‘Sharp-witted and sharp-tongued, Frying Plantain is written in the indelible ink of memory. Zalika Reid-Benta is a masterful storyteller with a light touch, a photographic recall, and a pitch-perfect ear for the ephemera we’d like to think of as youthful, but just can’t seem to shake. This is an unforgettable debut.’
Paul Beatty, Booker Prize–winning author of The Sellout
Reid-Benta’s writing is clear, precise, and infused with emotional depth. The characters are complex and well developed — comforting in their familiarity and frustrating in their stubbornness. Reid-Benta masterfully uses Kara’s everyday life to highlight the intimate inner workings of her characters, their family dysfunction, and the juxtaposition of Canadian and Jamaican identities.
Quill & Quire
‘Each story in Frying Plantain is achingly poignant, insightful, and funny; each a gem unto itself. Ms. Reid-Benta’s fully sympathetic protagonist, Kara Davis, is a girl who belongs to neither Canada nor Jamaica, despite the fact that both places are ‘home.’ Her family — loving, flawed, and wickedly at odds with one another — all demand her loyalty, and her loyal friends aren’t friends at all. As a collection, these stunning stories create a multi-faceted jewel of a book.’
Binnie Kirshenbaum, author of The Scenic Route and Rabbits for Food
‘Zalika Reid-Benta’s first book — by turns effortless, vivid, funny, sad, and genuinely like being there — is as shiny as they come. Her spot-on capture of youthful aspiration, folly, and how family members tend to understand one another only in fragments make these stories a real pleasure — full of recognition, humour, and keenly observed lives in the here and now. Frying Plantain, a window into the world of growing upward and onward inside and outside family ties, is an absolute gem.’
Janice Galloway, author of Clara and All Made Up
‘A coming of age tale that emerges through an artful layering of episodes ... Zalika Reid-Benta’s debut brings a tenderness and awkward humour to the portrayal of adolescence that can only be drawn from life.’
Cameron Woodhead, The Age
‘Reid-Benta is a natural storyteller … Her characterisations are acute, bringing her characters to vivid life. Her first book, this splendid collection marks her as a writer to watch.’ STARRED REVIEW
Booklist
‘In Reid-Benta's heartfelt debut collection of linked stories, a girl grows up in Toronto while coming to terms with her heritage … Reid-Benta makes good use of the episodic form, artfully blending Kara's wit and distance with startling vulnerability as she tracks Kara's thought processes and desires. This heralds a notable new voice.’
Publishers Weekly
‘Frying Plantain is a beautifully written and simply observed series of stories. Centred on a flawed, believable protagonist, rich with detail, and peopled by real characters. It paints a vivid picture of the experience of the second and third generation immigrants that could be just as true anywhere in the world.’
Pile by the Bed
The text is fluid and immersive, with developed characters and tension that pulses from the pages … Frying Plantain is a novel focused on cultural identities and family ties; it brims with wit and compassion.’ STARRED REVIEW
Tanisha Rule, Foreword Reviews
‘These stories are readable and relatable. They hit the sweet spot between having something to say and still being the kind of read you can immerse yourself in, a rare combination.’
Zuri H. Scrivens, Literary Review of Canada
‘A very engaging read.’
Kate Evans, ABC Radio National The Bookshelf
‘[A]n incisive and sharp must-read coming-of-age story.’
Refinery29
‘A show-stopping debut collection, delving into family pressures and control, experiences of identity in immigrant families, and life as a young Black woman in Toronto
Open Book
‘A debut novel from a writer to watch.’
NOW Magazine
