A rich collection of short fiction and poems by a wide variety of authors of color, this volume offers a look at the many ways that getting one’s period (often for the first time) can impact one’s body, self-image, and relationship to others and to one’s culture. The tales cover a range of experiences, from those who can’t wait to start their periods to those who would be happier without it, and those who don’t even yet know what is happening to them. Some of the stories are funny; others are heartbreaking, but all are powerful in their own ways as they explore issues of gender, race, cultural heritage, family relationships, and more.
Among the many stories here is the free-verse poem “Shiloh: The Gender Creamsicle,” by Mason J., about a nonbinary 11-year-old getting their first period. “I am a gender Creamsicle: orange and white./Not a popsicle or ice cream. I am in between,” they tell us. Although their mother wants to celebrate her “daughter” becoming a “woman,” Shiloh finds a way, with a little boost from another queer member of their family, to be able to appreciate the party thrown for them. In the end, they reflect, “Although I am not a girl/like many people with moontimes, this body is mine.”
A highly recommended collection. Youth of color may particularly resonate with the stories in it, but White readers may appreciate the windows it provides.
