SUGAR TOWN QUEENS

A South African teen unravels the mysteries of her own and her mother’s pasts.

Amandla’s life is filled with the unknown. Not only are her mother Annalisa’s “episodes” unpredictable, Amandla also knows next to nothing about either of their personal histories. Mixed-race Amandla does know that her father was Black, which is rather scandalous even in her post-Mandela nation given that Annalisa is White. When Annalisa returns from Durban on Amandla’s 15th birthday, badly shaken and without her usual practical gifts, Amandla finds an address and lots of cash in Annalisa’s purse. She decides to investigate in hopes of finally getting answers to her many questions. What she discovers could have led to a basic rags-to-riches story, but Nunn avoids that trope, choosing instead to focus on the amazing community of their township, Sugar Town; indeed, the setting is one of the strongest aspects of the story. The community of strong women who support Amandla is juxtaposed with one she later encounters that lacks the same cohesiveness. What follows are many highly dramatic turns of events and a narrative that shows a young woman reckoning with possible paths lying ahead and harsh judgments of women’s behavior. The novel ultimately acknowledges that different people behave in different ways, even given similar circumstances. This origin-story mystery features a cast that reflects the diversity of its setting.

Engrossing to the end.