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Issa Rae's Insecure with a magical realist spin: River Mumma is an exhilarating contemporary fantasy novel about a young Black woman who navigates her quarter-life-crisis while embarking on a mythical quest through the streets of Toronto.
Alicia has been out of grad school for months. She has no career prospects and lives with her mom, who won’t stop texting her macabre news stories and reminders to pick up items from the grocery store.
Then, one evening, the Jamaican water deity, River Mumma, appears to Alicia, telling her that she has twenty-four hours to scour the city for her missing comb.
Alicia doesn’t understand why River Mumma would choose her. She can’t remember all the legends her relatives told her, unlike her retail co-worker Heaven, who can reel off Jamaican folklore by heart. She doesn’t know if her childhood visions have returned, or why she feels a strange connection to her other co-worker Mars. But when the trio are chased down by malevolent spirits called duppies, they realize their tenuous bonds to each other may be their only lifelines. With the clock ticking, Alicia’s quest through the city broadens into a journey through time—to find herself and what the river carries.
River Mumma is a powerful portrayal of diasporic identities and a vital examination into ancestral ties. It is a homage to Jamaican storytelling by one of the most invigorating voices in Canadian literature.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
August 22, 2023 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780735244795
- File size: 230135 KB
- Duration: 07:59:26
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Starred review from December 11, 2023
Reid-Benta’s stunning debut draws on Caribbean myth, horror, and old-school urban fantasy (think Charles de Lint, not Kelley Armstrong) to build a quest tale for the postpandemic generation of the region’s diaspora. Alicia Gale is 26 and sulking through her underemployed days working retail while living with her mom in a Toronto apartment. Cut off from her Jamaican roots and her American education alike, she is wholly unprepared for the vision that confronts her on a cold night walk: River Mumma, spirit of the water, rising from the Humber River and demanding restoration of a comb that a tourist has stolen. If it is not returned to her, River Mumma will withdraw her waters. The next morning, Alicia and her friends Heaven and Mars endure a commute from hell, pursued by a violent duppy, or malevolent spirit. After that, there’s no denying the truth of the mystical forces suddenly intersecting her life. Alicia has until sunset to return the comb or bear witness to ecological catastrophe. Into this simple plot are mixed elements from every stratum of a young adult’s life, including heritage, family, neighborhood, work, school, pop culture, and more. It’s a rich and sometimes even dizzying brew that marks the emergence of a powerful new voice. Agent: Amy Tompkins, Transatlantic Literary. -
Tymika Tafari narrates an urban fantasy set in Toronto that is infused with Jamaican history, mythology, and religion. Sent on a quest by the goddess River Mumma to retrieve a stolen object, Alicia and her friends, Heaven and Mars, race against an impossible deadline. Tafari portrays River Mumma as haughty and capricious, but her deep and lasting connection to Alicia and her ancestors shines through. As danger increases on the quest, Tafari subtly builds tension until it explodes into a frenzy of action. Throughout her narration, Tafari seamlessly switches between English and Jamaican patois, reflecting the diaspora community Alicia and her friends are part of. These elements add nuance and depth to an impressive performance. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
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