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| Candice Carty-Williams's Queenie |
"Queenie Jenkins can't cut a break. Well, apart from the one from her long term boyfriend, Tom. That's definitely just a break though. Definitely not a break up. Then there's her boss who doesn't seem to see her and her Caribbean family who don't seem to listen (if it's not Jesus or water rates, they're not interested). She's trying to fit in two worlds that don't really understand her. It's no wonder she's struggling.
She was named to be queen of everything. So why is she finding it so hard to rule her own life?"
How often do you read a book you can't wait to pick up again? Even books I'm enjoying I don't always want to stay up late reading but with Queenie I consistently read a couple of chapters everyday until it was finished. I found Queenie such a compelling, likeable and relatable character.
Even if her world is falling apart and Queenie is struggling on there are funny and poignant moments. All the way through you are rooting for Queenie to find the strength to put it back together again.
I've heard this book described as the black Bridget Jones and while I might not agree (I'm not the biggest fan of Bridget Jones) I think this was an incredibly powerful tool used by Candice Carty-Williams. She has written the book for an audience who enjoy chic-lit but who are unlikely to have read a book with a main character who is black.
It look me into a culture I didn't know much about which is unusual for the books I normally pick up. It make it accessible for a young white woman that 'black fiction' might not always feel like.
Before I read the book I heard Candice Carty-Williams on 'The High Low' podcast and afterwards I wanted to hear even more so I downloaded the episode of 'Feminists Don't Wear Pink' she was part of too. I'm definitely a new fan and I'll read whatever she writes next!
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