Jessamy “Jess” Harrison is eight years old. Sensitive,
whimsical, possessed of an extraordinary and powerful
imagination, she spends hours writing haiku, reading
Shakespeare, or simply hiding in the dark warmth of the
airing cupboard. As the child of an English father and a
Nigerian mother, Jess just can’t shake off the feeling of
being alone wherever she goes, and the other kids in her
class are wary of her tendency to succumb to terrified fits
of screaming. Believing that a change from her English
environment might be the perfect antidote to Jess’s
alarming mood swings, her parents whisk her off to Nigeria
for the first time where she meets her mother’s family—
including her formidable grandfather.
Jess’s adjustment to Nigeria is only beginning when she
encounters Titiola, or TillyTilly, a ragged little girl her
own age. To Jess, it seems that, at last, she has found
someone who will understand her. But gradually,
TillyTilly’s visits become more disturbing, making Jess
start to realize that she doesn’t know who TillyTilly is at
all.
Helen Oyeyemi draws on Nigerian mythology to present a
strikingly original variation on a classic literary theme:
the existence of "doubles," both real and spiritual, who
play havoc with our perceptions and our lives. Lyrical,
haunting, and compelling, The Icarus Girl is a story of
twins and ghosts, of a little girl growing up between
cultures and colors. It heralds the arrival of a remarkable
new talent.
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