Somewhere Different Now
By Donna Peizer (Nurs'62)
(Atmosphere Press, 352 pages; 2021)
Somewhere Different Now is an exploration of racism in the U.S after the Second World War portrayed through the eyes of two teenage girls, Annie (a white middle-class girl) and Clydeen (a poor black girl). The action is supported by a cast of interesting characters, including the chimera of a World War II resistance fighter newly returned from the war in Europe. Annie, the main character, is terrified of the consequences if her abusive, racist father finds out about her relationship with Clydeen. Always one to act, however, she ultimately surrenders to the truth of her own internalized racism and finds the courage to blow the whole thing wide open and lay her cards on the table for all to see. This provides the impetus for Clydeen, paralyzed by fears of her own, to face the untenable situation in her life and take on the mantle of agency she needs to begin to free herself.