Being Lara By Lola Jaye

The fiction book Being Lara by Lola Jaye is a story of an african american girl born in Nigeria who was given up by her mother to an adoption facility and raised by white parents in London. While it seems it would focus on race, the girl grows up not noticing a difference between her parents and herself until other people start pointing it out for her. Like many adopted children, Lara grows up wanting to know more about what her birth mother was like and why she gave her up. She does not receive her wish until her thirtieth birthday when her birth mother finally shows up. A flurry of emotions arise while the author tells the story of the events that led up until then through three different point of views: Lara’s mother Pat, her birth mother Yomi
Early on we are introduced to Lara and her family and the conflict is presented. However without knowing her it is hard to understand their motivations. It seemed cliche at first for her mother to also be a pop star and a perfect mother. Scenes revolved around overdone tropes for example bonding over baking and playing dress up. While it is true that little girls like things like that it made Lara’s character feel shallow in the beginning. Later there is more background given to make the characters feel whole and clearly explain their motivation behind their likes and dislikes. The structure of the story is definitely its most defining aspect. Unlike other stories centered around adoption, this unique tale shows how everyone is affected by rehoming. It is refreshing to hear the inner thoughts of the woman could give away their own child since they are given such a hard time in the real world. The way everyone reacts to the introduction of Lara’s birth mother is very realistic too. Even her birth mother thought it would turn out like she had read in books and that her birth daughter would run up to her crying with arms