Gigi
Amateau's debut novel is a story set in the South about a
12-year-old girl named Georgia Tate. Georgia Tate lives happily
with her grandparents. Her mama died years ago and her father moved
away. She gets cards occasionally and sees him even less
frequently. Life is just fine as it is.

Then everything gets turned upside down. Georgia Tate's best friend
Ginger tells her that her mama isn't dead after all, just absent.
Georgia Tate doesn't know what to make of this news and decides to
talk to her grandparents about it. Next, Nana dies, and Georgia
Tate's grandfather decides that the best thing to do is to send her
down to live with her father. The problem is, Georgia Tate's dad
isn't a very good parent. He begins to ask her to dress in mature
clothing and go out to bars with him every night.

Georgia Tate doesn't like living with him, and soon he begins
abusing her. But she manages to make the best of it, always keeping
a smile on her face. She befriends Tamika, a drag queen and Mary
Kay salesgirl, and Marie-Bernard, an elderly Haitian woman, both of
whom help her out when times get tough.

This is a well-written novel, but it is hard to stomach. The
subject matter is serious, although it is handled well and there
are no graphic scenes. The best thing about the book is that
Georgia Tate is a realistic character and her voice always shines
through. She manages to keep her head up and does her best to stay
strong through every storm that comes her way.

CLAIMING GEORGIA TATE is not exactly a light beach read, but it is
a good first novel with an inspiring story behind it.

   -