"thought daughters" have a race problem

cant we read something else?

This post has been edited from its original publication to reflect feedback 🍒

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The idea that aesthetic culture, specifically on Pinterest and Instagram, has a race problem is not new. If you look up any combination of the trending tags — “it girl” “blueberry girl” “pink pilates princess” — you will more than likely be met with a barrage of monotone images exalting how magical and beautiful it is to be wealthy and white. It is a revolving door of skinny beige influencers trying to get their affiliate link clicks by promising that you too can live as they do. The “thought daughter” aesthetic is no different.

Photo by Max Ovcharenko on Unsplash

White girls in libraries. White girls on college campuses. White girls looking melancholically out of bus windows, watching the raindrops race down the pane. It is an aesthetic that inherently says, “I am not like the other girls” (misogynistic), and triumphs critical thinking over the supposed visual aesthetic value. And yet, it falls into the same whitewashing that is notorious with young, female, internet culture.

My main gripe is specifically with “thought daughter books.” Why, in a world of infinite knowledge and voices, are we spotlighting the same ten books? The same ten books with white protagonists or authors. It is ironic that in a niche claiming to celebrate literature and critical thinking that the only voices being amplified are those that do not need to be (meaning, they commercially need no help to flourish, not that they do not deserve to be read).

I have read most of the “starter pack books”: Boy Parts, The Bell Jar, Sally Rooney, Joan Didion, Girl Interrupted, Eve Babitz. And there is nothing wrong with them. They are all great reads that I would recommend, but why are these the only books that can crown one a “thought daughter”?

Here are some novels by non-white authors I’ve read that I would like to formally add to the aesthetic:

1. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

   

   Clever novel about two sisters, one of whom is a serial killer, the other the resentful, yearning enabler. The satirical bent works really well here because it walks that fine line of being, given the contretemps, entirely plausible. Interesting observations about social media, men and what they want, and women who see right through them. Well worth a read. - Roxane Gay, Author

   I wanted this to be a “good for her” novel, and in some ways, it is, but it holds more space for exploring the emotions of those around the main character. The setting of Nigeria is integral to the plot as the patriarchal society and arranged marriages add a new dimension to the standard “crazed woman” formula. The plot is simple and linear; I was able to fly through this one, which is not to say it’s “basic” in any capacity but instead written in a way that pulls no punches.

2. The Eyes are the Best Part by Monika Kim

   

   This is my recommendation for all my weird girls out there. Part coming of age, part thriller, part social commentary. I gave this book 4 stars initially but would bump it up to a 5 now that I had time to digest this masterpiece of a debut. The writing is striking, and Kim masterfully constructs conflicts that eat at the heart of Asian fetishization. If the cover doesn’t give you a clue, this does include some body horror, so reader be warned.

   A brilliantly inventive, subversive novel about a young woman unraveling, Monika Kim’s The Eyes Are the Best Part is a story of a family falling apart and trying to find their way back to each other, marking a bold new voice in horror that will leave readers mesmerized and craving more. - Goodreads

3. Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

   

   This dark, heart-pounding, and riveting supernatural horror story, blending occultism, horror movie anthologies, Nazism, Aryan race, and mysticism, may be the best novel created by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. - Nilufer Ozmekik, author

   This one is more of a slow burn, and there is a lot of explanation about the occult that I personally didn’t need but is helpful for those with little background. And that is not to say the explanations or plot is boring. The setting of Mexico and its history with fleeing Nazis blend into a mystery of motives and alchemy. I would say this one is less horror and more of a thriller with mysticism, so if that if your vibe, pick this one up!!

4. Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier

   

   Bold, tender, propulsive, and unexpected in countless ways, Jean Kyoung Frazier's Pizza Girl is a moving and funny portrait of a flawed, unforgettable young woman as she tries to find her place in the world. - Goodreads

   Pickles on pizza? Check. Female obsession? Check. Lesbian? Triple check. This novel is about an 18-year-old pregnant girl who becomes obsessed with one of her new pizza customers. We follow her as she grieves her father and tries to make sense of becoming a mother. This is fast paced and packed with questions about women’s desires and how we navigate life’s unexpected paths.

5. Chlorine by Jade Song

   

   Another coming-of-age story that explores the “model Asian” troupe and the harm it causes. Our main character slowly becomes enmeshed with the swim team, her coach, and her own desires. Chlorine mixes horror and fantastical elements with body horror, as well as queer teenage attraction. This was my favorite book of 2024 and mirrored many of my own experiences with the race for perfection and heteronormativity.

6. White Women: Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism and How to Do Better by Regina Jackson and Saira Rao

   

   It's no secret that white women are conditioned to be nice, but did you know that the desire to be perfect and to avoid conflict at all costs are characteristics of white supremacy culture? - Goodreads

   This may be cringe to say, but this book changed my life. Prepare to be called out, to feel uncomfortable, and face the harm that you, as a white woman, have caused Black women. This book forced me to confront the ways in which I benefit from white supremacy and white fragility. This should be mandatory reading for any white girl who claims to be a “thought daughter.” If you cannot confront the realities of yourself, how can you connect to the experiences of others?

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