A review by floralfox
Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid

4.0

I just read on Wikipedia that Kincaid said Annie and Gwen's relationship was not a homosexual one, but one where they were "practicing" and it would always be assumed that they would go on to lead heterosexual lives. I found this interesting. I thought Annie and Gwen had, literally, (well, in the childish way) fallen in love with each other. I thought the way this was treated in the novel, nonchalantly, was excellent. I'm almost disappointed that this was not how it was intended, though I do like that there is a new way to look at these girls' relationship.

I thought the reveal towards the end that Annie was called "Little Miss" because her mother was also named Annie was excellent. First we were introduced to them and their closeness, then their gap and separation, where they seem completely opposite (or Annie purposefully goes against anything her mother praises or likes). The name reveal made me open my eyes and see that they were really quite similar.