Exploring the plot in the novel

The story is about Laetitia Johnson’s first year at secondary school. She is called Lacey for short and lives with her grandmother, cousins and other family members since her mother, Patsy, migrated to New York. Lacey’s father, Cephas shows little interest in his daughter. But later when he finds that she has won a place at the government secondary school in La Puerta, his interest changes.

Lacey’s lives in rural Balatier with her grandmother. This is a good distance from La Puerta and as such it is decided that Lacey (Laetita) will live in town with her father, her stepmother, and their son during term time. Laetita (Lacy) is unhappy with her new living arrangements, and she is frustrated. She rebels against the rules her father sets and begins to misbehave. She deliberately fails in her schoolwork.

The teachers at her school are different in their actions. Some of her teachers at school are excellent, but others appear to be problematic. Lacey experiences hostility and prejudice because of her social background. She is from the rural areas and therefore she is “different”. There are racial challenges and injustice for Lacey. She finds inspiration from a teacher of English. This teacher shows her that Caribbean folklore is just as valuable as Greek mythology. Lacey also finds that while her form teacher is strict, she also provides comfort and reassurance.

 Anjanee is Lacey’s friend. She has more serious challenges than Lacey because the males in her family see no reason why she needs to be educated. They make little effort to help her. Anjanee cannot keep up in classes because she must work hard at home. She does the chores and still must find ways to earn money for bus fares. Lacey tries to help her to handle the situation. But Anjanee is hopeless and overwhelmed by all that is happening to her, and she commits suicide. Lacey’s unhappiness at Cephas’ home heightens with this news and she has a nervous breakdown when she hears of Anjanee’s death. She is removed from school to return to Balatier. The nervous breakdown is serious, and the entire family is anxious for Lacey. She is nursed back to health in the loving environment of her grandmother’s home. During this time Lacey reflects on the opportunity she has been given. She realizes that this opportunity was denied to her mother and Anjanee and she accepts that she owes it to them and to herself to go back to school and be successful. New arrangements are made so that she can live in Balatier and travel to school daily. At Thanksgiving, Lacey looks forward to a new beginning and with new hope.