Diversity Spotlight: One Crazy Summer - Miranda

 



One of my all time favorite novels is One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia. The story follows sisters Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern in the summer of 1968 as they visit their estranged mother in Oakland, California. Throughout the novel the girls have to deal with racism and learn about the Black Panther movement. I was never taught about the Black Panther party in school, so not only was the book enjoyable, but it was educational too. The novel makes for a quick read and I would highly recommend it.

This book was different for Garcia. While she often wrote books about characters that were black, she hadn’t written one yet that dealt so much with racism. In an interview, she explained, “It’s [racism] not how people live. Not to say racism doesn’t exist, but it’s not this moment to moment consciousness. I like to include the domestic, intimate things about race and identity that never really make it into books or media—you mainly get big or dramatic events of racism, violence or discrimination.” 

I think that’s part of the reason I liked the book so much. Though I come from a very different background (and time period) from the characters in One Crazy Summer, there’s something about it that feels so intimate and real. Like I could really be friends with these characters and have a conversation with them. Nothing in the book seems too far fetched, but at the same time interesting to read about.

I believe diversity in novels is so, so important. There are far too many popular novels and series with white protagonists while the characters of color are left as side or background characters; sometimes they are even entirely absent. Reading a novel like this one where the main characters are of color is refreshing. When little kids are reading books, so often the main characters are white. Little kids are very impressionable, so when they can see themselves reflected in characters that look like they do, it can be a boost to self confidence. I didn’t see a lot of Latina (specifically Puerto Rican) characters in my books growing up, but on the rare occasion that I did, it was always such a wonderful feeling.

Sound like an interesting book? You can buy the book here, and make sure to check out the sequels PS Be 11 and Gone Crazy in Alabama.



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