Though “The Old Drift” retains a heavily heteronormative group of characters, Serpell deftly explores a variety of family dynamics. Yet, even though the consequences of race are prominent throughout “The Old Drift,” Serpell creates characters whose existence doesn’t hinge solely upon their racial struggles. In the race for diversity, we too often see authors reinventing their characters as an afterthought in order to appeal to a “broader” audience. “The Old Drift” strikes a difficult balance - race is obviously an important part of anyone’s identity and often shapes characters and readers alike, but it should not be the defining characteristic of any one person. Serpell uses Percy’s life as a way of establishing the cultural background for the story, as well as highlighting the racial tensions that are expected from any kind of conquest-minded history. The story begins with a colonial explorer, Percy Clark, in Africa, stomping through the wild the way only a rich white man in the 1890s could do.
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