This was not at all what I was expecting when I picked it up— but it was so much better for it. Queenie is the granddaughter of Jamaican immigrants. Her childhood was marked by the trauma of having an abusive stepfather. By the time the novel opens Queenie is living with her serious boyfriend and working at a news outlet. When her boyfriend tells her that he needs a break from their relationship, her world starts to spin out of control.
As her boyfriend continues to shut her out, Queenie is forced to move to an apartment with several roommates and then proceeds to engage in a variety of self destructive decisions eventually leading to her losing her job and moving in with her grandparents. Once there she can’t escape her mom or the trauma that is hounding her. Eventually she discovers that she is the only person that can take action to get help.
As her boyfriend continues to shut her out, Queenie is forced to move to an apartment with several roommates and then proceeds to engage in a variety of self destructive decisions eventually leading to her losing her job and moving in with her grandparents. Once there she can’t escape her mom or the trauma that is hounding her. Eventually she discovers that she is the only person that can take action to get help.