Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta

Didn't Nobody Care What Happened to Carlotta is a 2022 novel authored by American writer James Hannaham. The story unfolds during the Fourth of July weekend and centers on Carlotta, an Afro-Colombian trans woman who returns to Brooklyn, New York following two decades spent in a men's correctional facility.

Plot

In 1993, Carlotta Mercedes, aged 22, is charged with involvement in a liquor store heist that results in a woman sustaining permanent injuries. She receives a sentence ranging from 12 to 22 years and serves twenty years in a men’s prison located in Ithaca. During her incarceration, Carlotta comes out as a trans woman; however, prison officials refuse to acknowledge her gender identity. She suffers sexual assaults from both fellow inmates and guards, which leads to six years in solitary confinement and the development of a romantic relationship with another prisoner named Frenzy.

After her fifth parole hearing, Carlotta is granted early release and returns to New York City just before Independence Day. Her goals include rebuilding ties with her alienated son Ibe and confronting the extensive gentrification that has reshaped Brooklyn. Her Afro-Colombian relatives struggle with accepting her gender transition, while she also learns that her mother is battling dementia. A probation officer warns her against consuming alcohol, despite her family organizing an elaborate wake for a deceased friend.

Throughout the holiday weekend, Carlotta looks for work as a driver, reconnects with former acquaintances such as Doodle—the host of the party she was attending at the time of her arrest—and attempts to manage trauma-related impulses. She places her freedom at risk by shoplifting an expensive shoe, crashing a vehicle, and engaging in heated arguments with Ibe. Additionally, she confides in Doodle about the abuse she endured while imprisoned.

Concerned about alcohol present at Carlotta’s family home, her probation officer demands a drug test, which Carlotta fails. In a state of panic, she visits Coney Island where she encounters an old friend, uses substances again, and wakes up robbed on the beach. Missing her probation appointment results in her being sent back to prison after two days.

The narrative concludes with Carlotta returning to Brooklyn by bus to serve out the remainder of her sentence.

Characters

• Carlotta Mercedes, a trans woman released on parole after serving twenty years.
• Ibe, Carlotta’s estranged son, a devout Christian nicknamed "Iceman".
• Doodle, an old friend of Carlotta’s who hosted the party she was attending when arrested.
• Frona, Carlotta’s grandmother who supports her gender transition.
• Lou, the probation officer assigned to Carlotta.
• Paloma, Carlotta’s mother who suffers from dementia.
• Pam, caretaker for Paloma.
• Frenzy, inmate and lover of Carlotta during imprisonment.
• Paul, real estate agent who teaches Carlotta how to drive.

Development

Didn't Nobody Care What Happened to Carlotta marks James Hannaham’s third published novel. Its narrative loosely draws inspiration from James Joyce’s Ulysses and Homer’s The Odyssey. Hannaham utilizes both first-person and third-person perspectives to delve into issues surrounding narrative authority, striving to present these voices as complementary rather than ranked.

Carlotta’s character symbolizes the "modern experience" faced by people of color and queer individuals who encounter systemic exploitation yet continue to endure. Hannaham's own background includes familial ties to a brownstone in Fort Greene, Brooklyn acquired prior to the neighborhood's gentrification—a detail reflected within the novel’s themes.

Reception

Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta has received widespread critical praise, especially for its central character and its distinctive narrative technique that alternates between third-person narrative and first-person stream of consciousness perspectives.

Jonathan Lethem characterized the work as "distinctly Brooklyn and profoundly human." In The Guardian, John Self described it as "vibrant [and] heartfelt," drawing attention to Carlotta as a "humorous [and] provocative" figure, while Lindesay Irvine referred to it as "a lively journey" featuring a "Joycean" style of stream-of-consciousness. Houman Barekat of the Financial Times lauded Hannaham's "innovative voice and wit." John Irving, writing for The New York Times, portrayed Carlotta as "a tragicomic figure... burdened with unfortunate timing," and commended Hannaham’s prose as that of a "guardian angel." The Kirkus Review described the novel as "bold [and] ambitious... propelled by an unforgettable narrator," with Kalup Linzy highlighting its mixture of sorrow and restorative humor.

The novel is also noted for its genuine depiction of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. Paula Woods, in the LA Times, called it "a fierce, heartrending critique of the prison system." Rachel León, writing for Southern Review of Books, emphasized how Carlotta’s dynamic portrayal invites readers to confront marginalized realities. Kirkus Reviews confirmed that Carlotta represents roles frequently denied to women like her both in society and literature.

Achieving both commercial success and critical acclaim, Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta was honored with the 2023 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Fiction, highlighting its significance in modern literary circles.

Translations

• . Rendered into French by Cécile Deniard. Paris: Éditions Globe. 6 April 2023. .
• . Translated into Polish by Maciej Świerkocki. Warsaw: Cyranka. 28 March 2024. .