Mother Timeline and Summary

As a girl, while making a long trip with her father, she carries a bag of green figs on her head that turned out to have a black snake hiding inside
Leaves Dominica at age sixteen against the wishes of her father; there's a hurricane, boat is lost at sea for nearly five days, passengers fall overboard, but she and her trunk survive
Marries Alexander John who is thirty-five years her senior and upsets the host of women Mr. John dated before her.
Gives birth to Annie John, her namesake
Becomes the consummate homemaker and attempts to achieve perfection in her household