the United States," as a whole. The subtle, "complex and humane," style of narration with which she discusses hefty topics, such as "the racial divide in America," is highly acclaimed. The Women's Review of Books wrote Senna, "has perfect pitch for all sorts of dialogue, the technical sleight of hand to place the reader deftly in the landscapes and mindscapes of her characters, laugh-out-loud wit and a radical political consciousness so integral to her storytelling that it is never didactic." The Australian remarked her "fine insights, humor and control," and The Guardian mentioned the breadth of her novel, which discusses on top of racial identity, "liminal states," of "womanhood...sexuality and class." On the other hand, some critics found Senna's style of writing less favorable. A 2001 review in The Observer noted, "Senna is not above bullying this sort of metaphor into work for her, and too often hangs bells and lights on anything resonant." Sian Preece deemed, "Senna's writing has a grace and gravity to it, but lacks lightness." Kathryn Heyman criticized Senna's writing as lacking "emotional depth," and that it "remains vague and disconcertingly clichéd." The Observer in 2000 found Birdie's perspective inadequate as the narrator, and actually declared her parents more "interesting," because Birdie seems more like she is reporting on a "sociological documentary about race," and does not allow "the full force of what had been lost contrast with scenes of the young girl's life of pretense." Reviews applauded the impressive craftsmanship of Caucasia, seeing this "ambitious debut novel" as a sign of many successes to come. Marilyn Richardson said, "the standard of achievement has just been ratcheted up a couple of notches." Daniel Grassian declared that Danzy Senna was an author to watch, and "will become a major force in twenty-first century American literature. Awards and recognition 1998 Stephen Crane Award for Best New Fiction of the Year 1999 American Library Association's Alex Award Selected as one of School Library Journal's 23 Best Adult Books for the Young Adult Selected as one of the Best Books of the Year by the Los Angeles Times 1998 Selected as one of Glamour's three Best Novels of the Year by a New Writer 1998 Whiting Writers Award 2002 References Sources Senna, Danzy. Caucasia (1998). Riverhead Books. 1998 American novels American bildungsromans Novels set in Boston Race in the United States Riverhead Books books 1998 debut novels