Against a backdrop of whispering sugar cane and crashing waves, these insightful portrayals explore the inner lives of women determined to assert themselves outside of race and gender constraints. From Nanny, who cannot bear another day's captivity when rumors of slavery's abolition reach the island, to Hilda, returning home after many years in Britain—each story takes place during a key point in Caribbean history, from slavery to the present, and explores the different ways women can be mentally and physically enslaved.