Frying Plantain
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4.1 • 25 Ratings
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Set in the neighbourhood of “Little Jamaica,” Frying Plantain follows a girl from elementary school to high school graduation as she navigates the tensions between mothers and daughters, second-generation immigrants experiencing first-generation cultural expectations, and Black identity in a predominantly white society.
Kara Davis is a girl caught in the middle — of her North American identity and her desire to be a “true” Jamaican, of her mother and grandmother’s rages and life lessons, of having to avoid being thought of as too “faas” or too “quiet” or too “bold” or too “soft.” In these twelve interconnected stories, we see Kara on a visit to Jamaica, startled by the sight of a severed pig’s head in her great-aunt’s freezer; in junior high, the victim of a devastating prank by her closest friends; and as a teenager in and out of her grandmother’s house, trying to cope with ongoing battles of unyielding authority.
A rich and unforgettable portrait of growing up between worlds, Frying Plantain shows how, in one charged moment, friendship and love can turn to enmity and hate, well-meaning protection can become control, and teasing play can turn to something much darker.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Growing up is never easy—and it can be even harder when you’re trying to balance two different cultures. Zalika Reid-Benta’s debut novel follows Jamaican Canadian girl Kara Davis from elementary to high school as she struggles to figure out where she belongs in both societies. Along the way, she’s dealing with ongoing tensions between her mother and grandparents, not to mention friends who may be less loyal than she thinks. Divided into 12 seamless short stories told in Kara’s patois-infused voice, Frying Plantain was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, and we can see why. It’s a vibrant exploration of the Jamaican Canadian experience, and of the power of finding your own place.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Reid-Benta's heartfelt debut collection of linked stories, a girl grows up in Toronto while coming to terms with her heritage. On a trip to Jamaica at age 10, Kara screams after finding a pig's severed head in her great-aunt's icebox. Back home, she brags to her classmates that she was the one who slaughtered it. Each story introduces a new uncomfortable situation while advancing along the timeline of Kara's life. In "Snow Day," Kara tries on a patois ("Yuh run yuh mouth too much") and receives taunts from her middle school peers for "Ja-fakin' it." In "Lovely," she lands her first job and loses her virginity at 17. In "Celebration," Kara and her mother, Eloise, get drunk together for the first time on the eve of her high school graduation, while in "Drunk," she and her friends party harder, leading to Kara throwing up in front of Eloise. Along the way, strong characters emerge, including Eloise, a sharp, overbearing woman who wants nothing more than to see her daughter succeed; and Kara's churchgoing grandmother, Nana, who shows her affection through cooking for the whole family. Reid-Benta makes good use of the episodic form, artfully blending Kara's wit and distance with startling vulnerability as she tracks Kara's thought processes and desires. This heralds a notable new voice.
