Jamaican Beverly East Launches Book in Washington

Renowned handwriting specialist and author, Beverley East, launched her third book: ‘Bat Mitzvah Girl – Memories of a Jamaican Childhood’ in Washington last week.

The event, hosted by the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington DC, attracted a distinguished audience, which included Ambassador to the United States, Professor Stephen Vasciannie; former Ambassador Richard Bernal and Mrs. Bernal; representatives from other missions, the World Bank and the Organization of American States (OAS).

Ms. East said the book is a coming of age story, which spans 12 years of her life in two countries – Jamaica the land of her birth and England, where she emigrated with her family in the 1950s.

She said it also tells of the love she received from her biological family and four Jewish sisters, who had no children.

Ms. East said the book is written as a tribute to her parents and all those who made her childhood a joy by their unconditional love, exceptional care and commitment. It also speaks about immigration from a child’s perspective, and captures the happy stories of families that “work hard, love hard and succeed tremendously”.

Ms. East is the author of two bestselling books.  Her first, ‘Finding Mr. Right’ is a new slant on selecting the perfect mate, while her second book, ‘Reaper of Souls’ recounts the painful story of the September 1, 1957 Kendal train crash in which she lost 14 members of her own family.

She is perhaps best known for her expertise in forensic document examination, which she has practiced for more than 24 years in the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), Jamaica and other countries.  She has worked on a number of cases involving the identification and verification of authentic signatures for fraud and malpractice in relation to checks, wills, contracts and medical records.

Currently, Ms. East consults and provides training in Forensic Questioned Document Examination for the Jamaican Police Force, banks including Jamaica Money Market Brokers, RBTT Bank, Jamaica National Building Society, and Jamaica Institute of Management.  She has lectured at major universities and colleges and written for organisations such as the British Society of Graphologists and publications such as the Washington Post.

She studied and trained both in the UK and the US and qualified through the National Bureau of Questioned Document Examiners in New York. Ms. East apprenticed with the world renowned document examiner, Felix Klein.

A recipient of several awards, Ms. East is a member of the National Association of Document Examiners and the Scientific Association for Forensic Examiners (SAFE). She was awarded the Trailblazer Award in 2002 as the only woman of colour working in both fields of handwriting analysis.