Belladonna
In 1956, teenagers Bridget and Isabella are students at a Catholic high school in Connecticut. Smitten with pretty Isabella, Bridget goes to some lengths to gain her confidence and get close to her. While Bridget and her Egyptian mother are mostly ignored in the small town, Isabella helps Bridget mingle with the in-crowd. Yet the other socialites remain aloof and include Bridget in games, if at all, as a timekeeper. They even call her, to her astonishment, an “oriental pearl.” Nevertheless, Bridget is thrilled when, upon graduation, both she and Isabella are selected to study art history at a prestigious academy in Italy, for she would then have Isabella to herself. While life at the institution, located on the picturesque grounds of a silent convent, is stimulating, Isabella makes other friends, particularly a nun of Italian-African parentage. Bridget feels disheartened upon realizing that Isabella has been keeping secrets from her. Other events occur that impact the lives of the best friends.
Anbara Salam, herself of Scottish-Palestinian parentage, presents a revealing look at the vicissitudes of teenagers of mixed heritage. The story’s narration, exclusively in Bridget’s first-person voice, is appropriate. We feel her joys, anger, elation, and disappointments. Most scenes in the novel are set up with care not only to move the plot forward but also to reveal Bridget’s thoughts and her reflections on others’ racial biases, which would be all too familiar to people in her situation. These situations are as relevant today as they were in the 1950s. Not having any male contacts, it’s evident that Bridget prefers female friendships, and through her actions and mental views, her lesbian feelings are deftly presented. This coming of age story also reveals the importance of communication between beloveds. Highly recommended.
