Girlcott
by Florenz Webbe Maxwell
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Pub Date Sep 15 2017 | Archive Date Jan 31 2018
Blue Banyan Books | Blouse & Skirt Books
Description
Even in paradise revolutions can be inconvenient things
A week ago, Desma Johnson had only two things on her mind – in exactly eight days, she would be sixteen years old and to top it off she was in line for a top scholarship, bringing her one step closer to her dreams. Life was perfect and nothing would get in the way of her birthday plans. But it’s 1959 and the secret Progressive League has just announced a boycott of all cinemas in Bermuda in order to end racial segregation.
As anxieties around the boycott build Desma becomes increasingly aware of the racial tensions casting a dire shadow over the island. Neighbours she once thought were friendly and supportive show another side. So, Desma must learn that change is never easy, and even when others expect small things from black girls, she has the right to dream big.
In this startling debut, Florenz Webbe Maxwell takes a little-known fact about Caribbean history and weaves an engaging tale that speaks eloquently to the contemporary experience. Girlcott takes you beyond the image of Bermuda as a piece of paradise and charts a narrative of resistance, hope and the importance of fighting for change.
Girlcott won a Burt Award for Caribbean Literature (2016) prize.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9789768267085 |
| PRICE | $12.99 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Michelle K, Reviewer
Girlcott
by Florenz Webbe Maxwell
Blue Banyan Books
Blouse & Skirt Books
Historical Fiction , Teens & YA
Pub Date 15 Sep 2017
I am reviewing a copy of Girlcott through Blue Banyan Books/Blouse & Skirt Books and Netgalley:
Just a week and a day ago Desma Johnson had only two things on her mind, in eight days she would be sixteen and she was inline for a top scholarship getting her closer to her dream. But it's 1959 and the Secret Progressive League has announced that they were going to Boycott all cinemas in Bermuda in an effort to end racial segregation.
Desma Johnson is determined to study for the exams so she can go to college and become an actuary.
As the events around the Boycott start building up, racial tension becomes more and more evident.
This book shows us that in the not so distant past, whites and blacks and Bermuda's lived separate, very segregated lives, but Desma the courageous young character in this book is determined to show that she is as worthy as her peers, and deserves a chance to go to college.
I give GirlCott five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
Kate P, Librarian
I knew very little about the history of Bermuda before reading this book but Florenz Webbe Maxwell taught me a lot about it while staying focussed on her engaging story and heroine. This book shows the ongoing effects of imperialism and racism, together with sexism, as the heroine tries to make her way in a world that tries to deny her ambitions because of her colour and gender.
Hannah W, Reviewer
Actual rating 3.5
The history behind this story is unfortunately more interesting than the story itself. Whilst there are parts of the book that are well fleshed out, like Desma (who I love) and the theatre boycott itself, there was too much that just wasn't explored enough. This is partly because the book is very short (only 175 pages) and there isn't enough room to fully explore the supporting characters.
It's fairly well written and the characters are believable even if some of them are a bit dull, the Johnson's made me so intensely angry and were vivid in their horrific views as were most of the other white characters in this book.
Overall, I found this a relatively enjoyable read, it could have done with being longer to really flesh out the characters but it was brilliant to learn about such an important event in Caribbean history through Desma.
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