Genesis Begins Again - Alicia D. Williams - ★★★★.¾

AUTHOR: Alicia D. Williams

GENRE: Middle-grade fiction

RATING: 4.75 stars.

When you read a book intended for children, you know that it will be simple at heart and straightforward in flow. There will probably be a moral, and usually, a happy ending too. These reasons make children's books the best for those days when you want something good and uplifting. But what if the book does much more to you that satisfy these simple aims? What if you feel emotionally connected to the book and just want to step in and hug the protagonist? This happens very rarely with me. It happened with Auggie Pullman in Wonder, and it happened with the lovely little girl who is the lead in this lovely little book.

Genesis Begins Again tells the story of Genesis Anderson, a 13 year old from Detroit. All through her young life, she has been told by almost everyone that she is black and hence, ugly. Add to this an unreliable alcoholic father who frequently abuses her verbally, and some school mates who act superior, and you see the trauma that Genesis goes through at a psychological level. Yet, she remains an optimistic girl, trying every method possible to turn fair & beautiful like her light brown mother. The book tells her journey of self-discovery and self-confidence with the help of great teachers and true friends. Genesis means a new creation, and it is an apt name for our little protagonist.

Genesis Begins Again does have a happy ending. It's a children's book after all. But the road to this happy ending is such that you can't help be invested in this journey along with Genesis every step of the way. There are so many things the book teaches children (and us):

✔ The value of true friends;

✔ The significance of recognising one's talents and honing them;

✔ The understanding that external appearance isn't an indicator of internal aptitude;

✔ The fact that each of us are beautiful in our own skin, literally, regardless of its colour;

✔ The importance of breaking the circle of abuse that is so common in society (be it marital abuse, parental abuse, bullying,...);

✔ The need to be open about your feelings and actions with parents;

✔ The necessity of standing up to those who abuse us, even if they are blood relatives or popular classmates...

Every single point is explained beautifully through the story without being patronising or moralising. Genesis isn't the perfect girl, but this is what makes her a good role model for children. She is realistic enough for children to identify with most of her experiences.

Alicia D. Williams, with this debut work, puts her entire teaching experience to good use by creating a story that children and adults will easily connect with. I feel that because she is a teacher, she also ended up making every single teacher in this book a supportive and understanding guide rather than a stereotypical tyrant. And that is a pleasant change too because even teachers need good role models in books.

I think I might just go on and on with praising this gem of a book, so I'll just stop here and let you discover it for yourselves. Recommended for all above the age of 12.