Author: Charmaine Wilkerson
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0593358333
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 401
Book Description
NOW A HULU STREAMING SERIES • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY • Two estranged siblings delve into their mother’s hidden past—and how it all connects to her traditional Caribbean black cake—in this immersive family saga, “a character-driven, multigenerational story that’s meant to be savored” (Time). “Wilkerson transports you across the decades and around the globe accompanied by complex, wonderfully drawn characters.”—Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones & The Six, and Malibu Rising ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Oprah Daily, NPR, BuzzFeed, Glamour, PopSugar, Book Riot, She Reads We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become? In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves. Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever? Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.
Black Cake: A Read with Jenna Pick
Author: Charmaine Wilkerson
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0593358333
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 401
Book Description
NOW A HULU STREAMING SERIES • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY • Two estranged siblings delve into their mother’s hidden past—and how it all connects to her traditional Caribbean black cake—in this immersive family saga, “a character-driven, multigenerational story that’s meant to be savored” (Time). “Wilkerson transports you across the decades and around the globe accompanied by complex, wonderfully drawn characters.”—Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones & The Six, and Malibu Rising ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Oprah Daily, NPR, BuzzFeed, Glamour, PopSugar, Book Riot, She Reads We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become? In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves. Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever? Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0593358333
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 401
Book Description
NOW A HULU STREAMING SERIES • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY • Two estranged siblings delve into their mother’s hidden past—and how it all connects to her traditional Caribbean black cake—in this immersive family saga, “a character-driven, multigenerational story that’s meant to be savored” (Time). “Wilkerson transports you across the decades and around the globe accompanied by complex, wonderfully drawn characters.”—Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones & The Six, and Malibu Rising ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Oprah Daily, NPR, BuzzFeed, Glamour, PopSugar, Book Riot, She Reads We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become? In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves. Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever? Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.
Black Cake: A Read with Jenna Pick
Author: Charmaine Wilkerson
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0593726154
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 417
Book Description
NOW A HULU STREAMING SERIES • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY • Two estranged siblings delve into their mother’s hidden past—and how it all connects to her traditional Caribbean black cake—in this immersive family saga, “a character-driven, multigenerational story that’s meant to be savored” (Time). “Wilkerson transports you across the decades and around the globe accompanied by complex, wonderfully drawn characters.”—Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones & The Six, and Malibu Rising ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Oprah Daily, NPR, BuzzFeed, Glamour, PopSugar, Book Riot, She Reads We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become? In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves. Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever? Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0593726154
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 417
Book Description
NOW A HULU STREAMING SERIES • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY • Two estranged siblings delve into their mother’s hidden past—and how it all connects to her traditional Caribbean black cake—in this immersive family saga, “a character-driven, multigenerational story that’s meant to be savored” (Time). “Wilkerson transports you across the decades and around the globe accompanied by complex, wonderfully drawn characters.”—Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones & The Six, and Malibu Rising ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Oprah Daily, NPR, BuzzFeed, Glamour, PopSugar, Book Riot, She Reads We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become? In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves. Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever? Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.
Good Dirt
Author: Charmaine Wilkerson
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0593358376
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The daughter of an affluent Black family pieces together the connection between a childhood tragedy and a beloved heirloom in this moving novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake, a Read with Jenna Book Club Pick When ten-year-old Ebby Freeman heard the gunshot, time stopped. And when she saw her brother, Baz, lying on the floor surrounded by the shattered pieces of a centuries-old jar, life as Ebby knew it shattered as well. The crime was never solved—and because the Freemans were one of the only Black families in a particularly well-to-do enclave of New England—the case has had an enduring, voyeuristic pull for the public. The last thing the Freemans want is another media frenzy splashing their family across the papers, but when Ebby's high profile romance falls apart without any explanation, that's exactly what they get. So Ebby flees to France, only for her past to follow her there. And as she tries to process what's happened, she begins to think about the other loss her family suffered on that day eighteen years ago—the stoneware jar that had been in their family for generations, brought North by an enslaved ancestor. But little does she know that the handcrafted piece of pottery held more than just her family's history—it might also hold the key to unlocking her own future. In this sweeping, evocative novel, Charmaine Wilkerson brings to life a multi-generational epic that examines how the past informs our present.
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0593358376
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The daughter of an affluent Black family pieces together the connection between a childhood tragedy and a beloved heirloom in this moving novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake, a Read with Jenna Book Club Pick When ten-year-old Ebby Freeman heard the gunshot, time stopped. And when she saw her brother, Baz, lying on the floor surrounded by the shattered pieces of a centuries-old jar, life as Ebby knew it shattered as well. The crime was never solved—and because the Freemans were one of the only Black families in a particularly well-to-do enclave of New England—the case has had an enduring, voyeuristic pull for the public. The last thing the Freemans want is another media frenzy splashing their family across the papers, but when Ebby's high profile romance falls apart without any explanation, that's exactly what they get. So Ebby flees to France, only for her past to follow her there. And as she tries to process what's happened, she begins to think about the other loss her family suffered on that day eighteen years ago—the stoneware jar that had been in their family for generations, brought North by an enslaved ancestor. But little does she know that the handcrafted piece of pottery held more than just her family's history—it might also hold the key to unlocking her own future. In this sweeping, evocative novel, Charmaine Wilkerson brings to life a multi-generational epic that examines how the past informs our present.
Black Cake
Author: Charmaine Wilkerson
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 1405950099
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
THE INSTANT NO. 2 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Read the gripping word-of-mouth sensation before you watch the major new series produced by Oprah Winfrey, coming soon to Disney+ Everyone wants to discover what they're made of . . . **Featured on Barack Obama's Summer Reading List** **A Grazia Instagram 'IT' book to watch out for** 'A story as meaningful as it is delicious' TAYLOR JENKINS REID 'A roiling soup of family secrets, big lies [and] great loves' NEW YORK TIMES 'Special, beautifully written. Rich and intoxicating' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'Brilliant writing. A stunning book' PRIMA, 'BOOK OF THE MONTH' ________ Eleanor Bennett won't let her secrets die with her. When Eleanor's estranged children Benny and Byron reunite for her funeral, they receive an unexpected inheritance. First, a traditional Caribbean black cake, to remind them of their roots. Second, the story of a decades-old murder that shatters everything they thought they knew about their mother. But as Benny and Byron unravel their family's troubled past, will the truth push them further apart? Or will it reunite them and fulfil Eleanor's final wish? ________ 'An extremely assured debut which pulls in threads and echoes from across the Caribbean diaspora to deliver a rich, complex and really satisfying novel' ALISON FINCH, BBC Radio 4 'I was instantly taken in by this multi-generational tale of identity, family, and the lifelong push and pull of home.' MARY BETH KEANE, author of Ask Again, Yes 'Heartfelt . . . explores the meaning of home and the family that define it' SUNDAY EXPRESS
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 1405950099
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
THE INSTANT NO. 2 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Read the gripping word-of-mouth sensation before you watch the major new series produced by Oprah Winfrey, coming soon to Disney+ Everyone wants to discover what they're made of . . . **Featured on Barack Obama's Summer Reading List** **A Grazia Instagram 'IT' book to watch out for** 'A story as meaningful as it is delicious' TAYLOR JENKINS REID 'A roiling soup of family secrets, big lies [and] great loves' NEW YORK TIMES 'Special, beautifully written. Rich and intoxicating' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'Brilliant writing. A stunning book' PRIMA, 'BOOK OF THE MONTH' ________ Eleanor Bennett won't let her secrets die with her. When Eleanor's estranged children Benny and Byron reunite for her funeral, they receive an unexpected inheritance. First, a traditional Caribbean black cake, to remind them of their roots. Second, the story of a decades-old murder that shatters everything they thought they knew about their mother. But as Benny and Byron unravel their family's troubled past, will the truth push them further apart? Or will it reunite them and fulfil Eleanor's final wish? ________ 'An extremely assured debut which pulls in threads and echoes from across the Caribbean diaspora to deliver a rich, complex and really satisfying novel' ALISON FINCH, BBC Radio 4 'I was instantly taken in by this multi-generational tale of identity, family, and the lifelong push and pull of home.' MARY BETH KEANE, author of Ask Again, Yes 'Heartfelt . . . explores the meaning of home and the family that define it' SUNDAY EXPRESS
Good Dirt
Author: Charmaine Wilkerson
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1405950110
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
PRE-ORDER NOW THE NEW NOVEL BY CHARMAINE WILKERSON, THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF BLACK CAKE. 'A remarkable exploration of family bonds, grief, heartbreak, friendship, and the deep scars of slavery and racism...This novel solidifies Wilkerson's place as one of the great multi-generational storytellers of our time. ' Abi Daré, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl with the Louding Voice --- When Ebby Freeman travels to France to take a three-month hiatus from her complicated home life, the last person she expects to find is her ex-fiancé Henry, with his new girlfriend in tow. Nearly twenty years earlier, the Freemans were the only African American family living in a wealthy coastal enclave in Connecticut when armed robbers invaded their family home and tragedy changed their lives forever. Then, just as Ebby thought she had a new chance at happiness, her storybook romance with Henry fell apart. Now, this unexpected encounter with Henry will force Ebby to reckon with her past and to think on the other loss her family suffered that day – the destruction of a beloved stoneware jar crafted by an enslaved ancestor and passed down through the generations. A piece that might hold not only her family history, but also the key to reclaiming her future. --- Praise for Charmaine Wilkerson and Black Cake: 'Completely blew me away' Red 'Unputdownable. Astonishing. Twists and turns so shocking they will leave your head spinning and your heart aching' Grazia 'You can't help but fall in love with this book' Stylist 'A novelist to watch' Independent 'Beautiful, deeply resonant . . . A story that is as meaningful as it is delicious' Taylor Jenkins Reid, bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 'A rich, complex and really satisfying novel' Alison Finch, BBC Radio 4 'A delicious and gripping tale that sweeps the reader across decades and continents' Guardian 'A book that is both universal and unique.' Afua Hirsch, bestselling author of Brit(ish) 'This novel has a tremendous heart at its centre, and I felt its beat on every page. What an extraordinary debut' Mary Beth Keane, bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1405950110
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
PRE-ORDER NOW THE NEW NOVEL BY CHARMAINE WILKERSON, THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF BLACK CAKE. 'A remarkable exploration of family bonds, grief, heartbreak, friendship, and the deep scars of slavery and racism...This novel solidifies Wilkerson's place as one of the great multi-generational storytellers of our time. ' Abi Daré, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl with the Louding Voice --- When Ebby Freeman travels to France to take a three-month hiatus from her complicated home life, the last person she expects to find is her ex-fiancé Henry, with his new girlfriend in tow. Nearly twenty years earlier, the Freemans were the only African American family living in a wealthy coastal enclave in Connecticut when armed robbers invaded their family home and tragedy changed their lives forever. Then, just as Ebby thought she had a new chance at happiness, her storybook romance with Henry fell apart. Now, this unexpected encounter with Henry will force Ebby to reckon with her past and to think on the other loss her family suffered that day – the destruction of a beloved stoneware jar crafted by an enslaved ancestor and passed down through the generations. A piece that might hold not only her family history, but also the key to reclaiming her future. --- Praise for Charmaine Wilkerson and Black Cake: 'Completely blew me away' Red 'Unputdownable. Astonishing. Twists and turns so shocking they will leave your head spinning and your heart aching' Grazia 'You can't help but fall in love with this book' Stylist 'A novelist to watch' Independent 'Beautiful, deeply resonant . . . A story that is as meaningful as it is delicious' Taylor Jenkins Reid, bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 'A rich, complex and really satisfying novel' Alison Finch, BBC Radio 4 'A delicious and gripping tale that sweeps the reader across decades and continents' Guardian 'A book that is both universal and unique.' Afua Hirsch, bestselling author of Brit(ish) 'This novel has a tremendous heart at its centre, and I felt its beat on every page. What an extraordinary debut' Mary Beth Keane, bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes
Good Dirt
Author: Charmaine Wilkerson
Publisher: Michael Joseph
ISBN: 9780241529959
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
PRE-ORDER NOW THE NEW NOVEL BY CHARMAINE WILKERSON, THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF BLACK CAKE. --- When Ebby travels to France to take a three-month hiatus from her complicated home life, the last person she expects to find is her ex-fiancé Henry, with his new girlfriend in tow. But the unexpected encounter with Henry will force Ebby to reckon with a past marked by tragedy. Nearly twenty years earlier, the Freemans were the only African American family living in a wealthy coastal enclave in Connecticut when armed robbers invaded their family home, killing Ebby's teenaged brother in the process. And just when she thought she could leave her past behind, Henry left her. But now the time has come for Ebby to reckon with her past, putting the fragments of herself back together and embracing a new future . . . --- Praise for Charmaine Wilkerson and Black Cake: 'Completely blew me away' Red 'Unputdownable. Astonishing. Twists and turns so shocking they will leave your head spinning and your heart aching' Grazia 'You can't help but fall in love with this book' Stylist 'A novelist to watch' Independent 'Beautiful, deeply resonant . . . A story that is as meaningful as it is delicious' Taylor Jenkins Reid, bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 'A rich, complex and really satisfying novel' Alison Finch, BBC Radio 4 'A delicious and gripping tale that sweeps the reader across decades and continents' Guardian 'A book that is both universal and unique.' Afua Hirsch, bestselling author of Brit(ish) 'This novel has a tremendous heart at its centre, and I felt its beat on every page. What an extraordinary debut' Mary Beth Keane, bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes
Publisher: Michael Joseph
ISBN: 9780241529959
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
PRE-ORDER NOW THE NEW NOVEL BY CHARMAINE WILKERSON, THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF BLACK CAKE. --- When Ebby travels to France to take a three-month hiatus from her complicated home life, the last person she expects to find is her ex-fiancé Henry, with his new girlfriend in tow. But the unexpected encounter with Henry will force Ebby to reckon with a past marked by tragedy. Nearly twenty years earlier, the Freemans were the only African American family living in a wealthy coastal enclave in Connecticut when armed robbers invaded their family home, killing Ebby's teenaged brother in the process. And just when she thought she could leave her past behind, Henry left her. But now the time has come for Ebby to reckon with her past, putting the fragments of herself back together and embracing a new future . . . --- Praise for Charmaine Wilkerson and Black Cake: 'Completely blew me away' Red 'Unputdownable. Astonishing. Twists and turns so shocking they will leave your head spinning and your heart aching' Grazia 'You can't help but fall in love with this book' Stylist 'A novelist to watch' Independent 'Beautiful, deeply resonant . . . A story that is as meaningful as it is delicious' Taylor Jenkins Reid, bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 'A rich, complex and really satisfying novel' Alison Finch, BBC Radio 4 'A delicious and gripping tale that sweeps the reader across decades and continents' Guardian 'A book that is both universal and unique.' Afua Hirsch, bestselling author of Brit(ish) 'This novel has a tremendous heart at its centre, and I felt its beat on every page. What an extraordinary debut' Mary Beth Keane, bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes
Memphis
Author: Tara M. Stringfellow
Publisher: Dial Press
ISBN: 0593230493
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 289
Book Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY • A spellbinding debut novel tracing three generations of a Southern Black family and one daughter’s discovery that she has the power to change her family’s legacy. “A rhapsodic hymn to Black women.”—The New York Times Book Review “I fell in love with this family, from Joan’s fierce heart to her grandmother Hazel’s determined resilience. Tara Stringfellow will be an author to watch for years to come.”—Jacqueline Woodson, New York Times bestselling author of Red at the Bone LONGLISTED FOR THE ASPEN WORDS LITERARY PRIZE • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Boston Globe, NPR, BuzzFeed, Glamour, PopSugar Summer 1995: Ten-year-old Joan, her mother, and her younger sister flee her father’s explosive temper and seek refuge at her mother’s ancestral home in Memphis. This is not the first time violence has altered the course of the family’s trajectory. Half a century earlier, Joan’s grandfather built this majestic house in the historic Black neighborhood of Douglass—only to be lynched days after becoming the first Black detective in the city. Joan tries to settle into her new life, but family secrets cast a longer shadow than any of them expected. As she grows up, Joan finds relief in her artwork, painting portraits of the community in Memphis. One of her subjects is their enigmatic neighbor Miss Dawn, who claims to know something about curses, and whose stories about the past help Joan see how her passion, imagination, and relentless hope are, in fact, the continuation of a long matrilineal tradition. Joan begins to understand that her mother, her mother’s mother, and the mothers before them persevered, made impossible choices, and put their dreams on hold so that her life would not have to be defined by loss and anger—that the sole instrument she needs for healing is her paintbrush. Unfolding over seventy years through a chorus of unforgettable voices that move back and forth in time, Memphis paints an indelible portrait of inheritance, celebrating the full complexity of what we pass down, in a family and as a country: brutality and justice, faith and forgiveness, sacrifice and love.
Publisher: Dial Press
ISBN: 0593230493
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 289
Book Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY • A spellbinding debut novel tracing three generations of a Southern Black family and one daughter’s discovery that she has the power to change her family’s legacy. “A rhapsodic hymn to Black women.”—The New York Times Book Review “I fell in love with this family, from Joan’s fierce heart to her grandmother Hazel’s determined resilience. Tara Stringfellow will be an author to watch for years to come.”—Jacqueline Woodson, New York Times bestselling author of Red at the Bone LONGLISTED FOR THE ASPEN WORDS LITERARY PRIZE • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Boston Globe, NPR, BuzzFeed, Glamour, PopSugar Summer 1995: Ten-year-old Joan, her mother, and her younger sister flee her father’s explosive temper and seek refuge at her mother’s ancestral home in Memphis. This is not the first time violence has altered the course of the family’s trajectory. Half a century earlier, Joan’s grandfather built this majestic house in the historic Black neighborhood of Douglass—only to be lynched days after becoming the first Black detective in the city. Joan tries to settle into her new life, but family secrets cast a longer shadow than any of them expected. As she grows up, Joan finds relief in her artwork, painting portraits of the community in Memphis. One of her subjects is their enigmatic neighbor Miss Dawn, who claims to know something about curses, and whose stories about the past help Joan see how her passion, imagination, and relentless hope are, in fact, the continuation of a long matrilineal tradition. Joan begins to understand that her mother, her mother’s mother, and the mothers before them persevered, made impossible choices, and put their dreams on hold so that her life would not have to be defined by loss and anger—that the sole instrument she needs for healing is her paintbrush. Unfolding over seventy years through a chorus of unforgettable voices that move back and forth in time, Memphis paints an indelible portrait of inheritance, celebrating the full complexity of what we pass down, in a family and as a country: brutality and justice, faith and forgiveness, sacrifice and love.