Print Sources

Bouson, J. Brooks. Jamaica Kincaid: Writing Memory, Writing 
     Back to the Mother. Albany, NY: State University of New York 
     Press, 2005. Print.

This book is divided into three sections. The first deals with living in the shadow of the mother within three of Kincaid's books while the second section is about personal politics. The final section details family portraits within Kincaid's work. The literature is evaluated in a way that is not like either of the other two books. The reading is a bit more creative and interpretive and focuses on the descriptions and metaphors within Kincaid's work.

The unique perspective on the primary source author's work combined with the various sections, detailed analysis and plethora of resources mean that Kincaid's work is very well documented in Bouson's book. The language of this book is less easy to read and more dense than the other two making it much more of "academic" and less accessible to all readers. However, since this is research some would find that more beneficial. I don't find a highly academic tone to always be the most effective. If even the most earnest college undergrad trying to read your book can't read it for their research, who will?

Braziel, Jana Evans. Caribbean Genesis: Jamaica Kincaid and the 
     Writing of the World. Albany, NY: State University of New York 
     Press, 2009. Print. 

This book is a look into the world of Jamaica Kincaid's literature and her trans-American and transnational paths within literature and the discussion of self, race, and nationality. It also explores how Kincaid blends genres together such as autobiography, biography, and history into her fiction. This book specifically looks at these elements in The Autobiography of My Mother, My Brother, At the Bottom of the River, and others.

Overall, this book seems to be a highly critical and rigorous view of genre blending, race, and women's issues. While the book has a professional tone, it seems to me to be fairly easily reading and is in depth while still being concise. The author's research is augmented with quotes from the work of Kincaid as well as other Kincaid scholars and researchers. Additionally, the language is reachable and interesting making this a great book in terms of both information and accessibility. 

Paravisini-Gebert, Lizabeth. Jamaica Kincaid: A Critical 
     Companion. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999. 
     Print.

This print source gives a biography of Kincaid's life, her transformation from Elaine Potter Richardson into Jamaica Kincaid, and details four of her books: At the Bottom of the River, Annie John, Lucy, and The Autobiography of My Mother. Each of the chapters about the works gives information about the genre, plot development, setting, character development, thematic issues, or a summary of each short story within the volume. The chapters on novels also include a reading of the book from a certain perspective such as post-colonial.

This source is a great overview of Kincaid's career and her works. This volume is great for someone who may need a study guide to Kincaid's works or for additional critical information. It could also be used just as an overview for someone who is not familiar at all with her work or maybe for someone who doesn't have time to read all of her work but needs to be familiar with it, such as for a project like this one.