Exploring shame and redemption in 'The Search for Susu'

Philadelphia professors Marcella McCoy-Deh and T.M Giggetts knew they wanted to share in a novel the often contradictory and hectic lifestyle of an adjunct professor, but they had no idea it would become The Search for Susu.

Set in Philadelphia and in Accra, Ghana, the novel's main character, Dr. Francine Carty, is an adjunct professor with dreams of becoming a tenured educator, but she struggles to subsist on her meager adjunct-professor wages. Carty, who is of Caribbean descent - Monserrat, to be exact - juggles high expectations from herself and her family. All the while, she maintains a rocky relationship with a colleague, until she lands a research fellowship in Ghana sponsored by a secret global network of prominent women.

An accomplished woman determined to meet expectations at whatever the cost, Carty finds herself on a journey of secrets and intrigue, shame, and the search for redemption.

McCoy-Deh, 45, says the authors wanted to show "a dynamic that's not shown in fiction."

"I love complex characters," she said. "I love that she represented multiple parts of the diaspora."

For Giggetts, 40, who has written eight books, the process of writing together was revitalizing. The two women are parents and working professionals with tight schedules. During the year of their coauthorship, they alternated chapters, and though they drafted outlines, they often surprised each other.

"This was the first time I ever collaborated in this way," Giggetts said. "Working with Marcella kind of restored my love of the story, brought me back to why I love writing."

Throughout the novel, the authors captured Philadelphia in all of the places that Francine went - from Southern cuisine and live-jazz spot Relish to the neighborhoods of West Oak Lane to Germantown. Giggetts, who is a professor of English at Community College of Philadelphia, has lived in the city for a decade, and McCoy-Deh, an academic administrator and liberal-arts professor at Philadelphia University, was born and raised here.

Francine Carty's relatability is in her constant growth and perseverance. The novel expanded from a story about an adjunct who craved more to one about a woman who had found herself, or her "susu," during one of the toughest times.

In the novel, SuSu is not only the name of an ethnic group in West Africa, but a plant that grants a certain level of self-awareness, which soon becomes a metaphor for Carty's journey.

"I describe her as becoming," said McCoy-Deh. "At the end, she decided who she wants to be."

"The reason why we hang on even though she does frustrating things is that she's always moving towards her best self," said Giggett. "Readers will ride the ride with her."

Even when she embarrasses herself.

Not long after landing in Ghana and meeting the intriguing Zechariah, Carty is publicly humiliated, and it goes viral. But, the authors stress, she wasn't anyone's victim.

"She had full agency," said McCoy-Deh. "She happened to herself."

McCoy-Deh, whose husband is Ghanaian, said she left her visits to his homeland remembering the warmth, friendliness, and overall determination of the people - whether it was their faith, their work, or their reputation. She and Giggett wanted to choose a place "where her fall would resonate, where conduct is so important."

"We also wanted her to own herself," said Giggetts, "that she made a mistake, but that mistake doesn't define her."

The book was launched last week and available on Amazon.com, but readers already are connecting to Francine Carty as she picks up the pieces of her reputation and wrestles with how she defines herself and self-worth.

McCoy-Deh and Giggetts tackle tough topics, including Internet shaming and the double standard for men and women when it comes to shaming.

"For the woman, it's the scarlet letter," said McCoy-Deh, "the stain that never leaves you. It's a weapon."

This is especially true, they said, for women of color, who are often oversexualized and punished for it.

A recent example, McCoy-Deh said, is Vanessa Williams, who received a public apology more than 30 years after she was forced to resign her as the 1984 Miss America after nude photos of her were made public.

The authors have received phone calls from readers who stopped mid-read because they were moved to share their own personal stories and continue the conversation, engaging with other readers on Facebook. The response is a testament to what has become the book's message: "You are not disposable just because you've done something despicable."

The Search for SuSu is the beginning of a series.

But first, Giggetts says, "I want readers to enjoy the read. I do want them to really enjoy Francine and the journey."

And, of course, McCoy-Deh adds, "I want people to search for their own susu."