Kara Davis really can’t win in life. Her family says she’s too soft, too quiet, yet too bold. Not only is she having to deal with this as a teenager but she’s trying to find her identity as Canadian and Jamaican.

One of the things I loved about Frying Plantain was reading the celebratory reviews from black Canadian girls who loved seeing their lives and their families reflected in the book. So it is really not my place to say what’s good or bad about it. Because seeing those was more than enough.

Kara’s a well thought out character. The times when she’s asking her mother and grandmother where they met the men who have created her. That was touching. It felt parallel to living in a city but never having explored it. Even when you have moved and moved again.

Frying Plantain isn’t about one single dramatic event. Its about motherhood and family. About what friendship can become.

Really looking forward to more from Zalika Reid-Benta

Thank you to @dialoguebooks for the review copy. You are doing fantastic work!