Tag: shay youngblood

 For Season 2 Episode 2 we read Candice Carty William’s People Person

About the Author

Candice Carty Williams is a British writer and People Person is her second novel. When she isn’t writing she is still very much involved in publishing as a book marketer. As a university student she was told she wasn’t “clever” enough to do English and yet found success in the publishing world at just 23.

Bookmark

• “I’m not saying you need to toughen up, but you need to know who you are, and take accountability for who that person is. That’s when you’ll stop apologizing for everything.” p. 300

• “I think that you’re a people person in the way that you get people. You see people. And, like, properly see people. You see us, you see who we all are, in our own way. And you don’t judge us for it. You don’t ask people to be who they aren’t. And I don’t think many people are like that, so, yeah. I rate it.” p. 305

POV

Sam and Felicia found the novel to be funny despite the dark themes. Although the book never gives it a name, the sisters found the overarching theme of the book seemed to be generational trauma and curses.  How much can the siblings really find closeness after years and years apart? Will the life altering event really be the catalyst to bring them together and change their relationships for the better?

Deep Dive

People Person is told majority from the perspective of Dimple, the middle daughter of what can only be described as a deadbeat father (Cyril Pennington). The story follows the 7 children of Cyril as they find themselves coming together to help Dimple after an altercation with her ex-boyfriend that becomes a life-altering event for them all. The story exposes the family trauma that can come out of being abandoned by a parent (and/or partner) as well as coming from an immigrant family. It’s also about accepting who you are as a person and being true to yourself despite the ways the world may try to harden you. Overall, the story gives a true perspective into how siblings can come together for good or bad, despite their parents’ mistakes and what path they may be on as individuals.

 For Season 2 Episode 1 we read Shay Youngblood’s Black Girl in Paris

About the Author

Shay Youngblood is a Georgia native indie writer with an MFA in Creative Writing from Brown University.

Book Look

Black Girl in Paris is about a young Georgia girl following in her heroes footsteps to the Black artist Mecca, Paris, we follow the young girl as she struggles to survive in Paris and hopes to make it as a writer.

Bookmark

• “I admire the dedication of the artist, but nothing is certain for you. I am not so brave.” pg. 16 
• “You can’t stop living your life. Everybody is scared, but you can’t let fear rule your life” pg. 53
• “Art is just as important food, ‘cause if your soul ain’t nourished, you one empty mutherf*ker” pg. 184

POV

Felicia didn’t have any strong ties to characters this time around. Sam’s favorite character was Delphine, who is a young sophisticated Black French girl who helps Eden survive her first couple of days and every now and then pops into the story to help with something. The least favorite character was Indigo, a manipulative man who seems to be taking Eden under his wing but really he is only out for himself.

Deep Dive

Sam and Felicia both felt that this was a darker read to start the new year off with. It was a short read but it wasn’t easy to get through. The topics and stories mentioned in this novel were really tough to read through. Eden is just a young girl who wants to live a life where benign black doesn’t hold her back. But, even though she gets a chance to move to France, Eden finds out that life is still difficult.