Queenie by Candice
Carty-Williams is an adult novel that’s sure to have you laughing, crying and eager
to keep reading (it does go to some very dark places). You’ll be rooting for
Queenie as she’s the modern heroine we so desperately need! Queenie is 25-years
old, born to Jamaican immigrants living in London. She struggles with a
break-up, trying to find her place in the world, racism, and mental health.
Queenie has just broken with her long-term boyfriend Tom,
who is white. We learn that the relationship wasn’t healthy from the start, but
the break up hits Queenie hard. Her attempts to deal with everything include
self-sabotaging behavior, and she struggles with severe anxiety.
Queenie is bold, complicated, diverse and feminist at heart.
The book deals with Queenie’s journey at many different levels, and I found it
incredibly inspiring. As Queenie eventually seeks help from her family she is
met with an understanding and love that seemed to have overlooked before. The
comfort of family and their love really gives Queenie solid ground to stand on
as she works to define and heal the mental illness afflicting her.
Once Queenie is able to make that choice to seek therapy,
she’s overcome a hurdle and finally made a choice for herself. This is the
beginning of her finding herself, her strength, and self-love.
“Finding your true value does not — cannot — come from love,
lust, or sex. It might sound corny, but finding your value has to come from
within, and not from a partner. I'm not saying 'you need to love yourself in
order to love someone else' I'm saying that it's vital that we as women
understand our value in order to navigate love and its machinations.” – Candice
Carty-Williams, interview with Shondaland.
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Therapy still has a stigma in our country, even though many of us benefit from this important mental health support. What barriers have you found or overcome when seeking therapy when you needed it?
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Books to Read after Queenie
“Americanah” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
How To Love A Jamaican by Alexia Arthurs
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (eBook or print)
Local Resources for Therapy
Eastern Iowa Family Counseling
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