Be My Love by Kit Pearson
Review by Laila El Mugammar, Children's Services Librarian
Calling all young readers who crave briny ocean air, unrequited love, dynamic characters, and historical fiction: Kit Pearson, a Governor General award-winning author based in Victoria, B.C., broke the mold with “Be My Love”.
In Pearson’s latest novel, the reader is instantly transported to Kingfisher Island in 1951 as its residents grapple with the lingering effects of the second World War.
Maisie, a plucky and tomboyish teen protagonist, looks forward to summers on Kingfisher with her grandparents and extended family. As Maisie shoulders the burden of her father’s declining mental health, she relishes time spent with her best friend and second cousin Una. When Una's budding romance forces Maisie to reckon with feelings of her own, she finds love and community in the most unsuspecting of persons.
“Be My Love” is intricately plotted, with a strong sense of place deeply rooted in Canada’s natural beauty and a level of world-building that is unparalleled in Canadian junior fiction.
This is an essential read for those looking for stories of historic LGBT+ girlhood peppered with elements of the classic bildungsroman.