had swept her off her feet. After they got married, Nina-Ella accompanies Steve to Alberta, where they had some happy years until their marriage falls apart. After their divorce, Nina-Ella becomes head of Thompson and Fairbanks operations in Alberta, and after she leaves Thomson and Fairbanks, she does a few years consulting on her own until she decides to return home and assist with the running of the family business.

Nina-Ella cannot help but come in contact with hard-working Zane Gastian, who is foreman of Marchand Enterprises, and whom she despises because she believes that he stole Sandy away from her brother. However, her mother and brother treat Zane as a member of the family. Zane continues to look out for Nina-Ella throughout her stay in San Maria, and Elizabeth and Victor are aware of his love for her, but Nina-Ella continues to treat him like a brother. However, her emotions undergo a change she and Zane attend a conference at the Orindike Resort, but the thoughts of Sandy keep getting in the way of Nina-Ella’s feelings. She will discover the truth about Sandy and Zane much later.

Everything becomes more complicated when a fire breaks out in Nina-Ella’s condo in Alberta and she is required to return to Canada to settle affairs with the insurance company, with help from her friend, Louise.

What can Zane do to profess his love for the lady whom he is determined not to lose for a second time?

Khalideen’s novel describes a prevalent experience of Guyanese who live abroad, return to their native Guyana, and long for nostalgic experiences. For example, Dennis who works in the same office as Nina-Ella, takes Nina-Ella our for dinner and they make a trip to the Beach Front Lookout. After eating fried channa-chick peas-in cones, Nina-Ella tells Dennis, “I need a mauby to wash this down” (page 113).

But Guyana has changed and Dennis responds, “Do you think anyone here will be selling mauby? People seem to feel that it’s too old-fashioned to drink mauby. They prefer soda and pop, which is not good for them, but they follow North American trends” (ibid.).

Khalideen displays her remarkable facility with language as she describes Nina-Ella’s exploits in Canada and Guyana. Her descriptions of people and places evoke vivid visual images. For example, when Nina-Ella and Victor visit a park they used to go to when they were small, she sees, “… multi-colored roses-pink, red, yellow and even blue. Standing almost in the center of this unheard-of-garden was a flamboyant tree with flame-colored flowers, similar to the one under which she had sat with Zane at the lake, though not as tall” (page 297).

The author makes clever use of dialogue to advance the plot and to highlight issues between the rice farmers and the government. For example, when Zane and Nina-Ella talk with a government representative, Ray, Zane tells him, “One major challenge is the fluctuating price of paddi in the market. The price of paddi is not stable, which makes it difficult for millers to maintain consistency in their profit margins.”

“The government is aware of this problem,” Ray responded, “and we’re trying to fix it. What we find on our end is that rice millers, in trying to keep up with the demand, often do not maintain quality standards.”

“Well, sometimes we do have to cut corners in order to take care of the backlog that builds up at the mill for weeks while people keep clamoring about the urgency for their rice to be on the market.”

Nina-Ella chimed in, “It’s difficult when the government and the rice producers do not work hand-in-hand. When people are taking off in different directions, problems cannot be resolver as they should” (page 245).

While reading the novel, I was transported back to Guyana, and the sensations produced by the book created a longing to return to the country of my birth. I am certain that Guyanese living at home and abroad, especially those who are thinking of returning to Guyana will find this quest-novel entertaining and intriguing. It deserves a five-star rating.

Ken Ramphal, Ontario

(Dr. Kennard Ramphal is a retired education officer and is the author of seven books, the latest of which is Thoughts to Meditate on: 52 exercises for inner peace and tranquility.)