{"product_id":"frying-plantain-9781487005344","title":"Frying Plantain","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSet in the neighbourhood of \"Little Jamaica,\" \u003ci\u003eFrying Plantain \u003c\/i\u003efollows a girl from elementary school to high school graduation as she navigates the tensions between mothers and daughters, second-generation immigrants experiencing first-generation cultural expectations, and Black identity in a predominantly white society.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKara Davis is a girl caught in the middle -- of her North American identity and her desire to be a \"true\" Jamaican, of her mother and grandmother's rages and life lessons, of having to avoid being thought of as too \"faas\" or too \"quiet\" or too \"bold\" or too \"soft.\" In these twelve interconnected stories, we see Kara on a visit to Jamaica, startled by the sight of a severed pig's head in her great-aunt's freezer; in junior high, the victim of a devastating prank by her closest friends; and as a teenager in and out of her grandmother's house, trying to cope with ongoing battles of unyielding authority.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA rich and unforgettable portrait of growing up between worlds, \u003ci\u003eFrying Plantain\u003c\/i\u003e shows how, in one charged moment, friendship and love can turn to enmity and hate, well-meaning protection can become control, and teasing play can turn to something much darker. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eReid-Benta, Zalika:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eZALIKA REID-BENTA is a Toronto-based writer whose debut short story collection, \u003cem\u003eFrying Plantain\u003c\/em\u003e, was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. \u003cem\u003eFrying Plantain\u003c\/em\u003e was also nominated for the Forest of Reading Evergreen Award presented by the Ontario Library Association; appeared on must-read lists from \u003cem\u003eBustle\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eRefinery29\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eChatelaine\u003c\/em\u003e to the \u003cem\u003eToronto Star\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003eGlobe and Mail\u003c\/em\u003e, and more; and was listed as one of Indigo's Best Books of the Year. Zalika is the winner of the ByBlacks People's Choice Award for Best Author, was the June 2019 Writer in Residence for \u003cem\u003eOpen Book\u003c\/em\u003e, and was named a CBC Writer to Watch. She received an M.F.A. in fiction from Columbia University, was a John Gardner Fiction Fellow at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, and is an alumnus of the Banff Centre Writing Studio. Zalika is currently working on a young-adult fantasy novel drawing inspiration from Jamaican folklore.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Astoria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50612436697362,"sku":"9781487005344","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_519b5a7f-faf8-492e-93f3-637b79f73ebb.jpg?v=1732374467","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/frying-plantain-9781487005344","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}