Skye Falling an Immersive Visit to West Philadelphia

 

 

SKYE FALLING (2021)

By Mia McKenzie

Random House, 311 pages

★★★★

 

 

 

It is said it’s good to go beyond one’s comfort zone. If that’s true, I accumulated some major karma by reading Skye Falling. Unlike author Mia McKenzie, I am not female, African American, lesbian, or (alas!) 38 ¾ years old. About all I share with McKenzie is that I grew up in Pennsylvania and know that “jawn” is Philly slang for a non-specific thing, person, or event.

 

Protagonist Skye Ellison is young(ish), gifted, and Black, but she definitely has issues. She runs a travel company called Black Destinations that takes her all over the world, but it has also been a way for her to flee her past and jawns that irk, unsettle, or make demands upon her. That list includes an abusive father, a mother who failed to protect her, an annoying brother, and what she perceives as a betrayal from a girlhood friend. She avoids Philly as much as she possibly can, but when she is in town stays in a B & B run by her trans-woman Latina friend Viva and her White husband Jason. Mum is the word, as she has little desire to see her own mother, even when her persistent brother Slade insists she’s not well.

 

This time a complication arises as she awaits departure on another trip. First she wakes up after a night of drinking and dancing to find a naked man in her bed—not what a lesbian expects—and though he insists nothing worse than mutual groping occurred, Skye is disgusted with herself. But a bigger jawn is in play. Faulkner once wrote that the “past isn’t dead… it’s not even past.” Before Skye launched her new life she did her friend Cynthia a solid. She desperately wanted a child but couldn’t get pregnant and convinced Skye to donate eggs so she could conceive.

 

March forward 12 years. Cynthia is dead, her husband Kenny is remarried to Charlotte, who is White and spouts all manner of liberal slogans about equality. Both she and Kenny had such a hard time raising Vicky that they reluctantly agreed to share custody of her with Cynthia’s sister, Faye. Vicky, as you probably guessed, is Skye’s egg. Vicky actually thinks that’s pretty cool, but she isn’t yet 13 and pushes all of Skye’s flight buttons. Is it Skye’s fault that Vicky would rather hang with her than her Aunt Faye, her constantly distracted father, or a step-mother who treats her as a social justice laboratory rat? When does the next jet leave?

 

A variety of circumstances lead Skye to spend more time in Philly than she wants. She is immersed in things she rather not be: street culture, gentrification, a non-aligned/non-licensed church, neighborhood parties, an annoying White guy who complains people on the street are too noisy, police brutality, and a frosty relationship with Faye. The latter finds Skye irresponsible, self-centered, and scarcely more mature than Vicky. Skye wrestles with the distinct possibility than Faye is right, not to mention that she’s really ripped at being physically attracted to her. Bad move; Faye’s engaged to a guy named Nick.

 

This is a novel in which everyone has a hidden backstory or two or three. Some of their past lives are distressingly current. Every now and then, for instance, substitute mom Faye flashes why she was once a feisty rapper known as MC Faye Malice. She’s one of many that challenge Skye’s snap judgments.

 

Skye Falling ultimately touches upon some very important life questions: What makes a family? What is the difference between forgiveness and mercy? Where is home? How can you help a 12-year-old cope with anger when you can’t deal with your own? How much does emotional flight cost? When fate deals you a hand, is it okay to fold and walk away from the game?

 

Skye Falling might take you a while to get hooked. Skye is often so exasperating that you might desire to take flight. Plus, it’s not exactly as if the theme of a child melting icy exteriors is anything new. For all of that, this trip to West Philly is immersive. It jolts in mostly good ways and administers only mild shocks when it strays onto (too much) predictive turf. How do I redeem my karma points?

 

Rob Weir