A Goodreads user asked Naomi Jackson:

Why is obeah such a prominent part of Hyacinth's character, in particular, and of the Bird Hill story, in general?

Naomi Jackson Thanks for this great question, Chad. I found inspiration for Hyacinth's character, and the integration of obeah (an African based spiritual practice in the Caribbean comparable to vodun or santeria) into Caribbean communities, in books by Caribbean writers. One of my favorite novels, Jamaica Kincaid's Annie John, features a grandmother character who's an obeah woman, and many other writers from the region have written about the duality of African-based traditional religions and Christianity. I wanted to tackle this issue in my fiction, and Hyacinth seemed like a perfect character with whom to explore this.

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