RAPUNZELLA, OR, DON'T TOUCH MY HAIR

In this fairy-tale remix inspired by Jamaican folklore and Indigenous culture, three girls must learn to harness their power to topple a tyrant.

You, the story’s protagonist, are 6 when you first dream of the land of Xaymaca and befriend Kam and Zella, sister witches whose immense power emanates from their hair. The three of you are destined to fight the evil King who enslaved the witches’ coven, but what can you do without magic? Ten years later, that question remains as you—a Black British girl growing up in London—wrestle with insecurities, your feelings for your best friend (a boy named Baker), and your longing for acceptance by your popular white classmates. But with Kam now magicless and Zella trapped in a forest of her own hair, facing the King alone, you must make a choice: Will you run from your power or finally step into it? Told in verse and second-person prose, this story skillfully balances the whimsy of an enchanting fantasy world with a candid portrait of growing up and an incisive exploration of Black identity. Although opaque motivations at times reduce the characters to pawns of the plot, tempering the emotional impact of their actions, this rich, multilayered story begs for discussion; sophisticated readers will catch many of its nuances. Most named characters are Black; one is trans and part of a loving, on-page lesbian relationship.

This imaginative, lyrical coming-of-age story celebrates Black Girl Magic.