Let's start by establishing something: I am an adult, white, woman living in the United States. So a book about the teen daughter of Nigerian immigrants living in Canada is pretty far from my lived experience. And my initial response to not understand parts of this book was "okay, so this book is not intended for me". But on further reflection I realize: that's exactly why it is intended for me. A major theme of this book is how these teens struggle to fit into different cultures, how they feel expected to speak for an entire culture. They are weighed down by expectations from their parents and the world around them and it's desperately unfair that they have to act as a bridge. So, no I'm not an immigrant. I don't know Nigerian immigrants. But reading books like this one, books that delve deep into character and ask us to connect with these worlds on a personal level, can help members of the dominant culture understand the unfair ways that they treat people and help us be more sensitive. They endeavor to answer the impertinent questions and maybe prevent us from asking them of real people. And that is valuable. That makes this book absolutely for everyone, both those who will see themselves in it and those who don't know this world at all.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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