Why I Write Stories About Caribbean Women in History

When I first started writing, I didn’t set out with a clear theme in mind.

But looking back, it’s obvious that I was always drawn to the same kinds of stories. Stories about women navigating change. Women carrying history with them. Women finding their place between countries, cultures and expectations.

Over time, I realised that many of these stories were rooted in the experiences of Caribbean women, shaped by migration, resilience and identity.

The women at the centre of these stories

The women in my novels are often at turning points in their lives.

They are leaving something behind, searching for someone, or trying to understand the choices that have shaped them.

In When Skies Are Grey, a young Dominican woman arrives in London with a secret. Her voice opens doors for her, but her past remains close behind.

In Wherever You Will Go, a young bride travels from Dominica to post-war London in search of her husband, only to find herself in a world that is both unfamiliar and unsettling.

These women are fictional, but their journeys are shaped by real histories.

Writing about history through women’s experiences

History is often told through large events. Dates, movements, and political change.

But what draws me in as a writer is the quieter side of history. The personal experiences that sit beneath those events.

What did it feel like to arrive in a new country alone? How did women build lives in places that did not always welcome them? What did they carry with them, and what did they have to leave behind?

These are the questions that shape the stories I write.

Why these stories still matter

Stories about Caribbean women in history are not just about the past.

They speak to themes that still resonate today. Identity, belonging, resilience and the search for home.

For many readers, these stories feel familiar, even if the setting is different. They reflect experiences of change, of navigating different worlds, and of trying to hold on to a sense of self.

From personal history to fiction

My own connection to these stories comes from my family history.

My mother’s journey from Dominica to the UK shaped the way I think about migration and identity. While my novels are fictional, they are rooted in the emotional truths that come from that experience.

That connection is what allows the stories to feel real, even when the characters and events are imagined.

Bringing these stories to life in different ways

As I continue writing, I’m also exploring new ways to share these stories.

The audiobook of Wherever You Will Go brings a different dimension to the narrative, allowing the emotional journey of the characters to be experienced in a more immediate way.

It’s another way of connecting readers and listeners with stories that are grounded in history but shaped by imagination.

Stories that deserve to be told

There are so many stories within Caribbean history that are still waiting to be explored.

Stories of women who made difficult choices. Who built lives in new places. Who carried history with them in ways that were not always visible.

As a writer, I feel drawn to those stories.

Not just to tell them, but to honour the journeys behind them.