Frying Plantain by Zalika Reid-Benta [Family Reads]

Why we chose Zalika Reid-Benta’s Frying Plantain

[This an old drafted post that I’ve revived – we discussed this book back in February] Dad had flagged David Bergen’s story collection Here the Dark after reading a Winnipeg Free Press review of 2020 releases. When we checked the wait time at each of our libraries, we saw it would be a long time until it was available. So I checked my short stories shelf on Goodreads and picked Frying Plantain, as another Canadian short story collection. I originally added it to my TBR after reading Cindy @ Book of Cinz‘s post “My Favourite Collection of Caribbean Short Stories“.

Kara Davis is a girl caught in the middle — of her Canadian nationality and her desire to be a “true” Jamaican, of her mother and grandmother’s rages and life lessons, of having to avoid being thought of as too “faas” or too “quiet” or too “bold” or too “soft.” Set in “Little Jamaica,” Toronto’s Eglinton West neighbourhood, Kara moves from girlhood to the threshold of adulthood, from elementary school to high school graduation, in these twelve interconnected stories. We see her on a visit to Jamaica, startled by the sight of a severed pig’s head in her great aunt’s freezer; in junior high, the victim of a devastating prank by her closest friends; and as a teenager in and out of her grandmother’s house, trying to cope with the ongoing battles between her unyielding grandparents.

A rich and unforgettable portrait of growing up between worlds, Frying Plantain shows how, in one charged moment, friendship and love can turn to enmity and hate, well-meaning protection can become control, and teasing play can turn to something much darker. In her brilliantly incisive debut, Zalika Reid-Benta artfully depicts the tensions between mothers and daughters, second-generation Canadians and first-generation cultural expectations, and Black identity and predominately white society.

Goodreads

Our Discussion 💬

Short Story vs. Novel?

Dad didn’t think of it as short stories. Rather, the story reads as one continuous narrative about growing up, if not always in chronological order. The stories/chapters build on and connect to one another. For example, some stories set later in Kara’s life include reflection on earlier stories. Generally, the story begins when Kara is a kid and follows her through to the end of high school. (The majority of the stories take place during high school.)

Could we call Frying Plantain a novel comprised of short stories? Hah. The story follows the same characters all the way through. On reflection, Dad and I agree that you could read most of the stories independently and they would hold up on their own. But still, calling this book as ‘a collection of short stories’ is not the first descriptor that would come to our minds.

Two tiny stories told in third person stood out to us. Why were they included? That’s a question for a literature professor. But if we put a little effort into considering that question: the first third person tiny story is told when Kara goes back to visit her neighbourhood after moving away… We had a few other questions like this by the end of the book. What was the point of the stories about grandfather and his girlfriends? Why did the Inspection chapter have time stamps? These are the questions a reader with a better eye for literature or a student in English class might be up for answering.

Memoir Vibes

We both found Frying Plantain to be a straightforward, digestible read. Turning the pages wasn’t a chore. There’s not much more to the story than what the jacket copy says. The story is steeped in realism. I had to remind us that we weren’t actually reading a memoir! Kara has a rough go of things as she grows up pulled between her grandmother and mother. Dad and I spent some time discussing the relationships and differences in experiences between the three generations (Kara, mother, and grandmother). The description of Kara’s experiences feels deeply rooted in reality.

Young Adult vs Adult

Occassionally Dad and I read young adult novels and sometimes we read adult novels with young adult protagonist. Frying Plantain is the latter. Usually it seems obvious whether a novel is targetted for adults or teens. But when Dad asked me “Why is this not a young adult book?”, I realized the question was a little more complex as there’s nothing about Frying Plantain‘s content that immediately flags it as ‘adult’. Is it because of its literary style? told from a slightly older perspective? too introspective? The tone/style is the only thing I can pinpoint as an indicator of why this isn’t a YA book. I do think it would be a good read for a high school class.

Final Thoughts 💭

I gave this book ★★★½ and Dad gave it ★★★★★. Although I might describe this as a ‘quiet’ collection, it kept our attention and wasn’t disinteresting. Some stories felt out of place; the flow of the overall narrative felt unnatural at times. But generally the stories fit together and complement each other. Recommended for readers who enjoy slice of life tales.

Further Reading 📰

🍂 Read an excerpt
🍂 Author website
🍂 Interview @ Prism Magazine
🍂 Reviews: Cindy @ Book of Cinz, Kamaldeep @ Youth Culture
🍂 Related: For more Family Reads discussions between myself and Dad, check out our thoughts on Richard Wagamese’s Starlight or Robin Roe’s A List of Cages.

What’s your favourite short story collection? Have you read any books set in Toronto?