Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her-who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves-Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. The flowery prose simultaneously expresses a fascination with and appreciation for the experience of rural Jamaican life, but some descriptions unfortunately perpetuate common exoticizing stereotypes.Ī coming-of-age story about discovery, loss, renewal, and longing.Īfter surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself. The story captures the perspective of someone who is half family member and half outsider, and as a result, the descriptions of Jamaican culture often come from a lens that is noticeably “other” while tinged with a sense of yearning to belong. Although Tilla pushes back when she encounters colorism, other sensitive and heavy topics-like sexism, sexual abuse, and assault-would have benefited from greater development. While staying with relatives in the countryside, Tilla experiences life-changing moments and learns beautiful, complex, and harsh lessons about life, love, and liberation, all while facing the looming threat of a dangerous hurricane.
The moment she lands in Jamaica, she begins a journey filled with culture shock beyond her wildest imagining-in both good and bad ways. Despite feeling hurt by his frequent absences and emotional neglect, Tilla is hoping to mend her relationship with her former hero, a parent whose affection she has desperately sought for years. She, along with her younger sister, Mia, sets off to spend two summer months in Jamaica with their father.
Tilla is the 18-year-old Black Canadian daughter of Jamaican immigrants. A teenage girl has an eye-opening, whirlwind summer with her father and Mother Nature as catalysts in this debut by actress Bromfield.
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