Frying Plantain

Review An incisive and sharp must-read coming-of-age story ― Refinery29A debut novel from a writer to watch ― NOW MagazineA show-stopping debut collection, delving into family pressures and control, experiences of identity in immigrant families, and life as a young Black woman in Toronto ― Open Book (Canada)This is the book I've been waiting to read my entire life on the diasporic Caribbean experience. The writing is sharp, intelligent and everything you'd expect from a talented Jamaican writer. I honestly love this book -- Symeon BrownFrying Plantain is every bit as delicious as the title suggests -- Candice Carty-Williams, author of QueenieAn outstanding debut ― StylistTackling big issues including race, class, and identity, these interlinked stories share a strong emphasis on the intergenerational relationships - and pressures - many can feel. Zalika's debut novel really is set to be a modern classic ― HappifulReid-Banks' beautifully written debut follows Kara Davis as she makes her way in Toronto's Little Jamaica ― The iA great debut ― Prima Product Description 'This is the book I've been waiting to read my entire life on the diasporic Caribbean experience. The writing is sharp, intelligent and everything you'd expect from a talented Jamaican writer. I honestly love this book' Symeon Brown'Frying Plantain is every bit as delicious as the title suggests' Candice Carty-Williams, author of QueenieIn her brilliantly incisive debut, Zalika Reid-Benta artfully depicts the tensions between mothers and daughters, second-generation immigrants and first-generation cultural expectations, and Black identity and predominately white society.Kara Davis is a girl caught in the middle - of her Canadian nationality 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'. Set in Toronto's 'Little Jamaica', Kara moves from girlhood to the threshold of adulthood, from elementary school to high school graduation, in these twelve interconnected stories. 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. Book Description 'An unforgettable debut' Paul Beatty, Man Booker Prize-winning author of The Sellout'Zalika Reid-Benta announces herself as an enormous voice for the coming decade (and one that is desperately needed)' Gary Shteyngart, author of Super Sad True Love Story About the Author Zalika Benta-Reid is a Toronto-based writer who received an MFA in fiction from Columbia University in 2014 and is an alumnus of the 2017 Banff Writing Studio. Frying Plantain is her debut and she is currently working on a young-adult fantasy novel drawing inspiration from Jamaican folklore and Akan spirituality.