Learning to Breathe

April 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-The tale of a teen struggling to define her own boundaries. All of her life Indira has been compared to her mother Shariece, a drug addict who had multiple sexual partners. The people in Indy's small village in the Bahamas have always thought she would follow in her mother's footsteps and gave her the nickname Doubles. The fierce love of her Grammy stabilizes a life littered with her mother's poor choices. Her grandmother sees trouble ahead and tries to protect Indy by sending her to Nassau to live with her uncle's family. Before she leaves, Indy receives a bag and book from her grandmother with instructions to not open the present before it's time. She tries to seize this opportunity to create a new identity for herself but is hindered by a boy from home, and the unwanted attention of a male relative who reminds her of her mother's past. A chance meeting at a yoga retreat points Indira in a new direction. This is a well-written, thought-provoking book that tackles difficult topics such as unwanted pregnancy, familial relationships, and rape, with nuance. The language and depiction of the practice of yoga is lyrical and beautiful. Readers will agonize with Indira as she struggles to make the best decision for herself and her child. VERDICT A stirring debut for all YA collections.-Desiree Thomas, Worthington Library, OH

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2018
Sent away to live with relatives to escape her mother's wild lifestyle, Indira's new home is anything but a sanctuary Indy is a black Bahamian girl who can't escape her mother Sharice's unsavory shadow. In their Bahamian community of Mariner's Cay, Sharice has a reputation for being promiscuous--and Indy's nickname, "Doubles," comes from how much she physically resembles her mom. Worse, everyone assumes that she acts like Sharice too. When she goes to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousin in Nassau, presumably for a better life than her mother can give her, the nickname and the assumptions follow. Even her loving Grammy seems to think Indy will end up in trouble. Sure enough, trouble comes, but it's not of Indy's choosing. One day, she stumbles upon a yoga retreat center, setting off a chain of events that will expose family secrets and force her to make the toughest decisions of her life. Indy is vulnerable, yet determined, as she faces a shameful past and navigates an uncertain future with the help of new friends. Told in Indy's voice, this heart-wrenching story unfolds with intermittent flashbacks, including scenes of sexual harassment and violence. Through well-crafted dialogue, fresh characters, and solid pacing, the book's mature themes are handled carefully and with sensitivity. A powerful, poignant story about refusing to let the past dictate who you are or who you will become. (Fiction. 14-18)

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April 23, 2018
Set on Nassau Island in the Bahamas, this suspenseful coming-of-age story follows an intrepid protagonist who, after being raped by her live-in cousin, strives to overcome hopelessness and fear in order to make crucial decisions about her pregnancy and future. Indy’s nickname is Doubles, in reference both to her chest size and the assumption that she will inevitably become a drunken, promiscuous, irresponsible woman like her mother. Indy’s achingly clear-sighted internal narrative is often witty: “My life can’t even be held in place with duct tape. The tape that holds anything,” she says when her bra breaks. And it offers a striking contrast to the minimalist, cautious speech she uses with others. Trapped between self-blame and a sense of futility (“I already know what people would say; in their eyes, if Gary messed with me, it’s all my fault”), Indy stumbles on a yoga retreat center and discovers both allies and kindred souls who accept her and empower her to make choices about her body and find her voice. Mather skillfully balances emotionally wrenching scenes and surprisingly humorous ones; well-drawn supporting characters, including a fiery, self-educated grandmother and an endearingly gallant friend, Churchy, enrich this capable debut. Ages 14–up. Agent: Rachel Letofsky, CookeMcDermid Agency.

April 15, 2018
Grades 9-12 Mather's heartbreaking debut revolves around a teen girl learning to love herself and life, in spite of what others assume about her. Sixteen-year-old Indira Ferguson has always lived with the stigma of her mother's shortcomings and promiscuity. People have never been able to view her as an individual separate from her mother, despite the fact that she's always been a good, rule-abiding girl. When she is sent to live with her aunt in the Bahamian city of Nassau, the reputation she's saddled with follows her, and Aunt Patrice immediately writes her off as troubled. While there, Indira is raped and ends up pregnant, but she hides her pregnancy for fear of being thrown out on the streets. Mather paints a tragically real picture of the struggles too many girls are forced to endure, conferring a universal quality to Indira's pain and experience?struggles exacerbated by a society that vilifies women and girls while too often ignoring their abuse. Much like Ibi Zoboi's American Street (2017), this challenging read confronts injustice and celebrates strength of character and spirit.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)