A review by escape_through_pages
Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires

challenging funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I bought this book before deciding I didn’t really enjoy short stories and so it sat unread on my shelf for nearly 2 years. Now I’ve read it, I’ve changed my mind. 

Heads of the Colored People is a collection of stories that focuses on the, largely middle class, black experience in the modern day. It’s clever, original, satirical and full of wit. 

There’s not a single dud in this collection, I enjoyed each and every one of these stories, some of which loosely link with others. Belle’s Lettres, a story of two high achieving black mothers exchanging passive aggressive letters, striving to get one up on each other, through their school age daughters was a particular favourite as was The Necessary Changes Have Been Made - an office war tale. 

Other featured storylines are those of a young female student who makes ASMR videos for cash being bullied by her male classmates on line; a woman with a fetish for physically disabled partners; a father pushed to breaking point after being forced into a fruitarian lifestyle by his wife; and a young nurse who is in demand to sing at funerals being deeply affected by the number of young black people she joins in mourning for. 

In summary, this is a brilliant and bold collection that strikes the note of depicting the ordinary and day to day, whilst not neglecting issues of race, mental health and the influence and negative aspects of social media. 

Highly recommend.