l mo

I’m going to give this 3 stars because it makes the important issue of white privilege accessible to more types of readers. Not everyone can read books that are more nuanced; less plot and dialogue driven. And this book brings out racial stereotyping and racial appropriation by whites in a relatable way. I’m going to agree with another reviewer that I’m floored at the critical response and the fact that it was long listed for the Booker Award. I give Kiley Reid credit for even writing a debut novel, (more than I’ve done!) But I’m a voracious reader and I would not put this writing in the same class as Jesmyn Ward or Sara Broom or Kiese Laymon, amazing authors who should be required reading for whites who want to the work required to take responsibility for centuries of systemic racism. But as I said in the beginning, to reach a wide audience maybe a book needs to be lighter, more pop culture, more like a TV show and this is an easy and fast read. The only other thing I’d like to add is that I couldn’t help draw some comparisons with the TV show Servant by M Night Shamalan, another Philadelphia native. The nanny scenario, the big house near Rittenhouse, one spouse a local news personality, the self absorbed mother. Just curious which came first?