Et cetera : What We're Reading: Such a Fun Age

The old adage “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” sang loudly throughout Kiley Reid's 'Such a Fun Age.' Reid created everyday characters who navigate class and privilege constantly—but with such subtlety that it made me stop and reflect on the moments in my own life when I’ve witnessed racism that didn’t set off alarms simply because it can be so understated sometimes.

I wasn’t a fan of the main characters, and I don’t think I was supposed to be—because they were that real.

Here’s the Goodreads summary:

“Alix Chamberlain is a woman who gets what she wants and has made a living, with her confidence-driven brand, showing other women how to do the same. So she is shocked when her babysitter, Emira Tucker, is confronted while watching the Chamberlains' toddler one night, walking the aisles of their local high-end supermarket. The store's security guard, seeing a young black woman out late with a white child, accuses Emira of kidnapping two-year-old Briar. A small crowd gathers, a bystander films everything, and Emira is furious and humiliated. Alix resolves to make things right.

But Emira herself is aimless, broke, and wary of Alix's desire to help. At twenty-five, she is about to lose her health insurance and has no idea what to do with her life. When the video of Emira unearths someone from Alix's past, both women find themselves on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know about themselves—and each other.

With empathy and piercing social commentary, Such a Fun Age explores the stickiness of transactional relationships, what it means to make someone family, and the complicated reality of being a grown-up. It is a searing debut for our times.” ~Goodreads.com (3.77 rating)

Check it out today at the library!