Big Island, Small

Sola is confused the first time she sees Judith, a fair skinned woman with dreadlocks dancing to reggae music. Meeting her gaze, Judith thinks Sola is judging her for appropriating Black culture. A few days later, up against an interlocking fence, Judith kisses Sola. Onlookers hurl stones and racial and gay slurs. Thus begins the complicated friendship between Judith and Sola who live in between the land they were born, the Caribbean, and the land where they presently live, North America. Winner of the 2016 Beacon Award for Social Justice Literature and the 2015 Atlantic Writer's Competition, Big Island, Small is a story of intimacy and friendship between two Caribbean/Canadian women with similar, yet vastly different, backgrounds who must dismantle their assumptions and biases around race, class, gender and sexuality in order to make amends with violent pasts, release shame, find joy and reconnect with themselves and each other. "SOLA is confused by Judith the first time she sees her, a fair skin woman with dreads dancing to reggae music. And JUDITH interprets the gaze of Sola similar to those who judge Judith for what they see as appropriating Black people's ways. A few days later up against an interlocking fence, bordering music of their homeland Judith kisses Sola. The kiss is interrupted by stones, anti- racial and gay slurs and thus begins the complicated friendship between Judith and Sola. Big Island, Small is a hard edge coming of age story about two Caribbean/Canadian women both from similar yet vastly different backgrounds. Both dealing with the challenges of living in between two worlds, the world of their birth, Caribbean (Small Island) and the world where they met and presently live, North America (Big Island). In order to make amends with their violent pasts, to release shame, find joy and intimately reconnect with themselves and each other, Judith and Sola must dismantle their assumptions and biases around race, class, gender and sexuality."-- Provided by publisher