"Queenie Jenkins is a 25-year-old Jamaican British woman living in London, straddling two cultures and slotting neatly into neither. She works at a national newspaper, where she's constantly forced to compare herself to her white middle class peers. After a messy break up from her long-term white boyfriend, Queenie seeks comfort in all the wrong places--including several hazardous men who do a good job of occupying brain space and a bad job of affirming self-worth"--
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"Queenie Jenkins is a 25-year-old Jamaican British woman living in London, straddling two cultures and slotting neatly into neither. She works at a national newspaper, where she's constantly forced to compare herself to her white middle class peers. After a messy break up from her long-term white boyfriend, Queenie seeks comfort in all the wrong places--including several hazardous men who do a good job of occupying brain space and a bad job of affirming self-worth"--
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Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Damaged cover. The cover of is slightly damaged for instance a torn or bent corner.
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Good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
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Very good. Simply Brit – welcome to our online used book store, where affordability meets great quality. Dive into a world of captivating reads without breaking the bank. We take pride in offering a wide selection of used books, from classics to hidden gems, ensuring there's something for every literary palate. All orders are shipped within 24 hours and our lightning fast-delivery within 48 hours coupled with our prompt customer service ensures a smooth journey from ordering to delivery. Discover the joy of reading with us, your trusted source for affordable books that do not compromise on quality.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Simply Brit – welcome to our online used book store, where affordability meets great quality. Dive into a world of captivating reads without breaking the bank. We take pride in offering a wide selection of used books, from classics to hidden gems, ensuring there's something for every literary palate. All orders are shipped within 24 hours and our lightning fast-delivery within 48 hours coupled with our prompt customer service ensures a smooth journey from ordering to delivery. Discover the joy of reading with us, your trusted source for affordable books that do not compromise on quality.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. Simply Brit – welcome to our online used book store, where affordability meets great quality. Dive into a world of captivating reads without breaking the bank. We take pride in offering a wide selection of used books, from classics to hidden gems, ensuring there's something for every literary palate. All orders are shipped within 24 hours and our lightning fast-delivery within 48 hours coupled with our prompt customer service ensures a smooth journey from ordering to delivery. Discover the joy of reading with us, your trusted source for affordable books that do not compromise on quality.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
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Good. Wear & Tear to cover. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! Greener Books.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! Greener Books.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! Greener Books.
Candice Carty-Williams' first novel "Queenie" is not a book I likely would have read on my own, but it was chosen by a book group and I picked it up after completing a large project. It was not the light read I had anticipated but instead a challenging book. The story is set in contemporary London and narrated by the title character, Queenie Jenkins, 25. As the song says from the days of my youth, Queenie is "looking for love in all the wrong places".
I remember being in my mid-20s, nearly half a century ago with the difficulties of work, family, and romantic heartbreak. With that all-too common situation, I could relate to Queenie's plight even though we are markedly different beyond the difference in years. Queenie is a full-bodied black woman from a Jamaican family located in London. As the novel opens, Queenie has been asked to leave the aparment by her white boyfriend of three years. Queenie tries to convince herself that this will be a three month "break" in the relationship rather than a permanent "break-up". Her life quickly deteriorates as she needs to find housing with minimal income. She cannot concentrate at work. She has a long series of sexual relationships with abusive white men and her life apprears on the verge of collapse.
Queenie makes many bad choices mostly in the matter of men and the caliber of relationships she seeks out and accepts. I could feel for her across the lines of gender, race, place and time. Heartbreak and loneliness cross many lines. The story alternatived between being painful and in places being humorous.
I haven't stayed up with millenial trends and enjoyed seeing the texting, jargon, music, and cameraderie that Queenie shares with her small group of friends. They are different from anything I knew when I was young. Queenie's dysfunctional family situation was also different from what I knew, but I could understand both her need for independence and her need for comfort. I also understood to role of talk therapy in this book, which many people need at critical stages of life.
Much of this book in terms of race and politics passed me by. I had mixed feelings about the book but on the whole I am glad I got to know Queenie. There is something universal about hearbreak and failed romance in our modern world.
