Soma Nami’s Books in Review
By Muthoni Muiruri
Welcome to another installment of Soma Nami’s Books in Review. This time we hear from the other half of Soma Nami, Muthoni Muiruri who reviews Nicole Dennis-Benn’’s novel Patsy.
Muthoni Muiruri at Soma Nami Books
PATSY BY NICOLE DENNIS-BENN
When 28-year-old Patsy finally secures her American tourist visa, she is more than ready to leave everything behind in her impoverished hometown of Pennyfield, Jamaica. The allure of freedom and opportunity in the land of the rich and free far outweighs any attachment she has to her low-paying government job, her lovers—past and present—her country, her mother, and, most importantly, her 5-year-old daughter, Tru.
Patsy’s overwhelming desire to reconnect with her childhood love, Cicely, who moved to America years earlier, drives her decision. Her dream of living authentically, free to be herself and love whomever she chooses, eclipses everything else, including her love for her daughter, a love she has never fully understood or expressed in the way mothers are expected to. And so, Patsy leaves, knowing she will never return.
Left behind, Tru struggles to understand her mother’s absence. Patsy had promised that if Tru behaved and was obedient, she would come back. So, why isn’t she back? Was Tru not obedient enough? Does her mother think of her? And why doesn’t she call, write, or send barrels of goods like the parents of her classmates living in the U.S. and the U.K. do? As Tru approaches adolescence, her confusion is compounded by her emerging sexuality. Like her mother before her, Tru grapples with finding space to live her truth in a homophobic town.
The story intricately weaves between the lives of Patsy and Tru, spanning a decade and pulling mother and daughter apart in unimaginable ways. After years of separation, they are given a chance to rebuild what was lost.
I won’t lie—I judged Patsy harshly at first. I wasn’t interested in understanding or empathizing with her decision to choose herself over her child. Aren’t mothers supposed to love their children unconditionally? But, Nicole Dennis-Benn is a master storyteller. She forces you to confront Patsy’s impossible decision. She compels you to reevaluate your judgment and condemnation of Patsy in light of the many push and pull factors that influence her choices, and in doing so, she evokes empathy.
Nicole Dennis-Benn | Photo by Jason Berger
Patsy made me question my own beliefs about motherhood—does motherhood always come before individuality? Can you learn to be a mother if you’ve never seen your own mother be one? Can you learn to love a child if you’ve never learned to love yourself? Is it selfish to choose yourself over your child? And what if you never wanted the child in the first
place?
My heart ached for Tru. Life seemed unbearably cruel to this child who trusted and loved her mother so purely, as children do before they learn that love isn’t always enough and that promises can be broken. I wanted to reach out and hug her, to be the mother she longed for, and to guide her through her journey of self-discovery. I was deeply invested in her story.
“Tru’s face closes as though she has already figured out that promises are merely sweet lies.”
Every character in this book is richly drawn, believable, flawed, and real. The narrative is engaging, fast-paced but not rushed, and I could easily have read another 100 pages. While I might criticize Dennis-Benn for tying up the ending too neatly, even that feels like a minor quibble for such an outstanding book. Nicole Dennis-Benn has truly blown me away.