Zalika Reid-Benta

Set in "Little Jamaica," Frying Plantain follows one young girl from elementary school to high school graduation in twelve interconnected stories that expose the tensions between mothers and daughters, second-generation immigrants and first-generation cultural expectations, and Black identity and predominantly white society.

Frying Plantain

Ryan Mateyk

I really enjoyed this! A quick collection of connected short stories (reads like a novel, really) following the childhood and adolescence of Kara, a Jamaican-Canadian girl caught between the two cultures, trying to find her way and grow up like everyone else. We get to experience Kara's first relationship, first friendships, first drink... lots of firsts. I loved how Reid-Benta used very simple gestures of actions to represent deep emotions. For example there was a super quick, blink and you'll miss it scene where Kara's mother Eloise touched Kara's chin in the car, then quickly looked away. To me, this touch represented so much; the worries of a mother, the depth of love a mother has for her child, among other things. It was a really wonderful moment, and one of many like this. Made for a beautiful collection of stories.

“It’s late in the afternoon. A little after five thirty. Nana has begun seasoning a chicken for tomorrow, Sunday, night. Right now she’s sweeping in the kitchen even though there’s nothing on the floor to sweep. Details like that don’t matter to her, though. Something always needs cleaning. Something always needs polishing. It made me tense as a child — watching her create work for herself, when she saw it as keeping the Devil at bay.”

Turia L. M.

“It’s late in the afternoon. A little after five thirty. Nana has begun seasoning a chicken for tomorrow, Sunday, night. Right now she’s sweeping in the kitchen even though there’s nothing on the floor to sweep. Details like that don’t matter to her, though. Something always needs cleaning. Something always needs polishing. It made me tense as a child — watching her create work for herself, when she saw it as keeping the Devil at bay.”

Excerpt From

Frying Plantain

Zalika Reid-Benta



Anika | @chaptersofmay

Frying Plantain is a semi-autobiographical anthology of 12 linked coming-of-age stories. At its centre is Kara Davis, a young girl of Jamaican heritage living in Toronto. She finds herself at a crossroads in terms of her identity. It’s a common crisis for second generation immigrants, and Kara is caught between her Canadian nationality and her desire to be a “true” Jamaican. To add to that, she carries the burden of playing mediator in her family while navigating the teenage experience.

Personally, I find Kara incredibly relatable. Growing up as a young, Black, second-generation Jamaican wasn’t the easiest thing, and it was a prize to meet a character with similar trials, anxieties, and pressures. In addition, the divide and tensions between the three generations was also fascinating to dive into. The occasional sentence felt as if it had been plucked from my own experiences. But the representation is not the only highlight of Frying Plantain. 

The cultural disparities between Canada and Jamaica are brilliantly mapped out in this book. Interactions, relationships and behaviours are viewed in two different ways, which is evident in the behaviour of Kara, her mother, and her grandmother. I loved the contrast between the island and the city, intertwined with Kara’s emotional struggle to find balance between the two. 

Reid-Benta’s writing is refreshingly clear and gratifyingly fluent. But it is still full of life with an airy and playful tone that adds levity to the character’s heavier challenges. Despite being a collection of short stories, Frying Plantain reads like a novel. And although it is very much a coming-of-age story, the exploration of family dynamics is a constant theme. Women take centre stage, and Kara is particular is painted as courageous yet mild, even with the parental and societal demands she faces. 

Frying Plantain successfully delves into behaviour modification, racial prejudices, and family dynamics. It’s easy to read but carries emotional weight, especially for those who can relate to its multidimensional characters. Plus, the use of Jamaican patois brought an immovable smile to my face. 

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Andrew Reeves

Emily Burns

Andrew Louis

Joycelyn Ghansah

Fran Lewis

Moradeyo

'An unforgettable debut' Paul Beatty, Booker Prize-winning author of The Sellout 'Incisive and sharp' Refinery29 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. 'Zalika Reid-Benta announces herself as an enormous voice for the coming decade (and one that is desperately needed)' Gary Shteyngart, author of Super Sad True Love Story

Frying Plantain

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