Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - Patsy

Hey, book besties! It's #pridemonth but it's also #caribbeanamericanheritagemonth when we celebrate Caribbean immigrants and their descendents. Since Caribbean authors are highlighted with #readcaribbean I decided to travel to Jamaica with the #readtheworld challenge, even though I was there IRL last week 😆 As a Carib girl, I'm here to tell you that if you're not reading books by Caribbean authors, you're doing yourself a disservice. There are amazing stories by authors with Carib backgrounds. Stories like the one below.

Patsy leaves six-year-old Tru in the care of her father to follow her oldest friend and love Cicely to NYC. Cicely sells Patsy a NY that is brimming with opportunities for good work and for them to be themselves, but Patsy soon realizes that things don't come easily for undocumented immigrants and sometimes one has to conform to make it in the U.S. Ironically, Patsy gets a job working as a nanny while her daughter lives the life of a motherless child.

My thoughts during this read: Patsy choosing selfhood over motherhood doesn't make her a villain. Why is it more tragic for a mother to leave a child than when a father does it? Patsy put Cicely on a pedestal for the same reason others did: colorism. Cicely is experiencing a different NYC. Patsy feels invisible, but returning home is admitting failure and having to face Tru. The guilt Patsy feels is palpable.

Tru has to deal with the jealousy she feels when other kids in her school get barrels of goodies from their parents abroad. Being a barrel child isn't the same as having her mother, but it would make her feel less forgotten. She's struggling with a depression that comes with abandonment while also trying to be accepted for who she is. Through Patsy's flashbacks and Tru's experiences, the reader gets a sense of what it's like growing up queer in the Caribbean.

This is such a great book that explores motherhood and the different types of immigrant experiences and the discrimination undocumented immigrants endure not just by Americans but also by other immigrants from their own countries.

Content Warnings

emalinehoward's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

arisol's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

For a novel that I picked up without a direct recommendation, I enjoyed this tremendously. The storyline gripped me and the characters touched me in a way that I didn't expect. I so appreciate the way the emotions and their specific relationship with mental health are described, so subtle while obvious in their descriptions for what they represent. I can tell so much heart and soul went into the novel in a way I appreciate immensely and makes me want to read more by this author.

Content Warnings

nefariousbee's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

this was such a surprise. I picked it almost randomly for a reading challenge and it grabbed me by the heart and squeezed until my chest hurt before I could realize what was happening.
I ugly cried. I relate to Patsy and Cicely's story and seeing the culmination broke something in me. my heart doesn't let go either. and this was a very painful reminder of that.
above all, this books is so honest about so many *ugly* things. the reality of being undocumented, the illusion of ingrained motherhood, the social pressure on queerness. I appreciate the book for all of that so much.
it's not an easy read, but it's one that stays with you.

Content Warnings