The Island of Saba - The Hidden Caribbean Gem That Inspired My Novel
A Secret in the Caribbean
When most people think of the Caribbean, they picture wide sandy beaches, busy resorts and cruise ship ports overflowing with tourists. But tucked away in the northeastern Caribbean lies a secret - a volcanic jewel called Saba.
Saba is only five square miles, yet it holds a kind of magic that lingers long after you leave. Mist drapes its cliffs, red-roofed houses perch on emerald-green hillsides, and winding paths lead you through rainforest and memory.
For me, it is more than an island. It is home.
A Hidden Gem Few Have Heard Of
Saba is not the kind of island you stumble upon. It has no high-rise hotels and no neon nightlife. To arrive, you board a tiny plane that lands on one of the world’s shortest runways, or you cross the water by boat from nearby St. Maarten.
That is the beauty of it. Because Saba has remained untouched by mass tourism, it feels like a place outside of time. Travelers often describe it as the “Unspoiled Queen” of the Caribbean, a name that fits perfectly.
Walking through the small villages, you notice hand-painted shutters, red-roofed houses, and the friendliness of people who greet you as if you belong. The absence of large-scale development makes every detail stand out: bright hibiscus flowers, the hush of the rainforest, and the sound of the sea against black volcanic rock.
The Island as a Character
When I began writing my debut novel, The Island Remembers, there was no other setting I could imagine. Saba isn’t just scenery; it is alive with memory, longing, and story.
The mist, the cliffs, the scents found their way into my pages. The island became more than a backdrop; it became a character in its own right. Just as the woman in my story returned to herself, the island too carries a sense of memory and return, a reminder that we are always shaped by the places that raised us.
How Saba Lives in My Story
In The Island Remembers, the cliffs of Saba hold
the ache of return. My protagonist comes back
not only to an island, but to a love she once thought
she had left behind.
The island shapes her journey. The hush of the
rainforest gives her space to reflect. The relentless
sea mirrors her longing. The mist reminds her that
clarity often comes only after patience.
Writing this novel was my way of carrying Saba
into the world.
A Moment Before the Story
Before The Island Remembers truly opens, there is one unforgettable goodbye. A girl at the airport gate, leaving the island. A boy pretending it didn’t matter, though both knew it did.
That moment is captured in my free prelude, Before the Gate. It is Saba at its most tender: a farewell that never truly felt final, a beginning disguised as an ending.
Why Hidden Places Matter
We live in a world of exposure: constant sharing, constant noise. Hidden places like Saba remind us that beauty still exists off the beaten path. They remind us of intimacy, belonging, and what it means to move slowly and notice.
And maybe that is why readers resonate with The Island Remembers. Because the island isn’t just about geography. It is about the universal longing to return to ourselves, to the people we once loved, to the places that shaped us.
A Gift Before You Go
If you’d like to step into this world yourself, I’d love to gift you that chapter. Download Before the Gate by clicking on the link below, and let the island whisper to you.