Black Woman Changed | My (Literary) Glimmer of Hope
I love Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s quote where she says, “No man [or woman] can be called friendless who has God and the companionship of good books” (Seale). Browning’s statement rings so very true in my life and my love of books. From a young age, I have had a deep appreciation for literature and the immersive journey I could experience as I excitingly devoured a book. Into my early teens, my love of books was still going strong. I was an avid fan of many action/adventure books, especially Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls book series.
Then one day it hit me.
In the multiple books that I’d read and enjoyed, none of them had heroes or heroines that looked like me, that had black skin, that spoke my cultural vernacular. My eyes were opened to the rampant lack of racial diversity in book publishing, especially in the young adult literary genre. It was as if the literary world that I’d loved so much had sat me down and patronizingly informed me that my only job was to read books, not be reflected in the books that I read. But then came Orleans by Sherri L. Smith. With this novel (paperback currently sold on Amazon for about $10.00), a glimmer of hope was sparked in my search to find racially diverse characters in Young Adult (YA) literature.
In the book Orleans by Sherri L. Smith, readers meet Fen de la Guerre, a Black female teenager surviving in 2056 in post-apocalyptic New Orleans, a city that has been systematically destroyed by multiple hurricanes and its people ravaged by Delta Fever (a deadly illness). Having lived her whole life in this “new normal,” Fen de la Guerre has learned how to stay alive and well in Orleans—both as a member of her tribe and on her own. “Uncle Rom [show us how to survive] in a group, but Daddy show me how to survive on my own” (Smith 37). After the death of her tribe chieftain (Lydia), Fen is charged with caring and protecting Lydia’s newborn daughter (Baby Girl). Fen vows to ensure a better life for Baby Girl away from Orleans, a vow she cleverly and courageously fulfills numerous times even when faced with death defying obstacles and conflicting moralistic decisions. “Lydia say she want Baby Girl to have a better life… Ain’t no such thing as a better life in Orleans. Not really. Only chance this baby got be in the Outer States. So I gotta get her there” (Smith 60). Fen uses everything at her disposal (even Outer State scientist Daniel) to save Baby Girl and give the innocent child a life far from the plaguing woes of dystopian New Orleans.
I am so glad that Sherri L. Smith chose to write this novel and that The Penguin Group decided to publish this thrilling and adventure-filled book. Like Mortimer J. Adler once said, “In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you” (Seale). Finally reading about a passionate and strong female teenage protagonist that was of the same race as me unlike the typical white main character was a powerful experience. Being able to more closely relate to Fen’s independence, intelligence, and persistence was a moment of pride and growth for me, and has played a key part in the changed Black woman I am today.
Orleans is such a wonderful book though its complexity at times does require a reader’s full concentration to grasp certain post-apocalyptic scenarios and follow the flow of the novel. Therefore, I whole heartedly give Orleans a 4.5 out of 5 star rating for intrigue and suspense. This book is perfect for Black teens, especially young females who wish to see a fierce Black female protagonist defying odds.
Other YA books with strong Black female leads are The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton and One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia.
You can purchase a copy of Orleans here.
Works Cited
Seale, Natalie. “160 Quotes About Books & Reading.” KeepInspiring.Me, 22 September 2020. Web. 11
December 2020.
Smith, Sherri L. Orleans. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2013. Print.