06 May / Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades [in Booklist]
“We live in the dregs of Queens, New York,” debut Filipina American author Daphne Palasi Andreades introduces her polyphonic Brown Girls, with names like “Khadija, Akanksha, Maribeth, Ximena, Breonna, Cherelle, Thanh, Yoon, Ellen …”
Tashi Thomas – a relative, albeit already convincing, audiobook newbie – moves effortlessly among the diverse community of girls who vow to remain bffs forever … until life (and even death, “in the literal sense” of 2021’s “novel virus”) frays promises and bonds as decades pass through generational disconnects, cultural clashes, (d)evolving relationships, getting out/staying stuck/coming home, opportunities, and denials.
Andreades writes prose here in short, crisp bursts, creating chapters that are sometimes just a paragraph, at most a few pages, that Thomas affectingly ciphers into a lyrical, soulful performance reminiscent of novel-in-verse-esque rhythms. Andreades’ ingenious choice to present her narrative via a collective “we/us” throughout acts as a protective shield around the girls against the world; Thomas expertly, poignantly navigates both inclusive and exclusive perspectives.
Review: “Media,” Booklist, April 15, 2022
Readers: Adult
Published: 2022