For Antigua and Barbuda, I read Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid. Antigua and Barbuda is another small country with a population under 100,000, so when I googled “authors from Antigua and Barbuda,” I held my breath, expecting another Andorra situation. When the search results included Jamaica Kincaid, my brain did launched into happy cartwheels. I know Jamaica Kincaid! We read Annie John in my English class in ninth grade!

At the time, I didn’t like Annie John. In fact, I hated it, but that was in 1993 or 1994, so I figured it was time to give Jamaica Kincaid another chance. I considered reading something other than Annie John, by my inner voice clamored for a reread of the coming-of-age story I despised thirty years ago.

I’m so glad I did.

In 2024 at the age of forty-five and with a daughter almost eleven years old (I read Annie John in January), I absolutely and unequivocally ADORED Annie John. I loved the exploration of an intense mother-daughter dynamic and equally intense adolescent friendships. I loved Kincaid’s writing style. And I loved the glimpse into life in Antigua.

Why did I hate Annie John so much when I was in ninth grade? I can’t recall a specific reason, but I have this vague memory of discomfort while reading it. Maybe the coming-of-age story hit too close to my own inner struggles as I myself was coming-of-age. Or maybe I was just extra annoyed with my English teacher that week. But whatever the reason for my initial disgust, it’s so lovely to see how my relationship with this book has changed. Instead of being “that awful book we had to read in school,” it’s now “that lovely novella that gave me a glimpse into my daughter’s inner world.”

Once I finish my journey around the world, I’ll definitely be returning to Kincaid’s other works.