Travel Through Books: Dominica, The Nature Island
Our Travel Through Books blog series highlights books written by women of color in countries around the world. and travel recommendations for visiting the country where the book is set. This series is designed to inspire readers to explore new cultures and perspectives through the lens of literature. For this special edition we’re heading to the nature Island of Dominica, reading Jamaica Kincaid’s “Autobiography of My Mother,” and talking to the owners of Sea Cliff Dominica.
The Autobiography of my Mother, Jamaica Kincaid Book Summary
Autobiography of My Mother by Jamaica Kincaid is a moving novel about a woman’s resilience in the face of adversity. Jamaica Kincaid’s novel is the deeply charged story of a woman’s life on the island of Dominica. Xuela Claudette Richardson, the daughter of a Carib mother and a half-Scottish, half-African father, loses her mother to death the moment she is born and must find her way on her own. After being orphaned at birth Xuela must navigate her life through a world of loss, loneliness, and longing.
Kincaid’s evocative prose transports us to Xuela’s world. We witness Xuela’s first love, her marriage, and her struggles with motherhood, all while feeling the deep undercurrent of her sorrow and her desperate need for connection.
Sea Cliff Cottages a Gin: Driven by Stories of the Caribbean.Â
We had the pleasure of speaking with Simon and Amber, the co-owners of Sea Cliff Dominica cottages and Sea Cliff gin in the nature island of Dominica. Simon and Amber’s love of books is evident throughout their business. Each cottage at Sea Cliff has a curated mini library featuring books by Caribbean authors and writers of color. They also have a “book menu” of locally authored books that guests can purchase. In addition to their love of books, they are also committed to sustainability. Sea Cliff is fully solar-powered and the distillery uses locally sourced botanicals in its gin.
With its commitment to sustainability, its focus on Caribbean literature, and its delicious gin, Sea Cliff is sure to please even the most discerning visitor. Read on for our interview with Simon and Amber and their book recommendations for travelers to Dominica.
Tell me a little bit about yourself and Sea Cliff Dominica?
Simon is from England and Amber is Californian, and after living in New York (working in TV & fashion) for 11 years, we were curious about a simpler, slower life with our two young sons. When we visited Dominica on a sabbatical in 2021, we fell in love with its wild, unspoiled nature and we were welcomed wonderfully by the community here. So when we found out the 5 beautiful ocean-view eco-cottages we were staying in were for sale, we decided to take the plunge & move here!
What do you love about Dominica? Describe an ideal weekend there.Â
We love how raw & authentic Dominica is—it remains a rare untouched pocket of the Caribbean, where you have the rainforest waterfalls and pristine black sand beaches all to yourself. Because there isn’t big tourism infrastructure, you don’t have to break through a touristic veneer to experience the genuine culture and connect with the people here.
An ideal weekend here looks like a combination of jungle river hike & swim in one of the ‘nature island’s 365 rivers, followed by a dip in the ocean at Batibou Beach, a perfect sweep of palm-fringed white sand near our cottages (which, yes, you’ll have all to yourself!)
What food immediately connects you to a place that you’ve been?
A food that connects me to a place I’ve been would be mango & sticky rice—takes me right back to our honeymoon in Thailand!
If you could journey through a book, which book would it be and why?
If I could journey through a book, it would be Monique Roffey’s ‘Mermaid of Black Conch’—I love her magical yet tragic rendering of an unnamed Caribbean island, with the nuances of diverse relationships explored with a mythical touch.
How can people support you and your work?
At Sea Cliff we pride ourselves on the curated mini libraries in each cottage, where Caribbean authors & writers of color are prioritized. We also have a ‘book menu’ of locally authored books by island indie publisher Papilotte Press that are available for our guests to buy. Our latest venture is sustainably crafted (we’re fully solar-powered) botanical gin: we offer a tour of our gin lab & tropical botanicals garden along with a tasting!
