Sugar Town Queens surprised me in a lot of ways. Set in a South African township near Durban, the story explored the deep divide between wealth and race. Amandla is a biracial teen whose white mother is missing memories and whose father her mother can not remember. They live with the poorest of the poor and she has no family other than her mother. But Amandla's mother has secrets and when she follows her one day, what she finds changes everything.
I found this book eye-opening for many reasons including the extreme racism, shocking elitism, and the devastating living conditions existing in townships. The author doesn't make the story about this, however. They are the backdrop to the story which is about family and friendship. How both family and friends have the ability to affect our lives for good or very bad. While Amandla and her mother have created a tight bond with only the two of them, it requires letting others in to be able to move forward and live a full life.
I found this book eye-opening for many reasons including the extreme racism, shocking elitism, and the devastating living conditions existing in townships. The author doesn't make the story about this, however. They are the backdrop to the story which is about family and friendship. How both family and friends have the ability to affect our lives for good or very bad. While Amandla and her mother have created a tight bond with only the two of them, it requires letting others in to be able to move forward and live a full life.