Emira Tucker, a twenty-five-year-old Black babysitter, is confronted by a security guard in a high-end grocery store and accused of kidnapping the white toddler in her care. The incident is captured on video by a bystander, triggering a series of transactional interactions between Emira and her employer, Alix Chamberlain. Alix is a white lifestyle blogger who attempts to right the wrong through frantic, performative advocacy. The situation further complicates when Emira begins dating the man who filmed the confrontation, revealing a shared history between him and Alix.
This novel is for readers interested in the mechanics of transactional allyship and the nuances of unintentional racism in progressive circles. It attracts those who want to observe how class status and racial dynamics operate within domestic employment and private social networks. Readers walk away with an understanding of how white people often prioritize their own moral discomfort over the actual needs of the people they claim to support. It provides a sharp look at the difference between genuine connection and the desire to appear socially conscious.
Balanced in tone; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Story Seeker. Which reader are you?
Insights from Such a Fun Age
“She’d never had a friend who was as good a person as Emira was.”
Alix really thinks she is helping Emira by being her friend. She doesn't see how her obsession with being a cool boss is just another burden.
“I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m just here with this child.”
The grocery store scene is so quiet and fast. It shows how life can change in one minute because of someone else's fear.
“He thinks he’s the only one who knows how to be around you.”
Kel thinks he is the hero because he dates Black women. He uses his past to feel superior to other white people.
“I don’t need you to be mad that it happened. I need you to be mad that it happened to me.”
Emira just wants a job with health insurance. Everyone around her keeps trying to turn her life into a political statement.
- Published
- 2019
- Publisher
- G.P. Putnam's Sons
- ISBN
- 9780525541905
- Language
- EN
