Review:: Black Girl/White Girl by Joyce Carol Oates

When Genna Hewett-Meade, daughter of privilege (and a radical, paranoid lawyer father), goes off to Schyler college (which her Quaker relatives founded) in the 70s, she keeps an open mind and tries her best to keep her nose to the proverbial grindstone.

Genna is matched with Minette Swift, a black Reverend’s daughter from Washington D.C. The two girls could not come from more dissimilar backgrounds. But, while Genna is trying to get closer, Minette keeps her roommate (and everyone else) at arm’s length.

The hate crimes against Minette start, and soon escalate. Minette leaves the residence hall and Genna makes a discovery about her ex-roommate so shocking that it will rock the entire campus.

Joyce Carol Oates continues to be a literary powerhouse in my eyes. I enjoy reading nearly everything by her, mostly because of her technical and emotional mastery.

I received this book through the library’s Overdrive media program to read on my Nook.

4/5