Some Kind of Girl

by Caroline Kautsire

Some Kind of Girl recounts the story of Caroline, a Malawian girl, who, after facing the impossibility of following both African and Western roles and standards for women in her adolescent years, finally moves to America to escape the Malawian traditions she still struggles inwardly to understand. Upon arriving in America, Caroline discovers that the America she saw on television was not an accurate representation of the life she lives in Boston. Caroline’s process of self-discovery awakens her to different kinds of insecurities about gender, race, class, language and sexuality. As Caroline grapples with the tension between maintaining her well-cultured Malawian persona and fitting into an American society, she discovers her desire to become a film actress shifting to a professional life she never saw coming: teaching and writing. Meanwhile, Caroline must face the complexities of the American immigration system as she struggles to maintain legal status as a working student. With the guidance of mentors and, sometimes, with misdirection from wild friends, Caroline takes risks to earn money and respect in America in order to be the kind of girl who successfully seizes the American dream, abandoning her home country, Malawi.

160 pages, Hardcover

Published December 16, 2022

About the author

Caroline Kautsire is originally from Malawi, Africa, and is currently an English literature and writing professor at Bunker Hill Community College and Bay State College in Boston. She has published poetry and flash fiction that explores themes such as searching for identity, struggling with intimacy, and learning to love. Also a stage actress and director, Caroline was nominated for best-supporting actress by the Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theatres for her performance as Trinculo in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. She also teaches public speaking and has given several inspirational talks at colleges in Boston.

Reviews

[Professor Kei · Rating 5 out of 5]

A continuation of her first book, What Kind of Girl - and a very interesting story. Caroline has a vivid way of describing her fears and self-doubt while acknowledging the difficulties of her struggle with slight humor.