Novel: Biracial girl copes by turning to imaginary friend
CVK
Thanks for making us all feel bad, Helen Oyemi! Not only did she complete her novel The Icarus Girl at the tender young age of 18, but she got rave reviews too! The San Francisco Chronicle reviews Oyemi’s book, which is about a young mixed girl whose mysterious friend Tilly Tilly is invisible to everyone else:
The daughter of a Nigerian mother and British father, Jess feels her half- and-half-ness literally as well, a sense that she belongs not to both cultures but nowhere…
Of course, TillyTilly isn’t real — at least not a real 8-year-old girl. But if she is just an imaginary friend, as Jess’ parents suspect, then where did she come by her uncanny knowledge of the secrets they have kept from her? The novel spirals into gothic territory when TillyTilly informs Jess that Jess had a twin sister who died at birth. As TillyTilly grows more and more volatile, Jess comes to believe that she is the ghost of that dead twin come to take her place, while her parents become increasingly afraid of their own daughter.
lucy wrote:
“a sense that she belongs not to both cultures but nowhere…” I often feel that way too.
Posted 13 Jul 2005 at 9:53 pm ¶
lyonside wrote:
Seems familiar… I’ve read a fantasy book series where the protagonist 1) is caught between 2 worlds (in that book, a female mystically disguised as a male since her nutty uncle decided to kill female heirs to the throne), 2) haunted/helped/hindered by a male spirit who turns out to be her fraternal twin who died with their mother at childbirth.
The fantasy book has been seen by the fans (and likely the author) as a rough analogy for gender and orientation identity. I’m not shocked to see the idea transferred to racial/ethnic identity.
Anyone know if this live/dead twin thing is based in myth?
Posted 15 Jul 2005 at 12:44 pm ¶
Renu wrote:
lyonside- I’d love to check out the books you’re talking about
Posted 20 Jul 2005 at 9:55 am ¶
Mara wrote:
speaking of books - you all should check out the impressionist by hari kunzru - its mind blowing.
Posted 15 Aug 2005 at 12:25 pm ¶