Official Book Synopsis
Set in the heart of rural Jamaica, A House For Miss Pauline, tells the captivating, tender tale of Pauline Sinclair—a fiercely independent 99-year-old Jamaican woman who built her own home from the ruins of a plantation. As she faces her 100th birthday, the old stones of her house begin to rattle and shift and call out mysterious messages, prompting her to reckon with long-buried secrets from her past. Lyrical, funny, eerie, and urgent, infused with the patois and natural beauty of Jamaica. A House For Miss Pauline asks profound questions about ancestry, colonialism, and ownership of the places where our identities are forged.
My Review
Sometimes you pick up a book and it feels like sitting down with an elder who’s full of stories, wisdom, and history. That’s exactly how I felt reading A House for Miss Pauline by Diana McCaulay. This novel is an absolute gem—a heartfelt tribute to Jamaican women, you know the matriarchs who carry generations on their backs, often quietly and without recognition.
This book caught my attention immediately because it’s set in Jamaica—not Kingston, but St. Mary. My grandfather was from St. Mary, and I spent countless summers in Highgate. As I read, I could picture it all—the lush greenery, the winding roads to Port Maria, and even the subtle changes in the landscape after Hurricane Gilbert. For me, this wasn’t just a story. It was a portal back to childhood summers and family connections.
Miss Pauline is the story of a nearly 100-year-old woman living in rural St. Mary. After her house is destroyed in a hurricane, she builds a new home using stones from a nearby plantation ruin—stones that carry a dark and complicated history. As she approaches her centennial birthday, strange things begin happening: the stones shift and speak at night.
Faced with these whispers of history, Miss Pauline embarks on a journey of atonement, enlisting the help of her granddaughter, who has her own challenges living abroad. The book weaves together themes of intergenerational relationships, family secrets, and a deep connection to place.
What I Loved About This Story
There’s so much to love about this book, but let me start with the setting. McCaulay doesn’t just describe St. Mary—she makes it come alive. I’ve read plenty of books set in Jamaica, but they’re often centered in Kingston. To see a rural parish take center stage was a breath of fresh air. It reminded me of the Saint Mary I know.
Miss Pauline herself is unforgettable. She’s tough, no-nonsense, and deeply rooted in her community, but she’s also layered with vulnerability. She reminds me of so many Jamaican women—the ones who’ve worked tirelessly to hold their families together, often without thanks. McCaulay captures that essence so well, paying homage to the matriarchs who rarely make it into history books but who shape our lives nonetheless.
The story also explores intergenerational relationships in a way that hit close to home for me. Growing up, I was my grandmother’s “hand bag”, going everywhere with her. Those moments were formative, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized how much we lose when those relationships aren’t nurtured. Miss Pauline’s relationship with her family, especially her granddaughter, felt so authentic—complicated, loving, and full of unspoken truths.
Another standout theme was the juxtaposition of old and new. McCaulay paints such a vivid picture of rural life where traditions—like the local post office or library—still hold on, even as modern technology creeps in. For me, as someone who returns to Jamaica as a visitor, it’s fascinating to see these coexisting worlds. It makes you nostalgic for a simpler time while also appreciating the conveniences of today.
Final Thoughts
If you love Caribbean literature, stories about strong women, or books that explore the complex ties between family, history, and place, this one’s for you. It’s also a great read if you’ve ever been curious about life outside Jamaica’s bustling cities—this book is a love letter to rural Jamaica and its people.
A House for Miss Pauline is the kind of story that stays with you. It’s about atonement, family, and the quiet strength of women who carry the weight of generations. Diana McCaulay has written a book that feels deeply personal and universal at the same time.
About the Author
Diana McCaulay is a recognized Jamaican environmental activist and the award-winning author of five novels. Diana was born and lives in Kingston, Jamaica, is Winner of the Gold Musgrave Medal, Jamaica’s highest award for lifetime achievement across the arts and sciences; 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+. is a founding editor of Pree, an online magazine for Caribbean writing, and is currently also working on an anthology of environmental writing.
