Patsy: A Novel

The second book that I’ve read from Nicole, I love her style and this novel is very special because it’s the story of a Jamaican inmigran woman living in the States, and the separation with her family.

This book broke my heart. It's a compassionate and courageous exploration of poverty, colorism, and homophobia as well as the struggles and vulnerability of being an undocumented immigrant in America.

"What a relief it must be, Patsy thinks, to stare into the eyes of sorrow and break without the pretense of holding it together." This is the story of a Jamaican woman who longs for more. She wants to be free of her maternal responsibilities. She wants to be free to be who she really is as a gay woman. She wants the life promised in letters from her best childhood friend and first love, who has "gone a foreign". And as soon as her opportunity presents itself in the form of a visitor's visa, she takes it. But life isn't quite what she thought it would be in America. Well-written and vivid in its portrayal of Jamaican life and culture, this novel is, nonetheless, an uncomfortable read. This is not the "No problem, everyting irie" Jamaica; themes surrounding colourism, poverty, homophobia, religious fundamentalism, infidelity, and generational trauma are prevalent. Patsy's choices cast her in a harsh light, raising difficult questions about motherhood and sacrifice: how can a mother leave her child behind in pursuit of something better? What is that "better", and is it worth the consequences? Her departure profoundly shapes her daughter Tru's life, with a lasting impact. She is thrust into a series of difficult and often degrading circumstances, instigated not only by her undocumented status but also by the false promises that initially drew her to the United States. Through Patsy's experiences, readers are challenged to confront the stark divide between the American Dream and the American Reality, revealing how aspirations for opportunity and prosperity are often met with hardship, exploitation, and disillusionment for those living undocumented.

A woman abandons her 5 year old daughter in Jamaica and moves to America in hopes of creating a better future and being with her best friend whom she’s loved since she was a child. When she gets to America she learns that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be, but she can’t go back to Jamaica. She can’t face her past and the child she abandoned. She’s stuck in a place of no upward movement. Her daughter Tru, is raised by her father and his wife who seems to love Tru, but Tru won’t allow her too as she longs for her mother. As Tru grows the pain of her mother’s abandonment gets worse and she deals with it in unhealthy ways. Tru tries to find herself and her place in the world with the love she has for football, but it’s not enough. As a Jamaican, I never thought of how parents migrating to different foreign countries would affect the people left behind. My father migrated when I was 8 years old and while I was sad, I never truly felt his absence because he always kept I’m contact with me. Tru, however, never experienced that. Her mother left her with no communication. Patsy in my eyes was a terrible mother. How can you just up and leave your child like that to a man who didn’t seem to want anything to do with her. A great read and highly recommended!

Dennis-Benn is magical with words!