A FRENCH GIRL IN NEW YORK

A young musician sets out to pursue her dreams and find her family, but along the way she finds herself.

Growing up as a Black girl with an uncaring foster family (who are cued white) in the small French town of Carvin, Maude never felt like she fit in. When an influencer posts a video of the aspiring opera singer performing in a Parisian cafe during a school trip and it goes viral, an elite vocal coach invites Maude to New York for training. After the 16-year-old orphan learns that her French Nigerian father once lived in New York, she realizes this career opportunity could help her learn more about her origins. Maude also faces critical choices about matters from musical genres to love interests. Meanwhile, Black record company exec Terence Baldwin and his family, her American hosts, are there supporting her as Maude learns about music and her Nigerian heritage (Mrs. Baldwin is Nigerian American). While the pacing is uneven, the complexity of the characters and their realistic interactions shine through; readers will feel engaged in—and occasionally even frustrated by—their decisions. The final reveal is strong. In her debut novel, Adams beautifully captures the internal struggle of balancing hope with the fear that reality might not meet the expectations one has built up over the years.

An emotionally resonant coming-of-age story about claiming your identity.