Lucy a teenage girl from the West Indies comes to North America to work as an au pair for
Lewis and Mariah and their four children. At first glance Lewis and Mariah are a blessed couple
- handsome rich and seemingly happy. Almost at once however Lucy begins to notice cracks in
their beautiful facade. With a mixture of anger and compassion Lucy scrutinizes the
privileged facile world of her employers while comparing it to the vivid realities of her home
in the Caribbean. Lucy has no illusions about her own past but neither is she prepared to be
deceived about where she presently is. In this environment a new person unfolds: passionate
sexually forthright and disarmingly honest. In Lucy Jamaica Kincaid has created a startling
new character: a captivating heroine possessed with clear-sightedness and ferocious integrity.
Part of the Picador Collection a new series showcasing the best of modern literature.
