A House for Miss Pauline: 'One of the Caribbean's finest writers' Monique Roffey

Paperback Published on: 26/02/2026
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Bookseller Reviews

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A House for Miss Pauline
Fabulous Jamaican fiction
Miss Pauline has lived in Mason Hall all of her life, a life of nearly 100 years, but now the stones of her house are shifting and calling to her, and she ... READ MORE
Olivia at Telford

Synopsis

*Winner of the 2026 RSL ONDAATJE PRIZE and the 2025 CARICON FICTION PRIZE*
*Shortlisted for the 2025 WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE PRIZE*

'The past is uprooted, the present holds on by thread, and in the midst of it all is Miss Pauline, strong, conflicted, driven and remarkable.' Marlon James, Booker Prize-winning author of Moon Witch, Spider King

'Delightful and big-hearted . . . It kept me turning pages deep into the night, and left me full of admiration at the end.' Guardian

'One of the Caribbean's finest writers.' Monique Roffey, author of The Mermaid of Black Conch

When the stones of her home begin to rattle and call out to her in the quiet of the night, Pauline Sinclair knows she will not live to see her 100th birthday.

From educating herself through stolen books to becoming one of the most successful ganja farmers in the area and raising a family, Pauline has lived a life on her own terms in Mason Hall, a rural Jamaican village.

Yet these whispering walls promise to topple the foundations of her security and exhume Pauline's many buried secrets, including the mysterious disappearance of the man who came to claim the very land on which she built her home, stone by stone, from the ruins of a plantation.

Compelled to make peace before she dies, Pauline decides to leave the only home she has ever known on a final, desperate mission to uncover truths she could never have imagined . . .

'History's crimes unfurl in this magical story . . . McCaulay's immaculate, breathtaking writing carries it with poise and conviction.' Lisa Allen-Agostini, author of The Bread the Devil Knead

'A vivid story of inheritance and belonging, informed by the author's own fascinating family history.'Daily Mail

Publisher information

  • Publisher: John Murray Press
  • ISBN: 9780349704289
  • Number of pages: 320
  • Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 24 mm
  • Weight: 229g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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A House for Miss Pauline
Deftly Plotted, Tense and Brilliant
Miss Pauline is nearly one hundred years old, but as the date of her birthday approaches she begins to hear the stones of her house shifting in the night, ... READ MORE
Katy Wheatley
A House for Miss Pauline
This is another winner from Diana McCaulay
Diana McCaulay's "A House for Miss Pauline" follows a nearly 100 year-old woman named Pauline who wants to correct all her past mistakes before she dies. P... READ MORE
Chris Le
A House for Miss Pauline
Fabulous Caribbean novel
This is the story of Miss Pauline Sinclair who is approaching her 100th birthday when the stones and history of her house begin to speak to her in the midd... READ MORE
Jane Dolman
A House for Miss Pauline
Shadowing the Wilbur Smith adventure writing prize for 2025
Provided for book group shadowing of the Wilbur Smith adventure writing prize for 2025 Set in present-day Jamaica, the novel accesses historical content... READ MORE
Green Zebra
A House for Miss Pauline
A tender and wise book
In this tender wise book we meet 99 year old Miss Pauline, cussing, straight talking, iron strong, full of courage, wearing a cutlass under her skirt, who ... READ MORE
Sophie Artemis
A House for Miss Pauline
Beautifully written, with a strong sense of place and history
This is a beautifully written novel, with a strong sense of place and history. Well-structured and thought-provoking, with themes of identity and ownership... READ MORE
Jane Bettany