Kudos to the author for tackling the hard subject of race. Her light-hearted novel appears to be the perfect vehicle for introspection.
Emira is a black nanny for a white family. The story starts with an urgent call from her employer. The wife, Alix, wants Emira to babysit Briar late at night. Emira leaves the party she is at to take the toddler to a grocery store. At the store, a security guard detains Emira, concerned for the child. While Emira explains her side, Kelley, a white guy, films the encounter.
After setting the stage with this brilliant start, the book explores Emira and Alix’s story through the lens of race and class differences. I appreciate that there are several women of color in this tale, all with distinct characteristics.
Emira is content to babysit Bri, whom she adores. Bri, likewise, is attached to Emira. But Emira is fast approaching the age where she will lose health insurance through her parents, so she is worried about finding another job. However, Emira is not doing much beyond worrying. Tamra, a black superwoman with perfect children, is a perfect foil for our laid-back protagonist.
Alix, missing her life in NY as a self-help guru, decides to help Emira, though Emira never asks for it. Their dynamics is a great read.
Kelley befriends Emira and becomes her boyfriend. Nothing black and white about his motivations.
All the little moments in this story paint a vivid portrait of life in America.
The story is about our hidden prejudices and biases. Though we all have them, the biases of people in power affect us the most. I would definitely recommend this debut novel by Kiley Reid.
Anna Bushi 