Departure Story: a novel

by Rowana Abbensetts-Dobson

Celestine Samuels is making the biggest trip of her life, from Guyana to the United States for college. At first, she is relieved to get away from her primadonna sister, neglectful mother and troublemaker brother and eager to embrace the new freedoms of the United States like Starbucks, bagels, and wild college parties. Reality sets in when she gets the news that her aunt and uncle in Guyana have been shot in an act of political violence. Unable to go home, Celestine decides to find justice by championing the cause of an African Dance group on her small midwestern campus. Meanwhile, matters of the heart couldn't be more confusing. She finds herself entangled in a situationship with classmate and photographer, Richard Wirth, while she can't help her curiosity about the obnoxiously cocky football star Don Bradford who also happens to be her fellow student council representative. No matter how far she travels, "Home" keeps haunting her dreams, leading her to question unforgivable family secrets, and search for answers she may not want to know.

248 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2021

Reviews

[Emelda De Coteau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually do not have time to leave written reviews (due to my busy schedule), but I had to share my thoughts on this book, def. a page turner! Departure Story brings us along this incredible journey with Celestine - not only through her immigrating from Guyana to the U.S. for college, but on an emotional quest to find her voice in a world which tries to erase and annihilate the truths of Black women and girls throughout the Diaspora.

There is visual and rhythmic flow to the writing which makes you feel as if you are standing next to Celestine: watching, learning, and growing alongside her - whether she is navigating what it means to love your family while forging your own identity in the U.S., taking a stand at college by speaking up on behalf of an African-American dance group - not an easy task at a predominately white college in the midwest, or moving through the ebbs and flows of relationships. There isn't enough literature (in my opinion) about Black immigrants and their lives. Departure Story presents an aspect of this experience in a way which is honest, heartfelt and nuanced.

Let me share one of my fav. passages: "Across the world, millions of girls are sweeping, scrubbing, or cutting up vegetables and herbs at their mother's elbow. Distracted, barely missing their fingertips, nearly knocking over a vase with a broomstick, eyes wide and mouth ajar, dreaming of America. They picture America like a sitcom with lots of predetermined funny moments or like a sugary sweet pop song that plays over and over again during and endless summer. Now that I'm here, I can see that I was one of these naive girls, longing to slam a red locker door boat boyfriend just before the lunch bell rings."

Although Celestine aren't in the same age range (lol!), the lessons she is learning along the way apply to any of us who are seeking to empower ourselves while remaining rooted in community and purpose. Snag your copy. You won't want to put Departure Story down!

[Sacha Fortuné · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sacha's Book Reviews Blog

This was my thirty-first book I chose via the Reedsy Discovery program, for which I am the single approved reviewer for this new book. This review also appears on Reedsy.

If you're interested in becoming a Reedsy reviewer (and have the chance to get paid "tips" to review books!) check it out here.

The Premise
Celestine has the opportunity of a lifetime — a scholarship to study in the U.S.A.: the land of the free, home of the brave, and the destination of the common “Caribbean dream” to migrate and create a life in a first world country. At her university, she becomes involved in romance and politics — both of which affect her deeply as she strives to fit in and create lasting friendships with both Americans and others like herself from other countries.

The Pros & Cons
This was a touching coming-of-age story about the Caribbean experience colliding with the American dream.

The tense relationship with Celestine’s mother and the love/hate tug-of-war with her sister are aptly captured. Though the Caribbean is known for the warmth and friendliness of its people, behind closed doors the typical Caribbean home often functions with these types of relationships that lack communication and expressions of love. In Celestine’s case, though she knows her mother loves her, it comes across as dislike:

My mother radiates despair. She has no control over it, I know, and so I forgive her again and again […] She gives her love like feeding babies from bleeding, cracked breasts. […] When she was loving us, it was yelling matches.

Celestine struggles to fit in with her American peers, but whenever she becomes comfortable and indulges herself in her new environment, she is put in her place by a pop culture reference or unknown dish that reminds her she is alone.

She even feels self-conscious when her new peers overhear her slipping into her “gibberish” local dialogue on the phone when talking to someone from home; for her, “code-switching” is crucial to survival as there is an additional pressure to represent herself as a Black, Caribbean woman:

I wondered who I was, wondered if I had been abducted and placed here as a ruse. […] I was wired all the time, in the process of being Celestine and making sure that Celestine was being properly consumed by others.

The throes of first love — with a white American boy, no less! — and the inevitable confusion and heartache when it fizzles out also influence her experience. As her friend Lucy explains, though Richard is a nice guy and might have true feelings for her, to him Celestine was still a “thing” — a thrilling, exotic object to serve his liberal progressive purpose, rather than a multi-dimensional person.

As she becomes involved in campus politics and strives for diversity, Celestine encounters adversity from both whites and Blacks — but she “forgets” at times to be soft and accommodating to temper her words. She realises that the “kinship of melanin” only goes so far — even to Black Americans, she is still seen as “other”. Nevertheless, she is eventually able to make small steps towards significant change.

Though I loved and appreciated this story, there were a few drawbacks. There was a chapter from her father’s perspective that seemed disconnected from the rest of the story, and there was some jumping around of perspectives where “Celestine” suddenly appears repeatedly in third person. I also felt at times that there were so many characters and sub-plots to keep track of (mainly her friends’ relationship dramas); I could easily have seen a few of these being cut out or reduced, as it didn’t need *quite* so much additional fluff to distract me from the beauty of the main story. Celestine was amazing on her own!

Conclusion
As a fellow Caribbean woman with Guyanese ancestry, and as someone who also studied abroad, this novel resonated with me personally — and I know it will be the same with others like myself. The author’s voice is powerful and unique in the way it unravels Celestine’s tale, and I loved the way she eloquently and expertly touches on some aspects of the Caribbean experience as a “fish out of water” in a first world country, always questioning if you belong there and if it will ever really feel like home, and also feeling that pressure from back home to “make it”. I am grateful that the author shared this story — much needed in the cacophony of homogeneous whiteness; we truly need to hear more Caribbean voices! I would recommend this novel to others, and I look forward to reading more by the author.

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This review also appears on my blog. Visit to read more of my reviews: Sacha's Book Reviews Blog

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[Elle]

Departure Story by Rowana Dobson is a small book with a powerful impact. It follows Celestine, a young woman from Guyana who dreams of moving to America—the land of opportunity, freedom, and bold possibilities. When she earns a scholarship to study in the U.S., she quickly learns that the American dream isn’t what she imagined. From experiencing colorism to facing racism, Celestine navigates a complex world while discovering her identity and voice.

This story is many things at once: a coming-of-age journey, a love story, a tale of heartbreak, and a search for a safe space where you truly belong. In just a few pages, Dobson addresses family dynamics, friendship, love, grief, and loneliness with nuance and care.

Even if you haven’t lived the diasporic experience, this book is a beautiful, relatable exploration of growth, self-discovery, and resilience. I stumbled upon it at a bookstore comedy show, and reading it at this moment in my life made it feel especially poignant—like it found me exactly when I needed it.

For anyone looking to support indie authors or searching for a story that’s both intimate and impactful, A Departure Story is a must-read.

[Ashley Rey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 stars!

This story is flawless. Filled with so much teenaged angst and love and heartbreak and joy and pain and life. I’m obsessed with everything about it.

Though an American born and raised Black woman, I related to Celestine’s journey as a Black girl in white spaces all too well. I was forced to confront a lot of the trauma from my own PWI experiences after years of pushing it all to the subconscious. I just wanted to hug Celestine and cry and laugh and let her know that it’s all gonna be better one day.

I loved Lucy and Celestine’s relationship so much. Thank God for all of the Black girls who were once an anchor for another Black girl. We all deserve to have a Lucy in our lives.

I’m so proud of Rowana for not only crafting this beautifully rich story, but for publishing this novel herself. That’s no small feat - trust!

A .25 star markdown because of 1st to 3rd person jumps towards the end of the story, which made it hard to follow as it wrapped. Paul’s chapter was definitely appreciated for context, but felt awkwardly placed. I totally understand how it may have been hard to decide when and how to add it in.

I won’t stop recommending this novel to everyone I meet — especially the Black women who were once Black girls with so much angst. My heart is so warm. Thank you for this, Rowana!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Departure Story captured my heart and didn't let go. I loved Celestine and her drive to succeed in this new country so foreign from her own. To put her self in spaces and refuse to make herself small to make those around her more comfortable.

My only complaint is that there are continuity issues and some typos. This does not make the book less enjoyable by any means , but it did stick out enough for me to make note.

I rate this a solid 4.5. Rowana's writing is captivating and immediately draws you into Celestine's world both in Guyana and Indiana. Happy reading!

[Laci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. Celestine is one of the best fictional characters I've met recently. She was so easy to fall in love with. She's gentle yet full of fire, loving and bold, brave and insightful. She reminded me of my daughter. I wished I could hang out with her. I have not read many books depicting the immigrant experience and I definitely appreciate Ms. Abbensetts-Dobson's (and Celestine's) perspective(s) on this. There are so many feelings, fears, and realities that are revealed in this story that expanded my compassion for anyone and everyone who experiences being "othered" even farther than it already had spread. And I feel like she taught me a little something about learning to use my voice (something I consistently struggle with.)

There were, as others have stated, a number of typos throughout the book and a shift from 1st person narrative to 3rd toward the end that was momentarily confusing, as well as some formatting issues throughout my copy. No need to let these things detract from the reading experience though. I am sure these will be fixed for the second printing (and I do believe there will be a second run). Rowana is an incredible writer, a master of details and unique turns of phrase. I look forward to reading what she puts out next...and secretly hope to hear more about the rest of Celestine's life.