Girlcott
ABOUT
THE BOOK
A week ago, Desma Johnson had only two things on her mind – in exactly eight days, she would be sixteen years old and to top it off she was in line for a top scholarship, bringing her one step closer to her dreams. Life was perfect and nothing would get in the way of her birthday plans.
But it’s 1959 and the secret Progressive League has just announced a boycott of all cinemas in Bermuda in order to end racial segregation. As anxieties around the boycott build Desma becomes increasingly aware of the racial tensions casting a dire shadow over the island. Neighbors she once thought were friendly and supportive show another side. So, Desma must learn that change is never easy, and even when others expect small things from black girls, she has the right to dream big.
In this startling debut, Florenz Webbe Maxwell takes a little-known fact about Caribbean history and weaves an engaging tale that speaks eloquently to the contemporary experience. Girlcott takes you beyond the image of Bermuda as a piece of paradise and charts a narrative of resistance, hope, and the importance of fighting for change.
NOMINATING LIBRARY COMMENTS
Desma Johnson is a black Bermudian girl a week away from her 16th birthday. She’s a brilliant scholar, earning the Empire Scholarship which brings her one step closer to her dream. Her father’s gift to her would be a class treat to the movies, but the secret Progressive League has announced a boycott of all cinemas to end racial segregation. Though upset, Desma must learn that change is never easy. In this debut, the author takes a little-known fact about Caribbean history and weaves an engaging tale of resistance, hope, and fighting for change.