Member-only story

Scarborough: A Haunting and Heartbreaking Portrait of Life on the Margins

Jamal Blair

·19k Followers· Follow

Published in Scarborough Catherine Hernandez

6 min read

1.4k View Claps

87 Respond

Save

Listen

Catherine Hernandez's debut novel, Scarborough, is a haunting and heartbreaking portrait of life on the margins. The novel follows the lives of three young people living in Scarborough, a low-income neighborhood in Toronto. The novel explores the challenges faced by young people living in poverty, including violence, drugs, and mental illness. Scarborough is a powerful and moving novel that will stay with readers long after they finish reading it.

The novel follows the lives of three young people living in Scarborough: Bing, Laura, and Danny. Bing is a young man who is struggling with drug addiction. Laura is a young woman who is trying to escape her abusive home life. Danny is a young boy who is dealing with the death of his mother. The three characters are all struggling to find their place in the world, and they all face their own unique challenges.

Bing is a young man who has been dealing with drug addiction for most of his life. He has been in and out of rehab, but he has never been able to stay clean. Bing's addiction has ruined his relationships with his family and friends, and he is now living on the streets. Laura is a young woman who is trying to escape her abusive home life. She has been living with her aunt since she was a child, but her aunt is now sick and dying. Laura is afraid of what will happen to her when her aunt dies, and she is desperate to find a way to escape. Danny is a young boy who is dealing with the death of his mother. Danny's mother died when he was young, and he has been living with his grandmother ever since. Danny is struggling to cope with his mother's death, and he is acting out in school.

Scarborough

by Catherine Hernandez

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1323 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	259 pages

The three characters are all struggling to find their place in the world, and they all face their own unique challenges. The novel follows their lives as they try to overcome their obstacles and find a way to live their lives to the fullest.

The characters in Scarborough are all well-developed and complex. The reader gets a sense of their inner lives, and their struggles are heartbreaking.

Bing is a young man who is struggling with drug addiction. He is a kind and caring person, but his addiction has ruined his life. Bing is desperate to get clean, but he doesn't know how.
Laura is a young woman who is trying to escape her abusive home life. She is a strong and determined young woman, but she is struggling to find a way out. Laura is afraid of what will happen to her when her aunt dies, and she is desperate to find a way to escape.
Danny is a young boy who is dealing with the death of his mother. He is a sensitive and intelligent boy, but he is struggling to cope with his mother's death. Danny is acting out in school, and he is afraid of what will happen to him.

The three characters are all relatable and sympathetic. The reader will root for them as they try to overcome their obstacles and find a way to live their lives to the fullest.

The novel explores a number of important themes, including:

Poverty: The novel shows the devastating effects of poverty on the lives of young people. The characters in the novel struggle with food insecurity, housing insecurity, and violence. Poverty makes it difficult for the characters to get a good education, find a job, and live a healthy life.
Violence: The novel also explores the role of violence in the lives of young people. The characters in the novel are victims of violence, and they also witness violence in their community. Violence is a constant threat in the characters' lives, and it makes it difficult for them to feel safe and secure.
Mental illness: The novel also explores the role of mental illness in the lives of young people. Danny is struggling with depression and anxiety, and his grandmother is struggling with dementia. Mental illness is a serious problem that affects many young people, and it can make it difficult for them to live a full and happy life.

Hernandez's writing style is lyrical and evocative. She uses language to create vivid images and to convey the emotions of her characters. The novel is written in a first-person perspective, which allows the reader to get a sense of the characters' inner lives. Hernandez's writing is both beautiful and powerful, and it will stay with readers long after they finish reading the novel.

Scarborough is a powerful and moving novel that will stay with readers long after they finish reading it. The novel explores important themes such as poverty, violence, and mental illness. The characters are well-developed and complex, and the writing is lyrical and evocative. Scarborough is a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary Canadian literature or the lives of young people living in poverty.

Scarborough

by Catherine Hernandez

4.5 out of 5