Easy breezy read but remains deeply impactful. Queenie tells the story of Queenie Jenkins, a 25-something Jamaican woman living in London and her trysts with breakup, hook ups, childhood trauma, alcohol, racism, and failing career. Queenie doesn’t seem to have anything going right for her. Her life is a summation of one wrong choice after another. The alacrity with which she seems to throw away her life and her body to random men, do nothing but make her traumas impossible, bleeding further into her soul. Her lack of self respect and self love that leads her into this rabbit hole of self sabotage until she hits rock bottom, is quite unnerving. Her gradual rise back is very real and un-heroic. During this process there are no drumrolls and it isn’t glossy and joyful. In fact, the path to recovery and healing is bumpy, painful and teary. Like it’s for any of us. We are all unconventional heroes like Queenie , we do wrong choices, suffer the consequences and then move towards redemption. The book felt quite personal to me. Cathartic at times. My mid twenties were a lot like Queenie’s. They were difficult times but I did write a new chapter eventually. Just like Queenie Jenkins!
Kudos to Candice Carty-Williams for telling an unapologetically moving rendition of a damaged black woman. We need more such stories. Real and full of grit.
Also is it just me or did anyone else notice the fact, that the book resembled a lot like Fleabag; in the portrayal of it’s lead characters?!
~ JUST A GAY BOY. 🤠
the shiny diaries 