Lucy,ateenagegirlfromtheWestIndies,comestoNorthAmericatoworkasanaupairforLewisandMariahandtheirfourchildren.LewisandMariahareathrice-blessedcouple--handsome,rich,andseeminglyhappy.Yet,alomstatonce,Lucybeginstonoticecracksintheirbeautifulfacade.Withmingledangerandcompassion,Lucyscrutinizestheassumptionsandveritiesofheremployers’worldandcomparesthemwiththevividrealitiesofhernativeplace.Lucyhasnoillusionsaboutherownpast,butneitherisshepreparedtobedeceivedaboutwhereshepresentlyis.
AtthesametimethatLucyiscomingtotermswithLewis’sandMariah’slives,sheisalsounravellingthemysteriesofherownsexuality.Graduallyanewpersonunfolds:passionate,forthright,anddisarminglyhonest.InLucy,JamaicaKincaidhascreatedastartlingnewcharacterpossessedwithadamantineclearsightednessandferociousintegrity--acaptivatingheroineforourtime.
