The Stories That Cross Oceans: Why I Write About Women Who Leave Home

Every time I sit down to write, I think of the women who packed their hopes in a suitcase and left everything they knew behind.

These are the women who inspire my stories—women of courage, resilience, and heart. In my novels, including Wherever You Will Go, When Skies Are Grey and Holding Paradise, I explore what it means to leave home, to search for belonging, and to carry secrets across oceans.

As a writer of historical and contemporary women’s fiction, I’ve always been drawn to the untold stories of the Caribbean diaspora. These are the stories I heard growing up—snippets of life in Dominica, Trinidad, and Jamaica, of women who arrived in postwar London with dreams that didn’t always match reality.

Why I Write About Caribbean Women in Historical Fiction

The Windrush generation left a legacy that changed Britain forever. But within that legacy are countless personal stories—especially those of women—that remain hidden.

Women like Essie in Wherever You Will Go, who arrives in London alone in 1948 to search for her missing husband. Her story is fictional, but inspired by real journeys of hope, disappointment, and reinvention.

Or Angelica in Holding Paradise, who uncovers her family’s complex past, shaped by migration, motherhood, and identity.

These stories are about more than moving from one place to another. They’re about what it means to rebuild your life while holding onto culture, language, and love.

The Real Women Who Inspired My Characters

In Wherever You Will Go, we briefly meet Mona Baptiste, a real-life Trinidadian singer who travelled to the UK on the Empire Windrush. Mona's life captivated me—her talent, beauty, and determination to thrive in a new country became the inspiration for a separate novella, In 5 Days’ Time.

Bringing Mona’s story to life—alongside fictional women like Essie—felt like honouring the many Caribbean women whose dreams, heartbreaks, and resilience shaped British history but were often left out of the textbooks.

Writing Emotionally Rich Women’s Fiction

My stories are for readers who love historical fiction with heart, who connect with emotionally rich stories that span generations and oceans. Whether you're reading about a mother’s sacrifice, a daughter's discovery, or a love story shadowed by secrets, my goal is to create characters you carry with you long after the last page.

I write about Caribbean women because their voices matter. Because these stories need telling. And because, as a Black British woman, I know the power of seeing ourselves—our mothers, grandmothers, and aunts—reflected in fiction.

Share Your Story With Me

Do you have a mother, grandmother, or aunt who left the Caribbean or anywhere in the world for the UK? Have you heard stories of sacrifice and strength? I’d love to hear from you. You can comment below or email me directly. Sharing our stories keeps them alive.

Read More, Discover More

If you haven’t yet read Wherever You Will Go, it’s available now in paperback and e-Book. You can buy it here or find it on your favourite retailer's site.

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