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Think about the things you say when you think you are in a safe space. Think about the things that your safe space is composed of. The tangible, the intangible, the physical, the mental, the emotional. For Birdie, the star of Caucasia, there were moments when her skin was a safe space to some. Because she was a white girl.

But that's only halfway true since she was also a Black girl. You just wouldn't know by looking at her that her father was Black. Some characters in this novel might have adjusted some of their comments & reserved them for a space they deemed "more safe" had they possessed this information.

Caucasia is an autobiographical debut on a few levels. Danzy Senna, like Birdie Lee, is a fair-skinned biracial individual. Like Birdie Lee, she was born in Boston. Like Birdie Lee, her mother is white, her father Black. Like Birdie Lee, both of her parents were Civil Rights activists. That personal experience helped this novel shine & become a novel that stands next to Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye as a great foundation for tackling race in fiction.

In Caucasia Birdie Lee has a darker skinned older sister named Cole who she wants to be just like. They are so close-knit that they developed their own language called elemeno. Their parents Deck (the father) & Sandy (the mother) are both revolutionaries whose relationship is going through a trying time, not only because of the revolution, but also because of wandering interests. One thing leads to another & the family splits up. Fittingly by their skin tones since Deck takes off with Cole & Sandy with Birdie.

After the split we follow Sandy & Birdie from the 70s through to the 80s as they both "pass." The main mission: Birdie gets a reunion with Cole.

Not only is Caucasia a great starting point for race being tackled in fiction, but it also hilarious. A novel of deception, coming of age, performance & exposure. Exposure of the foolishness of that exists within race & exposure of the complete foolishness that is racism.

Caucasia does the thing best that many people claim to do with their humor & entertainment: it helps you laugh at your pain.