Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid

SUCH A FUN AGE by Kiley Reid was selected as the top LibraryReads choice in December and I would readily concur in recommending this debut novel. Reid explores themes of privilege, racial tension, maturity, influence of friends, and the pressures of parenting with a story set primarily in Philadelphia.  That’s where Alix Chamberlain, a white woman who has invented an online “mommy blogger” persona for herself moves (from New York City) with her family, newscaster husband and two young girls, and where she hires Emira, a twenty-something young women of color, to babysit. 

Both women struggle with self-esteem and questions related to career opportunities as well as their feelings for Briar, Alix’s toddler, and for their significant others. The story revolves around an incident late one night when Emira is called to baby sit in an emergency and takes young Briar to a local grocery store where the clerk accuses Emira of kidnapping.  The entire incident is video-taped, but Emira elects not to expose it. Multiple racist incidents (some in the past) are unveiled as the novel progresses and Alix’s and Emira’s relationship is rocky at best. A fascinating look at distorted views of events and the stories we tell ourselves, SUCH A FUN AGE received starred reviews from Kirkus and Library Journal.