After more than a decade in the United States, the Caribbean writer C. L. R. James ran afoul of McCarthyism in 1953 and was deported. In exile in London, he began to write stories in the form of letters to his four-year-old son “Nobbie,” who remained in the States. Through a distinctive, imaginary, and sometimes absurd cast of characters—Good Boongko, Bad boo-boo-loo, Moby Dick, and Nicholas the worker, among others—these stories explore questions of friendship, conflict, community, ethics, and power in humorous and often ingenious ways; they also stand as a moving testament to a father’s struggle to be a vivid presence in the life of his son despite separation and distance.

Attesting to James’s remarkable gifts as a writer and his unusual talent for engaging wide and diverse audiences, these witty and poignant stories, published here for the first time, are not just for James aficionados. Each story is a delight in its own way, making the book irresistible for children and adults alike.

“This collection offers a powerful glimpse into an interesting man and a historical time period and also a timeless lesson about the importance of doing what is right.”—P. J. Kurtz, Choice

"As an eccentric and engaging collection of homespun stories suitable for children and adults alike, The Nobbie Stories for Children and Adults is to be given high praise and is very strongly recommended for both academic and community library collections.”—Wisconsin Bookwatch/Midwest Book Review