Book a Week: Week23 "Such a Fun Age"

 "Such A Fun Age " is Kiley Reid's debut novel. Once i finished reading it, I couldn't believe it is her first novel!

It is really a contemporary story, which can happen anywhere is America. 

Emira is Briar's babysitter. When Briar's mom asked to take care of Briar on an evening, Emira was in a party. She was offered twice the regular pay to come and take Briar out of the house so that the parents can deal with an emergency situation at home.

Emira took Briar to an upscale grocery store. There she got confronted by the security guard, accusing of kidnapping the white baby. The event was all recorded by a customer in the store. Emira was allowed to go only after Briar's father came to the store to explain the situation. 

With several racially biased situations in the news, we can relate to that incident. 

At first we think that Emira will go with releasing the recorded video. But, she is an aimless young girl and her family don't know she is babysitting. She have no idea what to do with her life. So, she don't want tShe don't want her experience to be known by family and friends. 

After the incident, Alix the boss wanted to make Emira her family. She wanted to project how she is not racially biased at all. But, the story takes an unexpected turn when Emira showed up for Thanksgiving dinner to Alix's home. 

Emira's boyfriend is a white guy who went to high school with Alix. They had a bitter past. Alix tells Emira that Kelley fetishes black people and advised to break up with him. To Alix's surprise, Emira has her own opinions. 

Then Alix leaked the video secretly, by getting in to emira's email. To make Emira feel better, Alix bring a news team to do an interview to tell the world Kelley released the video without her permission. But, she figured out Alix is the one behind releasing the video just before the interview. During the interview, Emira reveals that she is not going back to work for Alix. 

At that moment, I was thinking Kelley and Emira were going to get back. But, Kiley Reid surprises us with story. 

After several years, Emira thinks back to see what life lessons she gained from her babysitting experience. She saw Alix with the kids again while walking on the road. She thinks fondly of Briar and wonders how Briar will be when she grows up!

The story makes us think about our own biased thinking in everyday life. Do we even realize we are so much biased with our behaviour?