Primadonna, or Donna, and Princess are twins, Fabiola’s age, and as opposite from each other as can be. She is smart and studious, and Fabiola sees herself most in her. Chantal is the oldest, and retains the deepest connection to her Haitian roots. Fabiola must continue on to Detroit by herself, learning to adapt to this new life and family on her own.įabiola’s uncle died years prior to this, and her aunt was left to raise her 3 daughters alone, in their home at the corner of American Street and Joy Road. and is sent to an immigration detention center. That is the plan, until Fabiola’s mother is detained after reaching the U.S. Her aunt has recently had a stroke, and her mother will help take care of her sister. Fabiola Toussaintįabiola Toussaint has just left Haiti, destined for Detroit, where she and her mother will start a new life, living with Fabiola’s aunt and cousins. A wise person will only be left with threads, but their shoes should be made for endless walking in search of a better life. Manman told me not to judge people by their clothes but by their shoes. ) As far as the writing, Zoboi is particularly adept at using both lyrical prose and raw, more gritty dialogue to great affect. She switches between Fabiola’s Haitian Creole accent, and the voices of each of the supporting characters with ease, giving each a distinct voice. (The audiobook is narrated by Robin Miles, and she is a revelation. I switched between the physical book and the Audible audiobook, for the moments I couldn’t sit and read. I then read her sophomore novel, Pride, before diving into American Street. It was one of my absolute favorite stories, and I was blown away by both her writing style, and the way I was left thinking about the deeper meanings imbued in it. Though admittedly late to realizing this, I first got a taste of her writing earlier this year when I read her short story, Kiss the Sun, in the anthology A Phoenix First Must Burn.

Ibi Zoboi’s gift of storytelling is awe-inspiring. This is a novel that made me laugh out loud and cry bitter tears, and left me searching for the magic in everyday places and people around me. American Street, Ibi Zoboi’s critically acclaimed 2017 debut YA novel, is a stunningly beautiful and haunting story, weaving together elements of magical realism and painfully relevant contemporary issues. The bee hair pin is a nod to Fab’s cousins, the Three Bees.

This is my interpretation of a makeshift altar forthe lwa Ezili, as described by Fabiola. American Street, with some of Ezili’s favorite things.

American street book