"Annie John "is a haunting and provocative story
of a young girl growing up on the island of
Antigua. A classic coming-of-age story in the
tradition of "The Catcher in the Rye "and "A
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,
"Kincaid's novel focuses on a universal, tragic,
and often comic theme: the loss of childhood.
Annie's voice--urgent, demanding to be heard--is
one that will not soon be forgotten by readers.

An adored only child, Annie has until
recently lived an idyllic life. She is
inseparable from her beautiful mother, a
powerful presence, who is the very center of the
little girl's existence. Loved and cherished,
Annie grows and thrives within her mother's
benign shadow. Looking back on her childhood,
she reflects, "It was in such a paradise that I
lived." When she turns twelve, however, Annie's
life changes, in ways that are often mysterious
to her. She begins to question the cultural
assumptions of her island world