A House for Miss Pauline by Diana McCaulay
"Dead tree always leave root to start over."
It's more than likely that if a story has the capacity to draw water from my eye that it will be:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When the stones of her home begin to shake & bawl out in the quiet of the night, Miss Pauline is resigned to the fact that she will not live to see her 100th year of life. Her life in Mason Hall hasn't come without its challenges, but her tenacious spirit led her to overcome every adversary that had the audacity to challenge her. Except her conscience. Whilst the stones of her house rattle, Pauline knows she must reveal her secrets to rest easy when the time comes.
Woiiiiee - Miss Pauline nuh easyyyyy at alllll😆🤣 "me is not yuh f*&(<n Granny". She is EASILY one of my favourite FMC's of all time. She was so facety & harsh with her words. Her fierce & unwaverable spirit reminded me of my great-gran, who I met one time & one time only in JA. She lived just shy of 101 years. I was taken aback by her strength (She was lifting up a sofa & I was just staring, perplexed 🤣 ).
This was a beautifully composed story that evoked feelings of liberation, loyalty, disgust, love, understanding & grief in me.
I loved the parallels that were drawn between Miss Pauline & the trees in this story. She felt anchored to Mason Hall, her past, the land & its history. What becomes of us when we have to let go? What do we become? Do we become rootless, or do we become free? Boundless?
I also appreciated the historical element of this story & how colonisation impacts not just communities but also space & land.
Despite this story not told in a particularly linear fashion, it held my attention & captivated my heart. Living in the mind of a dying old woman who has seen & lived through so much was insightful, intriguing, but heartbreaking.
I wasn't sure if this book would make it to a 5 star read until I reached the last 3 pages. That's when the dam broke for me 🥺
Now, if this book sounds like a bit of you, please be aware that there are many triggering themes addressed in this story. If you can get past them, you will appreciate the depths of this story.
For lovers of Home Going, Black Cake + stories with older protagonists.