Such a Fun Age

Debut novelist Kiley Reid said during a recent interview that she's interested in "class dynamics in tiny microcultures." Those five words immediately drew me to her book "Such a Fun Age," a fast-paced, thought-provoking novel that I read while screaming at the pages. 

"Oh no, she isn't going to do that?" "Is she?" All the while dreading the answer.

The she I'm referring to is Alix Chamberlain, the prototype of a wealthy, white, liberal woman who congratulates herself on her "wokeness" even as she struggles with an inferiority complex stemming from an incident during her

senior year of high school that she cannot put behind her. That incident spools out gradually over the course of the story, a trick that Reid effectively utilizes to make the anticipation all the more dreadful.

The novel begins late at night in a high end market in Philadelphia where Emira Tucker is babysitting for the Chamberlains' three-year-old daughter, Briar. The Chamberlains' home has been vandalized because husband Paul, a newscaster, had earlier in the day been caught on an open mic making a dubiously racist comment. Not wanting to subject Briar to the drama of the police investigation, the Chamberlains have called Emira away from a night out with friends to watch over Briar for a couple of hours.

The problem is that Briar is snow white and, you guessed it, Emira is black. A "do-gooding" patron of the store, suspicous of the relationship between Briar and Emira, calls security and, though she is grace under pressure, Emira exudes enough angst that another bystander, Kelly Copeland, sensing an injustice about to go down, films the altercation on his cell phone. Sound familiar?

From this single, timely incident in the first chapter of the book, Reid takes readers down a rabbit hole, examining issues of race, class, integration, and authenticity. Emira, a college graduate who hasn't been able to find her passion, works low-paying odd jobs in a desperate attempt to keep up with her more sophisticated friends. She's embarassed by the fact that she babysits even though she truly loves the work and cares deeply for Briar. Everyone seems to expect more from her, except her.

Soon, both Alix and Kelly are vying to Emira's attention and friendship. But is it Emira they want or just another black friend to add to their collection. I know that sounds harsh but as you read you will see what I mean. This is a great first novel. Especially strong is Reid's sense of the zeitgeist. Conversations among Emira and her pals, Emira and Kelly, and Alix and her friends are perfectly characterized. So this is how it feels to be a millenial I thought. 

In the end, this is a book that makes us look at our own selves with a sharp eye. Sometimes it may not be pretty. What kinds of judgements do we make - just automatically - out of the box - when we see something that doesn't fit into our preconceived notions based upon our world view. The lesson is to widen your world view! With that in mind I'll be off to Costa Rica tomorrow to read and relax and bask in the joy of old friends and a country that sees no need to fund a standing army. Pura vida!