A House for Miss Pauline by Diana Mccaulay
A beautiful, compelling novel about identity and legacy, from an award-winner author
History's crimes unfurl in this magical story - a story as Jamaican as the stones in the title - and Diana McCaulay's immaculate, breathtaking writing carries it with poise and convictionThis novel is poetry. -- Lisa Allen-Agostini, author of THE BREAD THE DEVIL KNEAD
One of the Caribbean's finest writers . . . Her novels are building blocks of the current Caribbean canon and will be read for years to come. -- Monique Roffey, author of THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH
Where has Diana McCaulay been all my reading life? . . . A profound and beautiful novel of encounters with the past and atonements in the present. -- Julia Alvarez, author of THE CEMETERY OF UNTOLD STORIES
McCaulay weaves an intimate family story with the history of a community and reveals how past crimes - both private and collective - resonate into the present. Told with elegant prose and the musicality of Jamaican patwah, this immersive story intrigued me, gripped me and then thoroughly enchanted me. Diana McCaulay is a fantastic storyteller. -- Lisa Smith, author of JAMAICA ROAD
What begins as one woman's symphony of magic and loss soon unravels, stone by stone, secret by secret until we're left with nothing less than the brutal, turbulent, wild and haunted history of Jamaica itself. Miss Pauline is the dazzling heroine of our times, a cypher for uncovering the secrets her world keeps hidden even as she hides her own. The centre cannot hold, things fall apart, the past is uprooted, the present holds on by a thread, and in the midst of it all is Miss Pauline, strong, conflicted, driven and remarkable. -- Marlon James, Booker Prize-winning author of MOON WITCH, SPIDER KING
Fragile and foul mouthed, Miss Pauline is my new heroine. McCaulay peels back layers to reveal the complexity of our grandmothers. She makes me want to find every Black elder and beg for their story. A House For Miss Pauline is a lush undergrowth of a book, gazing unblinkingly at Jamaica in all its beauty and beastliness. McCauley loves this land and her writing shows it. -- Leone Ross, author of THIS ONE SKY DAY
As it makes its points about the complex legacy of colonialism and recaps a century of life in rural Jamaica through the eyes of one fierce and enterprising woman, the novel educates and entertains. Alive with the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of Jamaica. * Kirkus *
McCaulay's masterful pacing keeps readers turning the pages until the very end. Everything about the novel is charming and engrossing . . . Richly drawn, powerful characters tug at your heartstrings, bring tears to your eyes and make you laugh out loud. Above it all, McCaulay's skillful, impeccable, lyrical prose captivates instantly; readers will revel in every glorious sentence. -- Lillian Dabney * Booklist *
How do we reckon with our past when its complexities are hidden to us - history, with all its tragedies and contradictions, smothered by the Jamaican bush? This is the foundational question of A House for Miss Pauline, a beguiling novel of secrets and discoveries enriched by the tough poetry of Patois and animated by a central character you will never forget. -- Gregory Normington, author of THE DEVIL'S HIGHWAY
One of the Caribbean's finest writers . . . Her novels are building blocks of the current Caribbean canon and will be read for years to come. -- Monique Roffey, author of THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH
Where has Diana McCaulay been all my reading life? . . . A profound and beautiful novel of encounters with the past and atonements in the present. -- Julia Alvarez, author of THE CEMETERY OF UNTOLD STORIES
McCaulay weaves an intimate family story with the history of a community and reveals how past crimes - both private and collective - resonate into the present. Told with elegant prose and the musicality of Jamaican patwah, this immersive story intrigued me, gripped me and then thoroughly enchanted me. Diana McCaulay is a fantastic storyteller. -- Lisa Smith, author of JAMAICA ROAD
What begins as one woman's symphony of magic and loss soon unravels, stone by stone, secret by secret until we're left with nothing less than the brutal, turbulent, wild and haunted history of Jamaica itself. Miss Pauline is the dazzling heroine of our times, a cypher for uncovering the secrets her world keeps hidden even as she hides her own. The centre cannot hold, things fall apart, the past is uprooted, the present holds on by a thread, and in the midst of it all is Miss Pauline, strong, conflicted, driven and remarkable. -- Marlon James, Booker Prize-winning author of MOON WITCH, SPIDER KING
Fragile and foul mouthed, Miss Pauline is my new heroine. McCaulay peels back layers to reveal the complexity of our grandmothers. She makes me want to find every Black elder and beg for their story. A House For Miss Pauline is a lush undergrowth of a book, gazing unblinkingly at Jamaica in all its beauty and beastliness. McCauley loves this land and her writing shows it. -- Leone Ross, author of THIS ONE SKY DAY
As it makes its points about the complex legacy of colonialism and recaps a century of life in rural Jamaica through the eyes of one fierce and enterprising woman, the novel educates and entertains. Alive with the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of Jamaica. * Kirkus *
McCaulay's masterful pacing keeps readers turning the pages until the very end. Everything about the novel is charming and engrossing . . . Richly drawn, powerful characters tug at your heartstrings, bring tears to your eyes and make you laugh out loud. Above it all, McCaulay's skillful, impeccable, lyrical prose captivates instantly; readers will revel in every glorious sentence. -- Lillian Dabney * Booklist *
How do we reckon with our past when its complexities are hidden to us - history, with all its tragedies and contradictions, smothered by the Jamaican bush? This is the foundational question of A House for Miss Pauline, a beguiling novel of secrets and discoveries enriched by the tough poetry of Patois and animated by a central character you will never forget. -- Gregory Normington, author of THE DEVIL'S HIGHWAY
Diana McCaulay is a Jamaican environmental activist and the award-winning author of five novels. Winner of the Gold Musgrave Medal, Jamaica's highest award for lifetime achievement across the arts and sciences, and twice Winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize for the Caribbean region (in 2022 and in 2012), she has also been shortlisted for the IMPAC Dublin Award, among other nominations, and is the winner of the Watson, Little 50 Prize for unrepresented writers aged 50+.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780349704272 |
| ISBN 10 | 0349704279 |
| Title | A House for Miss Pauline |
| Author | Diana Mccaulay |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Dialogue |
| Year published | 2025-02-27 |
| Number of pages | 320 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |