46 pages 1 hour read

Helen Oyeyemi

The Icarus Girl

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2005

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Part 1, Chapters 1-4

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapter 1 Summary

Jessamy Harrison, or Jess, is an eight-year-old girl who lives with her parents in Crankbrook, England. Jess’s mother, Sarah, is Nigerian, and Jess’s father, Daniel, is English. The novel opens with Jess hiding in a cupboard, where she has been hiding all afternoon. Jess’s mother finds Jess in the cupboard and scolds her for not playing outside, claiming, “In Nigeria […] children were always getting themselves into mischief, and surely that was better than sitting inside reading and staring into space all day” (6). Once Jess’s mother pulls Jess out of the cupboard, she tells Jess that they are going to Nigeria.

The novel flashes back to a time when Jess was obsessed with haikus. One day, Jess spent six hours writing haikus, until she fell asleep and her father had to put her to bed. A week later, Jess “fell ill with the same quietness that she had pursued her interest” (8); she stopped liking haikus after that.

At the airport, Jess is fascinated by a woman wearing traditional Nigerian clothing. Jess remembers how her mother would sometimes dress up in similar clothing, called “iro ati buba” (9). On the plane, Jess throws a tantrum, upset by the antimalaria medication she is forced to take and overwhelmed by the upcoming trip.

Related Titles

By Helen Oyeyemi

Study Guide

logo

Boy, Snow, Bird

Helen Oyeyemi

Boy, Snow, Bird

Helen Oyeyemi

Plot Summary

logo

Gingerbread

Helen Oyeyemi

Gingerbread

Helen Oyeyemi

Study Guide

logo

What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours

Helen Oyeyemi

What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours

Helen Oyeyemi

Study Guide

logo

White Is for Witching

Helen Oyeyemi

White Is for Witching

Helen Oyeyemi