"Queenie," by Candice Carty-Williams

The British novel “Queenie” (Simon & Schuster/Scout Press, paperback version 2019), which takes place in contemporary London, has been termed “Black Bridget Jones meets Americanah,” and that gives readers a very rough idea of the book. But the “Bridget Jones” books seemed much more lighthearted than this book; even the wonderful novel “Americanah,” although it focuses on racial analysis regarding the United States, has more of a wry, satirical tone in its observations than “Queenie” does. Queenie, the character, attempts to be a modern, free-spirited young woman, and there is certainly plenty of sex and drink and some drugs involved. But there is much pain as well. Some of the pain comes from a kind of depression that hangs over Queenie, getting worse as the novel progresses (although – spoiler alert – there is a cautiously optimistic ending to the novel). And some comes from being broken up with by a boyfriend. But some of that pain and depression comes from racial prejudice and discrimination, some of it internalized. So the book is a slightly uneasy mixture of “young and free woman in the city” (there is even a slight “Sex in the City” vibe as Queenie and her three best friends often meet and share their experiences about life, men, sex, work, and more) and of commentary on racial (and gender as well) matters. I like the portrayals of Queenie’s friends and how supportive and loving they are, as are some family members. Even her boss tolerates a lot of flakiness on Queenie’s part (some of it brought on by her troubles). The format of the book includes frequent series of tweets among the friends, which gives the book a contemporary vibe. At times the various aspects of the novel don’t quite fit together, but the result is still a compelling read.