Helen Oyeyemi
3 SeriesHelen Oyeyemi, a British novelist, authored her first novel during high school and later studied at Cambridge University. Her works span general fiction and fantasy, with notable achievements including the Somerset Maugham Award for "White is for Witching" in 2010 and a PEN Open Book Award for "What is Not Yours is Not Yours." She resides in Prague, Czech Republic.
In Helen Oyeyemi's "The Icarus Girl," eight-year-old Jessamy Harrison, a sensitive child of English and Nigerian descent, struggles with feelings of isolation and terrifying outbursts. During a visit to her mother's family compound in Nigeria, Jess meets Titiola, a girl her age who seems to understand her. As their friendship grows, TillyTilly reveals secrets and shows Jess how to hurt others, leading Jess to question TillyTilly's true nature.
