Hummingbirds in My Hair by Pamela O'Cuneen (published on 25 August 2025)
Adventures of a Diplomatic Wife in the Caribbean
When Pamela O’Cuneen heard her diplomat husband was being transferred to Suriname, her first reaction was: ‘Suri-where?’ Neither she nor anyone she spoke to had heard of the country.
Having spent sixteen years in Africa – a story told in her first book, Culture Shock & Canapés – she was prepared for surprises, but Suriname, the mysterious land of seven cultures, proved to be a multi-layered experience that tested all her powers of cultural adaptation. Hummingbirds in My Hair describes Pamela’s move from rainforest Suriname to carnivalesque Trinidad where, beneath the sound of steel pans and soca music, a dark and violent history of enslaved people still influences politics today.
Those who read and enjoyed Culture Shock & Canapés will welcome this second episode of diplomatic travels and travails, revealing that what goes on inside embassy walls in developing countries is not just endless champagne and silver spoons. The book unrolls with humour, delighting in a lively procession of multicultural characters and animals, and includes a variety of recipes collected along the way...
‘The writing is excellent, natural and graceful. There is a comfortably old-fashioned feel with warmth, humour and an amazingly vivid eye for detail. Those with perception will see what I saw: a completely modern story of the human heart riding a roller-coaster of happiness and hardship with timeless humour and wisdom. At least I hope so’
Richard Addis
‘A vividly drawn journey into the characters, customs and sumptuous food of the Caribbean, you can almost smell the exotic flowers and spices. The story is intoxicating’
Anna Stothard
‘What shines through this delightful memoir is Pamela’s love for the countries that became her temporary homes, and the people (and animals) she met there’
Daily Mail
Adventures of a Diplomatic Wife in the Caribbean
When Pamela O’Cuneen heard her diplomat husband was being transferred to Suriname, her first reaction was: ‘Suri-where?’ Neither she nor anyone she spoke to had heard of the country.
Having spent sixteen years in Africa – a story told in her first book, Culture Shock & Canapés – she was prepared for surprises, but Suriname, the mysterious land of seven cultures, proved to be a multi-layered experience that tested all her powers of cultural adaptation. Hummingbirds in My Hair describes Pamela’s move from rainforest Suriname to carnivalesque Trinidad where, beneath the sound of steel pans and soca music, a dark and violent history of enslaved people still influences politics today.
Those who read and enjoyed Culture Shock & Canapés will welcome this second episode of diplomatic travels and travails, revealing that what goes on inside embassy walls in developing countries is not just endless champagne and silver spoons. The book unrolls with humour, delighting in a lively procession of multicultural characters and animals, and includes a variety of recipes collected along the way...
‘The writing is excellent, natural and graceful. There is a comfortably old-fashioned feel with warmth, humour and an amazingly vivid eye for detail. Those with perception will see what I saw: a completely modern story of the human heart riding a roller-coaster of happiness and hardship with timeless humour and wisdom. At least I hope so’
Richard Addis
‘A vividly drawn journey into the characters, customs and sumptuous food of the Caribbean, you can almost smell the exotic flowers and spices. The story is intoxicating’
Anna Stothard
‘What shines through this delightful memoir is Pamela’s love for the countries that became her temporary homes, and the people (and animals) she met there’
Daily Mail
Adventures of a Diplomatic Wife in the Caribbean
When Pamela O’Cuneen heard her diplomat husband was being transferred to Suriname, her first reaction was: ‘Suri-where?’ Neither she nor anyone she spoke to had heard of the country.
Having spent sixteen years in Africa – a story told in her first book, Culture Shock & Canapés – she was prepared for surprises, but Suriname, the mysterious land of seven cultures, proved to be a multi-layered experience that tested all her powers of cultural adaptation. Hummingbirds in My Hair describes Pamela’s move from rainforest Suriname to carnivalesque Trinidad where, beneath the sound of steel pans and soca music, a dark and violent history of enslaved people still influences politics today.
Those who read and enjoyed Culture Shock & Canapés will welcome this second episode of diplomatic travels and travails, revealing that what goes on inside embassy walls in developing countries is not just endless champagne and silver spoons. The book unrolls with humour, delighting in a lively procession of multicultural characters and animals, and includes a variety of recipes collected along the way...
‘The writing is excellent, natural and graceful. There is a comfortably old-fashioned feel with warmth, humour and an amazingly vivid eye for detail. Those with perception will see what I saw: a completely modern story of the human heart riding a roller-coaster of happiness and hardship with timeless humour and wisdom. At least I hope so’
Richard Addis
‘A vividly drawn journey into the characters, customs and sumptuous food of the Caribbean, you can almost smell the exotic flowers and spices. The story is intoxicating’
Anna Stothard
‘What shines through this delightful memoir is Pamela’s love for the countries that became her temporary homes, and the people (and animals) she met there’
Daily Mail
