A highly opinionated wine guide from one of the country's most celebrated — and unorthodox — sommeliers and winemakers In this entertaining, informative, and thoroughly unconventional wine guide, award-winning sommelier, winemaker, and wine educator André Mack presents listeners with the 99 bottles that have most impacted his life. Instead of just pairing wines with foods, Mack pairs practical information with personal stories, offering up recommendations alongside reflections on being one of the only African-Americans to ever work at the top level of the American wine industry. The 99 bottles range from highly accessible commercial wines to the most rarefied Bordeaux on the wine list at The French Laundry, and each bottle offers listeners something to learn about wine. This window into Mack's life combines a maverick's perspective on the wine industry with an insider's advice on navigating wine lists, purchasing wine, and drinking more diverse and interesting selections at home. 99 Bottles is a one-of-a-kind exploration of wine culture today from a true trailblazer. BIO André Mack, one of the US’s top sommeliers, worked at both The French Laundry and Per Se. He is the founder of the Mouton Noir wine, annually producing 13 varietals in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, and he is also a graphic designer and visual artist. His first wine bar is slated to open in early 2019. Mack lives in Brooklyn, New York. [H] Abrams Image / October 29, 2019 0.8" H x 9.0" L x 6.5" W (1.5 lbs) 256 pages

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99 Bottles: A Black Sheep's Guide to Life-Changing Wines /// André Hueston Mack, illustrations by Rob Deborde

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Winner of the Man Booker PrizeOne of Entertainment Weekly's Top 10 Books of the Decade One of the Top 10 Books of 2014 - Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times A "thrilling, ambitious . . . intense" (Los Angeles Times) novel that explores the attempted assassination of Bob Marley in the late 1970s, from the author of Black Leopard, Red Wolf In A Brief History of Seven Killings, Marlon James combines masterful storytelling with his unrivaled skill at characterization and his meticulous eye for detail to forge a novel of dazzling ambition and scope. On December 3, 1976, just before the Jamaican general election and two days before Bob Marley was to play the Smile Jamaica Concert to ease political tensions in Kingston, seven unnamed gunmen stormed the singer's house, machine guns blazing. The attack wounded Marley, his wife, and his manager, and injured several others. Little was officially released about the gunmen, but rumors abounded regarding the assassins' fates. A Brief History of Seven Killings is James's fictional exploration of that dangerous and unstable time in Jamaica's history and beyond. Deftly spanning decades and continents and peopled with a wide range of characters--assassins, drug dealers, journalists, and even ghosts--James brings to life the people who walked the streets of 1970s Kingston, who dominated the crack houses of 1980s New York, and who reemerged into a radically altered Jamaica of the 1990s. Brilliantly inventive, A Brief History of Seven Killings is an "exhilarating" (The New York Times) epic that's been called "a tour de force" (The Wall Street Journal). BIO Marlon James was born in Jamaica in 1970. His most recent novel, A Brief History of Seven Killings, won the 2015 Man Booker Prize. It was also a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and won the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature for fiction, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for fiction, and the Minnesota Book Award. It was also a New York Times Notable Book. James is also the author of The Book of Night Women, which won the 2010 Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the Minnesota Book Award, and was a finalist for the 2010 National Book Critics Circle Award in fiction and an NAACP Image Award. His first novel, John Crow's Devil, was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for first fiction and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and was a New York Times Editors' Choice. James lives in Minneapolis. REVIEWS "How to describe Marlon James's monumental new novel A Brief History of Seven Killings? It's like a Tarantino remake of The Harder They Come but with a soundtrack by Bob Marley and a script by Oliver Stone and William Faulkner, with maybe a little creative boost from some primo ganja. It's epic in every sense of that word: sweeping, mythic, over-the-top, colossal and dizzyingly complex. It's also raw, dense, violent, scalding, darkly comic, exhilarating and exhausting--a testament to Mr. James's vaulting ambition and prodigious talent." --Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times "James has written a dangerous book, one full of lore and whispers and history... [a] great book... James nibbles at theories of who did what and why, and scripts Marley's quest for revenge with the pace of a thriller. His achievement, however, goes far beyond opening up this terrible moment in the life of a great musician. He gives us the streets, the people, especially the desperate, the Jamaicans whom Marley exhorted to: 'Open your eyes and look within: / Are you satisfied with the life you're living?'" -- The Boston Globe "A sweeping novel that touches on family, friendship, celebrity, art, sexuality, ghetto politics, geopolitics, drug trade, gender, race and more, sending the reader from Jamaica to New York via Miami and Cuba and back." -- Newsweek [H] Riverhead Books / October 02, 2014 ﻿1.41" H x 9.55" L x 6.42" W (2.2 lbs) 688 pages [P] Riverhead Books / September 08, 2015 1.7" H x 8.2" L x 5.4" W (1.35 lbs) 704 pages

A Brief History of Seven Killings /// Marlon James

Paperback

A new cookbook for beginners and curious cooks by Emmy Award–winning talk show host and journalist Tamron Hall and her good friend, award-winning chef Lish Steiling.When Tamron Hall and Lish Steiling first met while working at the Today show, they never imagined that their friendship would lead to endless kitchen adventures filled with laughs, learning, and even tears of pure joy. In A Confident Cook, they share that same empowerment and excitement with those who are just beginning to cook.Learn how to select the tools you need (and skip the ones you don’t!), how to stock your pantry, and how to cook for one, two, or a whole group. This book is packed with scrumptious recipes, including Baked French Toast with Sparkling Berries, Crispy Fried Chicken, Harissa Roasted Carrots with Queso Fresco, and Chai-Spiced Pudding, as well as cocktails and mocktails like the delicious “Not Tonight, Satan.” Throughout, Lish and Tamron chat, teach, learn, and inspire you to keep it going in the kitchen! BIO Tamron Hall is an American broadcast journalist, television talk show host and author. In September 2019, Hall debuted her self-titled syndicated daytime talk show, which has earned her two Daytime Emmy Awards. “Lish and Tamron’s passion for cooking and sharing meals with family and friends comes crashing through the pages of this playful compendium of simple, delicious recipes and techniques. The book is chatty and personal, with very clear directions on how to really set up your kitchen and become a confident cook. With irresistible recipes like Big Citrus Dutch Baby with Ice Cream Sauce for brunch and Chicken Thighs with Dates and Olives for dinner, I am in. You need this book!” -- Suzanne Goin “Get ready for a culinary adventure like no other! A Confident Cook is not your average recipe collection. It’s a conversation between friends. Join Lish and Tamron as they deliver simple and tasty twists to your favorite dishes, from classics to favorites. Get ready to explore a whole new world of deliciousness!” -- Carla Hall“A Confident Cook is what happens when two genuine pros collaborate—in this case, a seasoned chef and an acclaimed host/interviewer. Together, Tamron and Lish get at the very heart and soul of cooking, why it matters, how it connects us, and how truly satisfying it can be when done with patience and love. Theirs is a friendship worth celebrating!” -- Gail Simmons“A Confident Cook is the perfect title for this book. It will give you the skills and tips you’ve always wanted and will make you feel great in the kitchen. It is amazing to see a professional like Lish teach her friend Tamron the ins and outs of cooking. Lish makes everything look so easy due to her vast background, and has an extremely wide range of what she can cook. You will use this book day in and day out as your reference bible for things we all want to master—the perfectly cooked eggs, the crispiest roast chicken, the ultimate potatoes, the simplest desserts that will make you look like a pro. Brava, Tamron and Lish.” -- Missy Robbins [H] Hyperion Avenue / September 03, 2024 256 pages

A new cookbook for beginners and curious cooks by Emmy Award–winning talk show host and journalist Tamron Hall and her good friend, award-winning chef Lish Steiling. When Tamron Hall and Lish Steiling first met while working at the Today show, they never imagined that their friendship would lead to endless kitchen adventures filled with laughs, learning, and even tears of pure joy. In A Confident Cook, they share that same empowerment and excitement with those who are just beginning to cook. Learn how to select the tools you need (and skip the ones you don’t!), how to stock your pantry, and how to cook for one, two, or a whole group. This book is packed with scrumptious recipes, including Baked French Toast with Sparkling Berries, Crispy Fried Chicken, Harissa Roasted Carrots with Queso Fresco, and Chai-Spiced Pudding, as well as cocktails and mocktails like the delicious “Not Tonight, Satan.” Throughout, Lish and Tamron chat, teach, learn, and inspire you to keep it going in the kitchen!
BIO
<meta charset="utf-8">Tamron Hall is an American broadcast journalist, television talk show host and author. In September 2019, Hall debuted her self-titled syndicated daytime talk show, which has earned her two Daytime Emmy Awards.
 
“Lish and Tamron’s passion for cooking and sharing meals with family and friends comes crashing through the pages of this playful compendium of simple, delicious recipes and techniques. The book is chatty and personal, with very clear directions on how to really set up your kitchen and become a confident cook. With irresistible recipes like Big Citrus Dutch Baby with Ice Cream Sauce for brunch and Chicken Thighs with Dates and Olives for dinner, I am in. You need this book!”  -- Suzanne Goin   “Get ready for a culinary adventure like no other! A Confident Cook is not your average recipe collection. It’s a conversation between friends. Join Lish and Tamron as they deliver simple and tasty twists to your favorite dishes, from classics to favorites. Get ready to explore a whole new world of deliciousness!” -- Carla Hall “A Confident Cook is what happens when two genuine pros collaborate—in this case, a seasoned chef and an acclaimed host/interviewer. Together, Tamron and Lish get at the very heart and soul of cooking, why it matters, how it connects us, and how truly satisfying it can be when done with patience and love. Theirs is a friendship worth celebrating!” -- Gail Simmons “A Confident Cook is the perfect title for this book. It will give you the skills and tips you’ve always wanted and will make you feel great in the kitchen. It is amazing to see a professional like Lish teach her friend Tamron the ins and outs of cooking. Lish makes everything look so easy due to her vast background, and has an extremely wide range of what she can cook. You will use this book day in and day out as your reference bible for things we all want to master—the perfectly cooked eggs, the crispiest roast chicken, the ultimate potatoes, the simplest desserts that will make you look like a pro. Brava, Tamron and Lish.”  -- Missy Robbins
[H]  Hyperion Avenue  /  September 03, 2024
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A Confident Cook: Recipes for Joyous, No-Pressure Fun in the Kitchen /// Tamron Hall, Lish Sterling /// new

An outstanding feast of distinctively American culinary genius, this comprehensive collection of authentic African-American recipes was assembled by a well-known cooking columnist for Ebony magazine. Freda DeKnight was baking bread and biscuits by the time she was five years old. In the course of her career as a teacher and counselor of culinary arts, she assembled and shared thousands of fabulous recipes, the best of which appear here. Filled with the aroma of childhood memories, this guide helps modern cooks re-create hundreds of classic dishes for every meal of the day, from chicken and oyster gumbo to sweet potato pudding. The recipes start with appetizers, cheese, soups, relishes, and sauces, advancing to meats, fowl, fish, and all-in-one dishes. In addition to suggestions for vegetables, salads, and breads, the menu includes a mouthwatering selection of Creole dishes and delightful desserts. BIO Freda DeKnight was the Home Service Director for Johnson Publishing Company and author of Ebony magazine's monthly column, A Date with a Dish. [P] Dover Publications / January 15, 2014 1.3" H x 8.4" L x 5.4" W (1.05 lbs) 390 pages This item is not returnable.

A Date with a Dish: Classic African-American Recipes /// Freda DeKnight

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection Expert quilter Kim Taylor shares a unique and powerful story of the celebration of the first Juneteenth, from the perspective of a young girl.On June 19, 1865, in Galveston, General Gordon Granger of the Union Army delivered the message that African Americans in Texas were free. Since then, Juneteenth, as the day has come to be known, has steadily gained recognition throughout the United States. ln 2020,a powerful wave of protests and demonstrations calling for racial justice and equality brought new awareness to the significance of the holiday.A Flag for Juneteenth depicts a close-knit community of enslaved African Americans on a plantation in Texas, the day before the announcement is to be made that all enslaved people are free. Young Huldah, who is preparing to celebrate her tenth birthday, can’t possibly anticipate how much her life will change that Juneteenth morning. The story follows Huldah and her community as they process the news of their freedom and celebrate together by creating a community freedom flag. Debut author and artist Kim Taylor sets this story apart by applying her skills as an expert quilter. Each of the illustrations has been lovingly hand sewn and quilted, giving the book a homespun, tactile quality that is altogether unique. BIO Kim Taylor is a speech language pathologist and Department Supervisor at a large school for deaf children on Long Island. She is also an expert quilter whose works have been exhibited at several venues throughout the Midatlantic region. Taylor’s quilts reflect African American life, and she tells stories through her materials (visit Kim’s website to see her quilts). After researching the origins of the Juneteenth celebration, she created a Juneteenth story quilt which she has exhibited and presented in dozens of local schools. Realizing that few teachers and students had ever heard of the holiday, she was moved to write the book A Flag for Juneteenth. REVIEWS “The picture book . . . not only reveals Taylor’s considerable talents as an inspiring raconteur but as a self-taught quilter whose creations uniquely and symbolically illustrate the historically based narrative.” -- Newsday★ ”Kim Taylor’s portrayal of a girl witnessing the first Juneteenth, accompanied by exquisite quilted artwork, is filled with a spirit of jubilation and freedom. . . . her textile art perfectly complements her evocative prose. . . .” -- BookPage, Starred Review “The illustrations quilted by Taylor display strong artistic use of color, texture, movement, stitching, and symbols. Each page has vibrant colors that grab readers at first glance. . . . Taylor effectively breathes life into the characters, even those muddled in the background, by showing their humanity in each page.” -- School Library Journal“Both lyrical and descriptive, Huldah’s voice conveys the joy that is found in freedom. . . . A great introduction to the federal holiday.” -- The Horn Book“Taylor aptly depicts this story through colorful woven fabrics and folk art-style, quilted scenes.” -- Booklist“[A] moving debut. . . . It’s a discussion-starting, personal-feeling portrait of a communal celebration.” -- Publishers Weekly“The art in this work from quilter Taylor is stunning. The craftsmanship and attention to detail are breathtaking. . . . Visually dazzling. . . .” -- Kirkus Reviews [H] Neal Porter Books / January 03, 2023 0.39" H x 10.24" L x 9.92" W (0.92 lbs) 40 pages

A Flag for Juneteenth /// Kim Taylor

﻿A Good Day to Bake is full of 70 sweet and savory baking recipes for any day of the week, led by flavor. Going through the ritual of bringing out the measuring scales, pouring out flour, whipping up the eggs, stirring the batter and impatiently slicing up warm cake is a beautiful thing that deserves to be enjoyed all year round no matter the day, season or occasion. This is a cookbook that embraces simplicity, mindfulness and the therapeutic comforts of baking. The Great British Bake Off's 2016 contestant Benjamina writes so warmly about cakes and her recipes speak to a natural, seasonal and down-to-earth way of baking. Chapters include Herbs & Tea, Stone Fruit & Berries, Vegetables, Best of Beige, Spice Cupboard, and Chocolate. Because every day is a good day to bake. BIO Benjamina Ebuehi writes recipes, styles and creates content for media, such as BBC Good Food, Waitrose Weekend and Guardian Feast as well as brands such as Sainsbury's, McVities, Lindt, Lyles Golden Syrup, Anthropologie, Baileys and Schwartz spices. Benjamina is an ambassador for the incredible social enterprise Luminary Bakery, and co-founded, with her sister Bonita, The Sister Table (www.thesistertable.com), hosting pop-up brunches and supper clubs for women across London. Her food blog Carrot and Crumb (www.carrotandcrumb.com) was a finalist in the 2019 Saveur Blog Awards. A Good Day to Bake is her second cookbook. [H] Quadrille Publishing / March 01, 2022 0.9" H x 9.9" L x 7.5" W (1.85 lbs) 192 pages

﻿<meta charset="UTF-8">A Good Day to Bake is full of 70 sweet and savory baking recipes for any day of the week, led by flavor. 
Going through the ritual of bringing out the measuring scales, pouring out flour, whipping up the eggs, stirring the batter and impatiently slicing up warm cake is a beautiful thing that deserves to be enjoyed all year round no matter the day, season or occasion. 
This is a cookbook that embraces simplicity, mindfulness and the therapeutic comforts of baking. The Great British Bake Off's 2016 contestant Benjamina writes so warmly about cakes and her recipes speak to a natural, seasonal and down-to-earth way of baking. Chapters include Herbs &amp; Tea, Stone Fruit &amp; Berries, Vegetables, Best of Beige, Spice Cupboard, and Chocolate. 
Because every day is a good day to bake.
BIO
Benjamina Ebuehi writes recipes, styles and creates content for media, such as BBC Good Food, Waitrose Weekend and Guardian Feast as well as brands such as Sainsbury's, McVities, Lindt, Lyles Golden Syrup, Anthropologie, Baileys and Schwartz spices.
Benjamina is an ambassador for the incredible social enterprise Luminary Bakery, and co-founded, with her sister Bonita, The Sister Table (www.thesistertable.com), hosting pop-up brunches and supper clubs for women across London. Her food blog Carrot and Crumb (www.carrotandcrumb.com) was a finalist in the 2019 Saveur Blog Awards.
A Good Day to Bake is her second cookbook.
[H] Quadrille Publishing  /  March 01, 2022
0.9" H x 9.9" L x 7.5" W (1.85 lbs) 192 pages

A Good Day to Bake: Simple Baking Recipes for Every Mood /// Benjamina Ebuehi

“A compelling story of how the transformative events of history weigh on individual lives and relationships.” - Barack ObamaThe Nobel Prize–nominated Kenyan writer’s best-known novel, featuring an introduction by Nobel Prize winner Abdulrazak GurnahSet in the wake of the Mau Mau rebellion and on the cusp of Kenya's independence from Britain, A Grain of Wheat follows a group of villagers whose lives have been transformed by the 1952–1960 Emergency. At the center of it all is the reticent Mugo, the village's chosen hero and a man haunted by a terrible secret. As we learn of the villagers' tangled histories in a narrative interwoven with myth and peppered with allusions to real-life leaders, including Jomo Kenyatta, a masterly story unfolds in which compromises are forced, friendships are betrayed, and loves are tested. BIO Ngugi wa Thiong'o is an award-winning novelist, playwright, and essayist from Kenya whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages. He lives in Irvine, California, where he is Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Irvine. REVIEWS “One of the greatest writers of our time.” -- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Guardian“His novels . . . have been deservedly canonized by the iconic [Penguin Classics] series.” --The Wall Street Journal [P] Penguin Group / June 05, 2012 ﻿0.8" H x 7.6" L x 5.1" W (0.45 lbs) 272 pages

A Grain of Wheat /// Ngugi Wa Thiong'o, introduction by Abdulrazak Gurnah, edited by Chinua Achebe

The New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice • Longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction​ • A sweeping and beautifully rendered exploration of home and yearning, following the fracturing of a family upon the demise of its patriarch“Each character here is richly and deeply drawn…This is a novel that encourages us to stand in life’s burning doorways, and to think long before we walk away or walk through.”—New York TimesIn the early hours of June 14, 2017, the world watches as flames leap up the sides of a residential high-rise in West London, consuming Grenfell Tower and many of the lives within it. Across town, an earlier spark has caught fire. A cigarette left burning in an ashtray. A table strewn with post-it reminders and old newspapers. And one Cornelius Winston Pitt—estranged husband, complicated dad, and Pitt family patriarch—takes his final breaths alone.These twin tragedies open Diana Evans’s A House for Alice, an aching portrait of a family of women shaken by loss and searching for closure. At the novel’s center is Alice herself, the Pitt matriarch who, after fifty years in England, now longs to live out her final years in her homeland of Nigeria. Her three daughters are torn on the issue of whether she stays or goes, and while youngest sibling Melissa also grapples with the embers of her own failed relationship, the Pitt family’s foundational pillars—of trust, love, and cultural identity—begin to crack.Intimately drawn and set against a fraught political backdrop, yet equally full of hope, humor, and humanity, A House for Alice traces the scars of grief and betrayal across generations and uncovers the secrets we keep from those closest to us. BIO Diana Evans is the author of the novels 26a, The Wonder and Ordinary People. She has received nominations for the Whitbread First Novel, the Guardian First Book and the Commonwealth Best First Book awards and was the inaugural winner of the Orange Award for New Writers. Ordinary People won the 2019 South Bank Sky Arts Award for Literature and was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the Rathbones Folio Prize and the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, and also received a nomination for the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction. Her journalism appears in among others Time magazine, the Guardian, Vogue, and the Financial Times. She lives in London. REVIEWS A Most Anticipated Book: The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Good Morning America •“Each character here is richly and deeply drawn, with histories and personalities so fully realized that it’s a pleasure to get to know them…This is a novel that encourages us to stand in life’s burning doorways, and to think long before we walk away or walk through.” -- New York Times“A beautiful, deep exploration of home and fractured families” -- Good Morning America“Twin domestic tragedies entwine in this richly loving and fraught novel. The 2017 Grenfell Towers fire in London looms as Diana Evans juxtaposes this disaster with the death of a patriarch whose loss complicates the actions of his wife, Alice, who longs to return at last to her homeland, Nigeria.” -- Boston Globe“The shifting sands of relationships, time, and place frame a vibrant new novel from an award-winning British writer.Broad in range, vivid in detail, alight often with eloquent language, Evans’ fourth novel, set among a Black community in London, takes time to reveal itself. Sprawling but always engaging, the novel’s cast is filled with rounded individuals, their problems and options as Black, middle-class Londoners showcased at work and play and contemplation, with humor and empathy.” -- Kirkus Review (starred review) “All is conjured with Evans’s keen eye for human behavior… Her prose is distinguished by its lively, lyrical energy, by its seemingly effortless expansiveness, and by masterful turns of phrase” -- Guardian “A warm but devastating narrative, dealing with the fallout of the Grenfell tragedy… Like any Evans novel, it is unputdownable” -- Harper’s Bazaar “Evans…has an exquisite turn of phrase…The people on the page, and the problems they face, are real and raw" -- Times UK [H] Pantheon Books / September 12, 2023 1.6" H x 9.3" L x 6.1" W (1.35 lbs) 352 pages

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The New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice • Longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction​ • A sweeping and beautifully rendered exploration of home and yearning, following the fracturing of a family upon the demise of its patriarch “Each character here is richly and deeply drawn…This is a novel that encourages us to stand in life’s burning doorways, and to think long before we walk away or walk through.” —New York Times In the early hours of June 14, 2017, the world watches as flames leap up the sides of a residential high-rise in West London, consuming Grenfell Tower and many of the lives within it. Across town, an earlier spark has caught fire. A cigarette left burning in an ashtray. A table strewn with post-it reminders and old newspapers. And one Cornelius Winston Pitt—estranged husband, complicated dad, and Pitt family patriarch—takes his final breaths alone. These twin tragedies open Diana Evans’s A House for Alice, an aching portrait of a family of women shaken by loss and searching for closure. At the novel’s center is Alice herself, the Pitt matriarch who, after fifty years in England, now longs to live out her final years in her homeland of Nigeria. Her three daughters are torn on the issue of whether she stays or goes, and while youngest sibling Melissa also grapples with the embers of her own failed relationship, the Pitt family’s foundational pillars—of trust, love, and cultural identity—begin to crack. Intimately drawn and set against a fraught political backdrop, yet equally full of hope, humor, and humanity, A House for Alice traces the scars of grief and betrayal across generations and uncovers the secrets we keep from those closest to us.
BIO
<meta charset="utf-8">Diana Evans is the author of the novels 26a, The Wonder and Ordinary People. She has received nominations for the Whitbread First Novel, the Guardian First Book and the Commonwealth Best First Book awards and was the inaugural winner of the Orange Award for New Writers. Ordinary People won the 2019 South Bank Sky Arts Award for Literature and was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the Rathbones Folio Prize and the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, and also received a nomination for the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction. Her journalism appears in among others Time magazine, the Guardian, Vogue, and the Financial Times. She lives in London.
REVIEWS
<meta charset="utf-8">A Most Anticipated Book: The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Good Morning America • “Each character here is richly and deeply drawn, with histories and personalities so fully realized that it’s a pleasure to get to know them…This is a novel that encourages us to stand in life’s burning doorways, and to think long before we walk away or walk through.” -- New York Times “A beautiful, deep exploration of home and fractured families” -- Good Morning America “Twin domestic tragedies entwine in this richly loving and fraught novel. The 2017 Grenfell Towers fire in London looms as Diana Evans juxtaposes this disaster with the death of a patriarch whose loss complicates the actions of his wife, Alice, who longs to return at last to her homeland, Nigeria.” -- Boston Globe “The shifting sands of relationships, time, and place frame a vibrant new novel from an award-winning British writer. Broad in range, vivid in detail, alight often with eloquent language, Evans’ fourth novel, set among a Black community in London, takes time to reveal itself. Sprawling but always engaging, the novel’s cast is filled with rounded individuals, their problems and options as Black, middle-class Londoners showcased at work and play and contemplation, with humor and empathy.” -- Kirkus Review (starred review)   “All is conjured with Evans’s keen eye for human behavior… Her prose is distinguished by its lively, lyrical energy, by its seemingly effortless expansiveness, and by masterful turns of phrase” -- Guardian   “A warm but devastating narrative, dealing with the fallout of the Grenfell tragedy… Like any Evans novel, it is unputdownable” -- Harper’s Bazaar   “Evans…has an exquisite turn of phrase…The people on the page, and the problems they face, are real and raw" -- Times UK
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[H]  Pantheon Books  /  September 12, 2023 
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A House for Alice /// Diana Evans

Our history echoes with events which, over time, have become hidden, yet are important to all of us. Juneteenth is a celebration which recognizes the end of the enslavement of Black people in America. This book opens a door to understanding our history and celebrating our future—together.Meet A Kids Co., a new kind of media company with a collection of beautifully designed books that kickstart challenging, empowering, and important conversations for kids and their grownups. Learn more about us at akidsco.com. BIO Garrison Hayes (he/him) is a filmmaker, creator, and entrepreneur who amplifies stories which change the world. He believes the truth of the past helps us better understand the present and gives us the foundation to build a better tomorrow. [H] DK Publishing / May 21, 2024 0.5" H x 10.5" L x 8.3" W (0.9 lbs) 64 pages For ages 6 to 9

A Kids Book About Juneteenth /// Garrison Hayes

“Steady-handed and gut-punching. I’m in awe.”—NoViolet Bulawayo An Oprah Daily Most Anticipated Book of 2024 In ten vivid, evocative stories set in contemporary Nigeria, Uche Okonkwo’s extraordinary debut asks: why are the people and places we hold closest so often the ones that drive us to madness? A teenage girl from a poor family is dazzled by her rich, vivacious friend, but as the friend’s behavior grows unstable and dangerous, she must decide whether to cover for her or risk telling the truth to get her the help she needs. A young woman and her mother bask in the envy of their neighbors when the woman receives an offer of marriage from the family of a doctor living in Belgium—though when the offer fails to materialize, that envy threatens to turn vicious, pitting them both against their community. And a lonely daughter finds herself wandering a village in eastern Nigeria in an ill-fated quest, struggling to come to terms with her mother’s mental illness. Across ten stories, Uche Okonkwo’s A Kind of Madness unravels the tensions between mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, best friends, siblings, and more, marking the arrival of an extraordinary new talent in fiction. BIO Uche Okonkwo’s stories have been published in A Public Space, One Story, the Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2019, and Lagos Noir, among others. A former Bernard O’Keefe Scholar at Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and resident at Art Omi, she is a recipient of the George Bennett Fellowship at Phillips Exeter Academy, a Steinbeck Fellowship, and an Elizabeth George Foundation grant. Okonkwo grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, and is currently pursuing a creative writing PhD at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln REVIEWS "This debut short-story collection features 10 stories set in present-day Nigeria, all concerned with madness—both the literal madness of mental illness as well as the unruliness of outsize emotions like envy, shame, and desire." -- Oprah Daily, A Most Anticipated Book of 2024"Okonkwo has a Chekhovian eye for the tangle of internal motivations and assumptions that steer her characters. . . .Readers will be eager for more of Okonkwo’s artful writing." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review"Surprising, illuminating, and deeply human." -- Booklist"Vivid. . . . In addition to striking a perfect balance between humor and heartbreak, A Kind of Madness shows incredible wiseness on the complexity and at times maddening nature of loving our family, our friends, and our home.” -- Chicago Review of Books, A Best Book of April"Amazingly written characters in unforgettable settings. Okonkwo’s writing is transformative". -- Debutiful, A Best Book of April [P] Tin House Books / April 16, 2024 0.64" H x 8.52" L x 5.57" W (0.53 lbs) 224 pages

<div class="book-short-description" data-mce-fragment="1">
“Steady-handed and gut-punching. I’m in awe.”—NoViolet Bulawayo
An Oprah Daily Most Anticipated Book of 2024
In ten vivid, evocative stories set in contemporary Nigeria, Uche Okonkwo’s extraordinary debut asks: why are the people and places we hold closest so often the ones that drive us to madness?
</div>
A teenage girl from a poor family is dazzled by her rich, vivacious friend, but as the friend’s behavior grows unstable and dangerous, she must decide whether to cover for her or risk telling the truth to get her the help she needs. A young woman and her mother bask in the envy of their neighbors when the woman receives an offer of marriage from the family of a doctor living in Belgium—though when the offer fails to materialize, that envy threatens to turn vicious, pitting them both against their community. And a lonely daughter finds herself wandering a village in eastern Nigeria in an ill-fated quest, struggling to come to terms with her mother’s mental illness.
Across ten stories, Uche Okonkwo’s A Kind of Madness unravels the tensions between mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, best friends, siblings, and more, marking the arrival of an extraordinary new talent in fiction.
BIO
Uche Okonkwo’s stories have been published in A Public Space, One Story, the Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2019, and Lagos Noir, among others. A former Bernard O’Keefe Scholar at Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and resident at Art Omi, she is a recipient of the George Bennett Fellowship at Phillips Exeter Academy, a Steinbeck Fellowship, and an Elizabeth George Foundation grant. Okonkwo grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, and is currently pursuing a creative writing PhD at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
REVIEWS
"This debut short-story collection features 10 stories set in present-day Nigeria, all concerned with madness—both the literal madness of mental illness as well as the unruliness of outsize emotions like envy, shame, and desire." -- Oprah Daily, A Most Anticipated Book of 2024 "Okonkwo has a Chekhovian eye for the tangle of internal motivations and assumptions that steer her characters. . . .Readers will be eager for more of Okonkwo’s artful writing." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review "Surprising, illuminating, and deeply human." -- Booklist "Vivid. . . . In addition to striking a perfect balance between humor and heartbreak, A Kind of Madness shows incredible wiseness on the complexity and at times maddening nature of loving our family, our friends, and our home.” -- Chicago Review of Books, A Best Book of April "Amazingly written characters in unforgettable settings. Okonkwo’s writing is transformative". -- Debutiful, A Best Book of April
[P]  Tin House Books  /  April 16, 2024
0.64" H x 8.52" L x 5.57" W (0.53 lbs) 224 pages

A Kind of Madness: Stories /// Uche Okonkwo

-- SIGNED COPIES - From the award-winning author of High on the Hog—inspiration for the “energetic, emotional, and deeply nuanced” (The New York Times) Netflix series of the same name—comes a new and updated edition of A Kwanzaa Keepsake, another important exploration of African American culture, food, and family, featuring recipes and stories to help this generation create unique holiday traditions.Now with a new introduction by award-winning writer and iconic culinary historian Jessica B. Harris, a foreword by chef and television personality Carla Hall, revised recipes and stories, and a fresh new package, A Kwanzaa Keepsake offers proverbs, ceremonies, family projects, inspirational biographies, blessings, and of course, wonderful recipes. Structured around the seven days of Kwanzaa and the virtues each day represents, Harris shares a themed feast for each night, designed to reflect the principle of the day. Some of the menus include:- Umoja (Unity), featuring dishes of multinational origin such as Seasoned Olives, Mechoui-Style Leg of Lamb with cumin, mint, and chili, and a classic Caribbean rum punch, and reminds readers of the union of all peoples of African descent. - Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), composed of dishes from the African continent including Sweet Potato Fritters, Grilled Pepper Salad, and Piment Aimee, a hot sauce from one of the author’s friends. - Kuumba (Creativity) is a healing supper and communal meal that opens the gates of remembrance through food. The repast is centered around a heritage recipe and includes others for Pickled Black-Eyed Peas, a fish dish from the the Ivory Coast, Spicy Cranberry Chutney, and a killer pecan pie with molasses whipped cream.Interspersed throughout the book are spaces to record family memories, sayings, and recipes. Rich in culinary history, and a source of inspiration for treasuring and recording family traditions both old and new, A Kwanzaa Keepsake is a book to cherish, and one that families will turn to again and again. BIO Dr. Jessica B. Harris holds a PhD from NYU and taught English at Queens College for more than thirty years. She lectures internationally. She is the author of High on the Hog, which inspired the hit 2021 Netflix show of the same name. She is also the author of a memoir, My Soul Looks Back, as well as twelve cookbooks. Her articles have appeared in Vogue, Food & Wine, Essence, and The New Yorker, among other publications. She has made numerous television and radio appearances and has been profiled in The New York Times. Considered one of the preeminent scholars of the food of the African Diaspora, Harris has been inducted into the James Beard Who’s Who in Food and Beverage in America, she received the James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020, and an Augie Award from the Culinary Institute of America in 2022. She also received an honorary doctorate from Johnson & Wales University and recently helped the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture to conceptualize its cafeteria. [H] Scribner Book Company / November 05, 2024 0.64" H x 9.13" L x 7.38" W (0.53 lbs) 256 pages

A Kwanzaa Keepsake and Cookbook: Celebrating the Holiday with Family, Community, and Tradition /// Dr. Jessica B. Harris /// new

In this lyrical picture book, world-renowned poet, New York Times bestselling author, and Coretta Scott King Honor winner Nikki Giovanni and fine artist Erin Robinson craft an ode to the magic of a library as a place not only for knowledge but also for imagination, exploration, and escape. In what other place can a child "sail their dreams" and "surf the rainbow" without ever leaving the room? This ode to libraries is a celebration for everyone who loves stories, from seasoned readers to those just learning to love words, and it will have kids and parents alike imagining where their library can take them. This inspiring read-aloud includes stunning illustrations and a note from Nikki Giovanni about the importance of libraries in her own childhood. BIO Nikki Giovanni, poet, activist, mother, and professor, is a seven-time NAACP Image Award winner and the first recipient of the Rosa Parks Woman of Courage Award, and holds the Langston Hughes Medal for Outstanding Poetry, among many other honors. The author of twenty-eight books and a Grammy nominee for The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection, she is the University Distinguished Professor of English at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. Erin Robinson is a Fashion Designer by trade but also a trained fine artist from Parsons School of Design and the Corcoran School of Art. Her daydreamy, magical imagination is inspired by travel, color, texture, the feminine shape and the many shades and coifs of Brooklyn. She currently splits her time between New York City and Washington, D.C. Find her at brooklyndolly.com and on Instagram @brooklyndolly. REVIEWS “Powerful.... Playful and inspiring. Every lover of books, young or old, will see themselves in this story.” -- Booklist (starred review) “Vibrant, carefully composed digital illustrations, with bright colors that invite readers in.... A lushly illustrated homage to librarians.” -- Kirkus Reviews “In this picture-book celebration of libraries and reading, poet Giovanni writes about the Carnegie Library, which she regularly visited as a child. Robinson’s digital art resembles vibrant collages.” -- Horn Book Magazine “Poetic text and evocative, textured illustrations work in concert to show how books and libraries enable people to imagine other lives—including other versions of their own selves.... A must-have.” -- School Library Journal [H] Versify / September 27, 2022 0.3" H x 11.1" L x 9.0" W (0.95 lbs) 32 pages

A Library /// Nikki Giovanni, illustrations by Erin K. Robinson

Tyree Daye’s a little bump in the earth is an act of invention and remembrance. Through sprawling poems, the town of Youngsville, North Carolina, where Daye’s family has lived for the last 200 years, is reclaimed as the “Ritual House.” Here, “every cousin aunt uncle ghost” is welcome. Daye invokes real and imagined people, the ancestral dead, land, snakes, and chickens, to create a black town on a hill. Including dreams, letters, revised rental agreements, and “a little museum in the herein-&-after,” where collaged images appear beside documents from Daye’s ancestors—census records, marriage licenses, and WWII Draft Registration cards—the collection asks if the past can be a portal to the future, the present a catalyst for the past. a little bump in the earth explores what it means to love someone, someplace, even as it changes, dies right in front of your eyes. Poem by poem, Daye is honoring the people of Youngsville and “bringing back the dead.” BIO Tyree Daye is a poet from Youngsville, North Carolina. He is the author of two poetry collections, including River Hymns, the 2017 APR/Honickman First Book Prize winner. Daye is a 2017 Ruth Lilly Finalist and Cave Canem fellow. Daye’s work has been published in Prairie Schooner, The New York Times, and Nashville Review. Daye won the 2019 Palm Beach Poetry Festival Langston Hughes Fellowship, 2019 Diana and Simon Raab Writer-In-Residence at UC Santa Barbara and is a 2019 Kate Tufts Finalist. Daye most recently was awarded a 2019 Whiting Award and a 2019 Ragin Rubin Award winner. [P] Copper Canyon Press / April 02, 2024

a little bump in the earth /// Tyree Daye

THIS BOOK IS CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK. Born in 1923 in Madisonville, Louisiana, Leah Chase would marry into the Chase restaurant family in nearby New Orleans, but that small geographic move would end up taking her worlds away. Today she is a national-award-winning cook and civic figure. This novel, told in the form of letters to God, shares her inspirational journey with middle-grade readers. BIO Carol Allen was born in Elton, Louisiana, part of Cajun country. As a young girl, she traveled across the state with her father and became fascinated with the richness of Louisiana culture and her own unique heritage. In 1968, she began teaching at Oakdale High School, where she experienced the switch to the integrated school system. Soon after, she became an elementary-school principal and completed her doctorate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. After a year as an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina, she returned home to become the superintendent of curriculum and instruction for New Orleans Public Schools. In 1985, Allen married a Frenchman and moved to France. There, she volunteered for various service organizations, served on boards for international schools, and worked for an educational institute in Paris that was affiliated with the American College in Paris. Allen helped plan and direct an international conference designed to address the needs and interests of expatriate women. The conference, organized and conducted entirely by volunteers, attracted four hundred conferees representing nineteen different nationalities from twenty-one different countries of residence. She went on to create the Paris Writers Workshop, now an internationally respected program that allows aspiring writers to develop their talents. Allen has written articles for the Writer's Chronicle, Washington Post, Epicurean Magazine, and the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Allen compiled and edited They Only Laughed Later: Tales of Women on the Move, a book of humorous essays written by women about their experiences living abroad. In 1996, she received honorable mention from Writer’s Market for a self-published book in the children's-literary category. She has been a guest lecturer at the Geneva Writers' Conference and is a motivational speaker for the European Speakers Bureau. Allen has been close friends with Leah Chase, the subject of her biography, Leah Chase: Listen, I Say Like This, for more than twenty years. For the book, she spent hours with Chase herself, in the woman's kitchen, reminiscing her own Louisiana childhood and the diverse background and joie de vivre that both the author and her subject share. In addition to writing, Allen loves to cook. Much to the surprise of her French neighbors, she garnered the grand prize in what is known as Les Journées Gourmandes in the region of the Vaucluse, Provence, where she lives most of the time. Her winning recipes were for jams and jellies in 1995 and for Wild-Mushroom Soup in 2001. [P] Pelican Publishing Company / August 24, 2020 0.6" H x 8.4" L x 5.4" W (0.65 lbs) 160 pages

THIS BOOK IS CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK.
<meta charset="utf-8">Born in 1923 in Madisonville, Louisiana, Leah Chase would marry into the Chase restaurant family in nearby New Orleans, but that small geographic move would end up taking her worlds away. Today she is a national-award-winning cook and civic figure. This novel, told in the form of letters to God, shares her inspirational journey with middle-grade readers.
BIO
<meta charset="utf-8">Carol Allen was born in Elton, Louisiana, part of Cajun country. As a young girl, she traveled across the state with her father and became fascinated with the richness of Louisiana culture and her own unique heritage. In 1968, she began teaching at Oakdale High School, where she experienced the switch to the integrated school system. Soon after, she became an elementary-school principal and completed her doctorate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. After a year as an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina, she returned home to become the superintendent of curriculum and instruction for New Orleans Public Schools. In 1985, Allen married a Frenchman and moved to France. There, she volunteered for various service organizations, served on boards for international schools, and worked for an educational institute in Paris that was affiliated with the American College in Paris. Allen helped plan and direct an international conference designed to address the needs and interests of expatriate women. The conference, organized and conducted entirely by volunteers, attracted four hundred conferees representing nineteen different nationalities from twenty-one different countries of residence. She went on to create the Paris Writers Workshop, now an internationally respected program that allows aspiring writers to develop their talents. Allen has written articles for the Writer's Chronicle, Washington Post, Epicurean Magazine, and the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Allen compiled and edited They Only Laughed Later: Tales of Women on the Move, a book of humorous essays written by women about their experiences living abroad. In 1996, she received honorable mention from Writer’s Market for a self-published book in the children's-literary category. She has been a guest lecturer at the Geneva Writers' Conference and is a motivational speaker for the European Speakers Bureau. Allen has been close friends with Leah Chase, the subject of her biography, Leah Chase: Listen, I Say Like This, for more than twenty years. For the book, she spent hours with Chase herself, in the woman's kitchen, reminiscing her own Louisiana childhood and the diverse background and joie de vivre that both the author and her subject share. In addition to writing, Allen loves to cook. Much to the surprise of her French neighbors, she garnered the grand prize in what is known as Les Journées Gourmandes in the region of the Vaucluse, Provence, where she lives most of the time. Her winning recipes were for jams and jellies in 1995 and for Wild-Mushroom Soup in 2001.
[P]  Pelican Publishing Company  /  <meta charset="utf-8">August 24, 2020
<meta charset="utf-8">0.6" H x 8.4" L x 5.4" W (0.65 lbs) 160 pages

A Long Way from the Strawberry Patch: The Life of Leah Chase /// Carol Allen with Leah Chase

Leap years are a strange, enchanted time. And for some, even a single February can be life-changing.Ricki Wilde has many talents, but being a Wilde isn’t one of them. As the impulsive, artistic daughter of a powerful Atlanta dynasty, she’s the opposite of her famous socialite sisters. Where they’re long-stemmed roses, she’s a dandelion: an adorable bloom that’s actually a weed, born to float wherever the wind blows. In her bones, Ricki knows that somewhere, a different, more exciting life awaits her.When regal nonagenarian, Ms. Della, invites her to rent the bottom floor of her Harlem brownstone, Ricki jumps at the chance for a fresh beginning. She leaves behind her family, wealth, and chaotic romantic decisions to realize her dream of opening a flower shop. And just beneath the surface of her new neighborhood, the music, stories and dazzling drama of the Harlem Renaissance still simmers.One evening in February as the heady, curiously off-season scent of night-blooming jasmine fills the air, Ricki encounters a handsome, deeply mysterious stranger who knocks her world off balance in the most unexpected way. Set against the backdrop of modern Harlem and Renaissance glamour, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is a swoon-worthy love story of two passionate artists drawn to the magic, romance, and opportunity of New York, and whose lives are uniquely and irreversibly linked. BIO Tia Williams is an American novelist and editor. She has published six books and is best known for The Accidental Diva, The Perfect Find, and Seven Days in June. She is also a long-time fashion editor and the current editorial director for the Estée Lauder Companies. REVIEWS If this cover doesn’t raise your temperature a few degrees, the story will. Grab a fan before reading this one, because it really heats up.” -- Good Housekeeping A hugely satisfying romance that is electrifying and alive. -- KirkusWhat’s on its face is a delightfully steamy read is a story layered with nuance that gracefully examines thornier topics of parenting in the modern age, life with chronic pain, and Black identity. Through it all, Williams’ clever and witty writing will leave you clamoring to be part of Mercy’s world. -- Reader's DigestThrough this gripping love story, Williams reckons with family histories and shows the power in rewriting our origin stories. Readers will feel as attached to these characters as Eva and Shane are to each other. -- BookPageWilliams doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of human experience, and her characters are fully formed and believable as a result. This is a winning romance. -- Publishers WeeklyWilliams proves once again that there is much more to romance novels than meet-cutes and other reliable tropes. -- BooklistWith funny, snappy writing and a strong eye for detail, Williams builds a compelling, glamorous Black literary world for the protagonists to inhabit. The book balances a second-chance romance with themes of motherhood, childhood trauma, and life with chronic pain. -- Library JournalWilliams’ writing is zippy and fun to read, but her characters are also complicated individuals, making their love feel authentic. -- The Week [H] Grand Central Publishing / February 06, 2024 1.06" H x 9.14" L x 6.33" W (1.2 lbs) 352 pages

Leap years are a strange, enchanted time. And for some, even a single February can be life-changing. Ricki Wilde has many talents, but being a Wilde isn’t one of them. As the impulsive, artistic daughter of a powerful Atlanta dynasty, she’s the opposite of her famous socialite sisters. Where they’re long-stemmed roses, she’s a dandelion: an adorable bloom that’s actually a weed, born to float wherever the wind blows. In her bones, Ricki knows that somewhere, a different, more exciting life awaits her. When regal nonagenarian, Ms. Della, invites her to rent the bottom floor of her Harlem brownstone, Ricki jumps at the chance for a fresh beginning. She leaves behind her family, wealth, and chaotic romantic decisions to realize her dream of opening a flower shop. And just beneath the surface of her new neighborhood, the music, stories and dazzling drama of the Harlem Renaissance still simmers. One evening in February as the heady, curiously off-season scent of night-blooming jasmine fills the air, Ricki encounters a handsome, deeply mysterious stranger who knocks her world off balance in the most unexpected way.   Set against the backdrop of modern Harlem and Renaissance glamour, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is a swoon-worthy love story of two passionate artists drawn to the magic, romance, and opportunity of New York, and whose lives are uniquely and irreversibly linked.  
BIO
Tia Williams is an American novelist and editor. She has published six books and is best known for The Accidental Diva, The Perfect Find, and Seven Days in June. She is also a long-time fashion editor and the current editorial director for the Estée Lauder Companies.
REVIEWS
If this cover doesn’t raise your temperature a few degrees, the story will. Grab a fan before reading this one, because it really heats up.” -- Good Housekeeping 
A hugely satisfying romance that is electrifying and alive. -- Kirkus What’s on its face is a delightfully steamy read is a story layered with nuance that gracefully examines thornier topics of parenting in the modern age, life with chronic pain, and Black identity. Through it all, Williams’ clever and witty writing will leave you clamoring to be part of Mercy’s world. -- Reader's Digest Through this gripping love story, Williams reckons with family histories and shows the power in rewriting our origin stories. Readers will feel as attached to these characters as Eva and Shane are to each other. -- BookPage Williams doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of human experience, and her characters are fully formed and believable as a result. This is a winning romance. -- Publishers Weekly Williams proves once again that there is much more to romance novels than meet-cutes and other reliable tropes. -- Booklist With funny, snappy writing and a strong eye for detail, Williams builds a compelling, glamorous Black literary world for the protagonists to inhabit. The book balances a second-chance romance with themes of motherhood, childhood trauma, and life with chronic pain.   -- Library Journal Williams’ writing is zippy and fun to read, but her characters are also complicated individuals, making their love feel authentic. -- The Week
[H]  Grand Central Publishing  /  February 06, 2024
1.06" H x 9.14" L x 6.33" W (1.2 lbs) 352 pages

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde: A Novel /// Tia Williams

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • In “one of Morrison’s most haunting works” (The New York Times), the acclaimed Nobel Prize winner reveals what lies beneath the surface of slavery. But at its heart, like Beloved, it is the story of a mother and a daughter—a mother who casts off her daughter in order to save her, and a daughter who may never exorcise that abandonment.One of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st CenturyIn the 1680s the slave trade in the Americas is still in its infancy. Jacob Vaark is an Anglo-Dutch trader and adventurer, with a small holding in the harsh North. Despite his distaste for dealing in “flesh,” he takes a small slave girl in part payment for a bad debt from a plantation owner in Catholic Maryland. This is Florens, who can read and write and might be useful on his farm. Rejected by her mother, Florens looks for love, first from Lina, an older servant woman at her new master's house, and later from the handsome blacksmith, an African, never enslaved, who comes riding into their lives. BIO Toni Morrison is the author of eleven novels, from The Bluest Eye (1970) to God Help the Child (2015). She received the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Pulitzer Prize, and in 1993 she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. She died in 2019. REVIEWS A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR “Spellbinding. . . . Dazzling. . . . [A Mercy] stands alongside Beloved as a unique triumph.” -- The Washington Post Book World “A Mercy conjures up the beautiful, untamed, lawless world that was America in the seventeenth-century with the same sort of lyrical, verdant prose that distinguished [Beloved]. . . . A heartbreaking account of lost innocence and fractured dreams. . . . One of Morrison's most haunting works yet.” -- Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times “Luminous and complex. . . . Some of Morrison's best writing in years.” -- Time “Magnificent . . . As with all Morrison’s finest work, A Mercy compellingly combines immediacy and obliquity. Its evocation of pioneer existence in America surrounds you with sensuous intensity. . . . An attack by a bear is described with thrilling power. . . . Idioms have potent directness, too. . . . Rich knowledgeability about 17th-century America is put to telling effect. Voices speak to you as if you were there. . . . The book keeps you vividly aware of the vital human individuality that racism’s crude categorizations are brutally trying to iron out. . . . A stark story of the evils of possessiveness and the perils of dispossession emerges slantwise. Hints, suspicions, secrets, ambivalences, scarcely acknowledged motives and barely noticeable nuances serve as signposts to enormities and desperations: around slavery’s large-scale uprootings, Morrison spotlights individual instances of loss (orphans and outcasts are, as often in her fiction, much in evidence; compensatory alliances they form are warmly portrayed). A Mercy is so enthralling that you’ll want to read it more than once. On each occasion, it further reveals itself as a masterpiece of rewarding complexity.” -- Peter Kemp, The Sunday Times (London) “In [A Mercy,] a mother chooses to give her daughter to a stranger, the man who will ‘own’ her, in hopes that she’ll find a better life. It is this act from which the book derives its title, but it is, of course, an ambivalent gesture whose tragic resonance will be slowly unveiled. . . . Morrison here is seeking some deeper truth about what she once called ‘the presence of the unfree within the heart of the democratic experiment.’ Some regard this novel as a kind of prelude to Beloved, but the author has even more provocative ideas at play. . . . In writing about the horror of slavery, she finds a kind of ragged hope.” -- Renée Graham, Boston Sunday Globe “[A Mercy] examines slavery through the prism of power, not race. Morrison achieves this by setting A Mercy in 1680s America, when slavery was a color-blind, equal-opportunity state of misery, not yet the rigid, peculiar institution it would become. . . . Morrison doesn’t write traditional novels so much as create a hypnotic state of poetic intoxication. You don’t read A Mercy, you fall into a miasma of language and symbolism. [It] offers an original vision of America in its primeval state, where freedom was a rare commodity.” -- Deirdre Donahue, USA Today “[Toni Morrison] bound[s] into literature with her new book as if it were the first time, with the spry energy of a doe. A Mercy . . . is that beguiling and beautiful, that deftly condensed, that sinewy with imaginative sentences, lyric flight and abundant human sensitivity. . . . Finely hammered phrases repeatedly come off the anvil, forming a story as powerful as the many she has shaped before. Elements of this writer’s art from way back remain part of her achievement here. Like a mighty telescope perched on a contemporary plateau, Morrison draws in signals, moods, torments, exhilarations from African American life and history . . . Morrison mixes the verbal music of an era with idiosyncratic wisdom, delivered indirectly rather than ex cathedra, recalling omniscient Russian masters without imitating them. . . . Along the way come moments whose artistry freezes one’s page-turning. Morrison’s tactile reports rivet . . . What’s the opposite of ‘lazy’ in a fiction writer’s style and research? Industrious? Indefatigable? Morrison wears her knowledge lightly, yet every page exhibits her control of [the 17th century’s] objects and artifacts, its worries and dangers. She surrounds A Mercy’s more fanciful arabesques with a broad border of realism. . . . A book as masterfully wrought as A Mercy behooves its author to swagger. Go to it, Ms. Morrison.” -- Carlin Romano, The Philadelphia Inquirer “A grand tragedy writ in miniature . . . Women, men, Africans, Native Americans, whites, masters, slaves–all are cast into the hard world that is the New World in Toni Morrison’s lustrous new novel. In the same way, the Nobel Prize winner casts us into her hypnotic, many-voiced narrative set in the 17th century in a nation yet unformed. . . . We’re beguiled from the opening sentence: ‘Don’t be afraid.’ The speaker is Florens, black, barely out of childhood, a slave but literate, whose eager-to-please ways and lyrical language endear her to us and to the Virginia household of Jacob Vaark. . . . The subject of [A Mercy] is slavery, and [Morrison] brings to it, along with some of her most haunting language, elements of history and mythos. . . . A Mercy is kindled by characters who are complex and vulnerable, full of what she describes in Beloved as ‘awful human power.’ . . . This novel’s release coincides with the presidential election of Barack Obama, a shining moment in our country’s history of which Morrison’s characters can barely dream.” -- Ellen Kanner, The Miami Herald “Themes of slavery and grief, of women’s struggles to escape the bitterness of the captive world, are at the center of Morrison’s work. They also lie at the heart of her new novel, A Mercy, which looks to history [as in Beloved]–in this case, the 1680s and 1690s–to explore the agonies of slavery among the settlers of the New World. Such a description makes Morrison’s novel sound far too pat, however; it slights the poetry and breadth of her work. Yes, A Mercy is about slavery, but in the most universal sense, meaning the limits we place on ourselves as well as the confinements we suffer at the hands of others. . . . [It is] a work of poetry and intelligence, and a continuation of what John Updike has called [Morrison’s] ‘noble and necessary fictional project of exposing the infamies of slavery and the hardships of being African American.’ The story assumes even greater metaphorical power at this particular moment, with the election of Barack Obama as our first African American president.” --Judith Freeman, Los Angeles Times Book Review [H] Knopf Publishing Group / November 11, 2008 0.88" H x 9.56" L x 5.88" W (0.85 lbs) 176 pages [P] Vintage / August 11, 2009 0.7" H x 7.9" L x 5.2" W (0.46 lbs) 208 pages

A Mercy: A Novel /// Toni Morrison

Through images and texts both historical and contemporary, this book looks at the Great Migration and its profound and ongoing impactThis thoughtful interweaving of text and imagery presents a variety of perspectives on the Great Migration (1915–70), the mass exodus and dispersion of millions of African Americans out of the South. Through archival photography, newspaper clippings, maps, journal articles, book excerpts, and ephemera such as family recipes, the book immerses readers in Black history, the Great Migration, and its legacy. The book includes texts by authors ranging from W. E. B. Du Bois and Jean Toomer to Toni Tipton-Martin and culminates in a candid roundtable discussion about familial migration stories among some of the most respected Black artists, writers, and scholars working today: Theaster Gates, Kiese Laymon, Carrie Mae Weems, and others. The material is presented in three unique, thematic sections that explore the Great Migration’s impact on the American city, Black Southern foodways, and cultural expression. Taken as a whole, this important volume provides powerful testimony to the systemic challenges such as social segregation, racism, and discrimination that Black communities have faced from the post-Emancipation period to the present moment. BIO Jessica Bell Brown is curator and department head of contemporary art at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Ryan N. Dennis is chief curator and artistic director of the Center for Art & Public Exchange at the Mississippi Museum of Art. [H] Yale University Press / June 21, 2022 ﻿1.5" H x 10.5" L x 8.2" W (3.45 lbs) 320 pages

A Movement in Every Direction: A Great Migration Critical Reader /// edited by Jessica Bell Brown and Ryan N. Dennis

An airline captain crafts a riveting, adventurous novel inspired by the remarkable true life of pioneer aviatrix Bessie Coleman, a Black woman who learned to fly at the dawn of aviation and found freedom in the airA few years after the Wright brothers’ first flight, Bessie was working the Texas cotton fields with her family when an airplane flew over their heads. It buzzed so low she thought she could catch it in her hands. Bessie was fearless. She knew there was freedom in those wings.The daughter of a woman born into slavery, Bessie answers the call of the Great Migration. She moves to Chicago, where she wins the backing of two wealthy, powerful Black men—Robert Abbott, creator and publisher of the Chicago Defender, and Jesse Binga, the founder of Chicago’s first Black bank. Abbott becomes her mentor, while Binga becomes her lover. Her true first love, though, remains flying.But in 1920, no one in the United States will train a Black woman to fly. So, twenty-eight-year-old Bessie learns to speak French and sets off for Europe. Two years ahead of Amelia Earhart, Bessie earns her pilot's license, and later she learns death-defying stunts from French and German dogfighting combat pilots.While she finds no prejudice in the air, Bessie wrestles with other challenges on the ground. A plane crash nearly kills her, her brothers seem to be crumbling under the weight of Jim Crow, and, while grappling with tough truths about Binga, Bessie begins to wonder if the freedom she finds in the sky means she must otherwise fly solo.With tenderness and mastery, Carole Hopson imagines the breathtaking moxie Bessie Coleman harnessed in order to lift herself out of poverty and become known as “Queen Bess." BIO Carole Hopson is a Boeing 737 captain for United Airlines, based in Newark, New Jersey. After a twenty-year career as a journalist and executive for iconic brands like the National Football League, Foot Locker, and L’Oréal, Carole followed her dream to become a pilot. A century after Bessie Coleman soared over seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Black women in the U.S. account for less than one percent of all professional pilots. Inspired by Bessie’s spellbinding accomplishments, Carole founded the Jet Black Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to sending one hundred Black women to flight school by the year 2035. www.carolehopson.com REVIEWS Named one of Essence’s “Top 15 Book Picks For Summer 2024”One of Library Journal’s Best Historical Fiction Books of 2024“Fascinating. . . . It is so rich and nuanced, both in the historical background and in Bessie’s remarkable character, relationships, and challenges, that it deserves to be a bestseller. Highly recommended.” -- Jinny Webber, Historical Novel Society“Absorbing debut. . . . Hopson's narrative celebrates Bessie's success both as a woman and a symbol: a bold, resolute trailblazer who sought freedom above the clouds and inspired her fellow Black Americans to do the same.” -- Katie Noah Gibson, Shelf Awareness (starred review)“Hopson shines a welcome light on her indomitable and unsung heroine, and her technical knowledge enriches the many exhilarating aerial scenes.” -- Publishers Weekly“Hopson, a United Airlines captain, vividly evokes the experience of flight and does a commendable job illuminating Coleman’s struggles with self-doubt and isolation even as she becomes a media sensation. . . . Fans of women-focused and African American historical fiction will appreciate Hopson's meticulously researched take on the life of a pioneering figure in aviation history.” -- Booklist“Invigorating! A Pair of Wings is the inspiring, richly detailed American Great Migration story we’ve been missing. Carole Hopson writes heroine and pioneer Bessie Coleman as if she’s been living inside her head. I loved it.” -- Crystal Smith Paul, author of Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?“Bessie Coleman was a pioneering aviatrix who, in the early part of the twentieth century, was forced to travel to France to learn to fly, as no one in the U.S. would give a Black woman lessons. Her thrilling true story makes for an exciting, inspiring work of fiction in Hopson’s hands. This may be the author’s first novel, but as a professional pilot herself, she takes the tale and soars with it.” -- Leigh Haber, founding books director of Oprah Daily and former head of Oprah’s Book Club [H] Henry Holt & Company / August 20, 2024 1.36" H x 9.5" L x 6.43" W (1.34 lbs) 432 pages

A Pair of Wings: A Novel /// Carole Hopson /// new

An intimate and searching account of the life and legacy of one of America’s towering educators, a woman who dared to center the progress of Black women and girls in the larger struggle for political and social liberationWhen Mary McLeod Bethune died, tributes in newspapers around the country said the same thing: she should be on the Mount Rushmore of Black American achievement. Indeed, Bethune is the only Black American whose statue stands in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol, and yet for most, she remains a marble figure from the dim past. Now, seventy years later, Noliwe Rooks turns Bethune from stone to flesh, showing her to have been a visionary leader with lessons to still teach us as we continue on our journey toward a freer and more just nation.Any serious effort to understand how the Black civil rights generation found role models, vision, and inspiration during their midcentury struggle for political power must place Bethune at its heart. Her success was unlikely: the fifteenth of seventeen children and the first born into freedom, Bethune survived brutal poverty and caste subordination to become the first in her family to learn how to read and to attend college. She gave that same gift to others when in 1904, at age twenty-nine, Bethune welcomed her first class of five girls to the Daytona, Florida, school she had founded and which would become the university that bears her name to this day. Bethune saw education as an essential dimension of the larger struggle for freedom, vitally connected to the vote and to economic self-sufficiency, and she enlisted Eleanor Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and many other powerful leaders in her cause.Rooks grew up in Florida, in Bethune’s shadow: her grandmother trained to be a teacher at Bethune-Cookman University, and her family vacationed at the all-Black beach that Bethune helped found in one of her many community empowerment projects. The story of how Bethune succeeded in a state with some of the highest lynching rates in the country is, in Rooks’s hands, a moving and astonishing example of the power of a mind and a vision that had few equals. Now, when the stakes of the long struggle for full Black equality in this country are particularly evident—and centered on the state of Florida—it is a gift to have this brilliant and lyrical reckoning with Bethune’s journey from one of our own great educators and scholars of that same struggle. BIO Noliwe Rooks is the chair of and a professor in Africana Studies at Brown University. Her work explores how race and gender both impact and are impacted by popular culture, social history, and political life in the United States. The author of four books and numerous articles, essays, and op-eds, Rooks has received research funding from the Ford Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, among others. She lectures frequently at colleges and universities around the country and is a regular contributor to popular outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Time, and NPR. REVIEWS “Rooks restores [Mary McLeod Bethune] to the canon of fierce Black freedom fighters. . . . Rooks’ redefining biography is essential reading.” -- Booklist (starred review)“A layered portrait of a roving mind that pushed constantly against bounded systems. . . . A rewarding window onto the nuanced political thinking of the early civil rights movement.” -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Pays tribute to a beloved foremother and celebrates Bethune’s commitment to ‘stand up and fight for change.’ A fine introduction to Bethune’s philosophy, as well as a thoughtful primer for today’s activists.” -- Kirkus“Professor Noliwe Rooks draws on her command of historical events, her lived experiences as a Black woman, and her gift as a storyteller to give us this priceless written portrait of the life, the work, and the legacy of an American shero, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune.” -- Johnnetta Betsch Cole, seventh president and chair of the board of the NCNW, president emerita of Spelman and Bennett colleges“In reflecting on Mary McLeod Bethune’s life and on her own, Noliwe Rooks offers a tribute to an inspiring leader and a meditation on race and history.” -- Drew Faust, Arthur Kingsley Porter University Research Professor, Harvard University “Noliwe Rooks’s exceptional storytelling and impeccable research skills elevate this book to the pinnacle of works about Mary McLeod Bethune. It transcends historical narrative; it challenges us to reevaluate our understanding of Bethune’s contributions and the lessons they offer us now. Interwoven with the story of Bethune’s indomitable spirit for advancing Black life is Rooks’s own family history, rooted in Florida like Bethune and shaped by her legacy. Learning about Bethune through Rooks’s lens is both a privilege and an honor for educators and readers alike.” -- Bettina L. Love, William F. Russell Professor, Teachers College, Columbia University, and author of Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal“In the skillful hands of Noliwe Rooks, this remarkable life story of a crucial figure in American history becomes something more: a mesmerizing personal meditation on racial justice, political power, and the yearning for a home.” -- Paul Tough, author of The Inequality Machine and How Children Succeed [H] Penguin Press / July 23, 2024 0.79" H x 8.49" L x 5.88" W (0.72 lbs) 208 pages

A Passionate Mind in Relentless Pursuit: The Vision of Mary McLeod Bethune /// Noliwe Rooks, edited by Henry Lewis Gates

Femi and her friends planned to leave traditional Caribbean treats out for Santa, including Black Cake. The children shared warm wishes for their favorite dishes while enjoying winter activities at the Christmas fair. This book includes a Black Cake recipe for all to enjoy! BIO Yolanda T. Marshall is a Guyanese-born Canadian Author. The daughter of a Jazz musician, she began writing poems at eight. A cross-genre writer, world traveller, jazz lover and devoted mother, she embodies art and takes her readers on adventurous, cultured journeys. This author is Agented. Titles since 2020 have been traditionally published in Canada. She is also a proud member of CANSCAIP (Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators and Performers) and The Writer's Union of Canada. [H] Garnalma Press / November 18, 2019 0.25" H x 8.5" L x 11.0" W (0.89 lbs) 32 pages

A Piece of Black Cake for Santa /// Yolanda T. Marshall, illustrations by Subi Bosa

This energetic, musical and often funny story of good and evil, power and justice, features a charismatic cast of characters. Finalist for the National Book Award for Translated Literature Full of wit, music, and a rollicking cast of characters, The Villain's Dance shows Fiston Mwanza Mujila is back with a bang. Zaire. Late 90's. Mobutu's thirty-year reign is tottering. In Lubumbashi, the stubbornly homeless Sanza has fallen in with a trio of veteran street kids led by the devious Ngungi. A chance encounter with the mysterious Monsieur Guillaume seems to offer a way out... Meanwhile in Angola, Molakisi has joined thousands of fellow Zairians hoping to make their fortunes hunting diamonds, while Austrian Franz finds himself roped into writing the memoirs of the charismatic Tshiamuena, the "Madonna of the Cafunfo Mines." Things are drawing to a head, but at the Mambo de la Fête, they still dance the Villain's Dance from dusk till dawn. BIO Born in Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Fiston Mwanza Mujila studied literature and humanities there. In 2007, Mwanza Mujila left the Congo and subsequently lived in Belgium, Germany, France, and, after being invited to Graz as the “Stadtschreiber” (writer-in-residence) in 2009/2010, in Austria. Fiston Mwanza Mujila is pursuing a PhD in Romance Studies at the University of Graz, where he teaches African literature. He writes poetry and short stories as well as for the theater. His texts have been staged in France, Congo, Germany and Austria. The play “Zur Zeit der Königinmutter” (2018) was performed at the Akademietheater (Vienna) and the Deutsches Theater Berlin. In his texts, Fiston Mwanza Mujila reflects on the chaos, the civil wars, the decades of Mobutu’s dictatorship that have (did) shape his homeland since its independence from Belgium in 1960. The author repeatedly circles around the themes of loneliness and exile; in the bilingual long poem “Le Fleuve dans le Ventre/ The River in the Belly,” they structure the text as formative elements. Here, a first-person character tells of child soldiers, illness, disfigurement, and again and again of the Congo River, which stands for life and identity in their threatened state. The “I” carries this river “in its belly” in order to spew it out from time to time, just as it spews out the dirt of history and a spoiled meal,” says Ilma Rakusa in the NZZ. About the Congo River, Fiston Mwanza Mujila himself says: “This watercourse inspired me so much that I felt obliged to dedicate a collection of poems to it […] There is an ambiguity in this river […]. For some, it symbolizes the greatness of Africa and could feed the whole continent. But it strikes, does nothing. When conflicts break out, it sets about carrying away the bodies.” [P] Deep Vellum Books / March 12, 2024 0.9" H x 8.1" L x 5.2" W (0.7 lbs) 272 pages

This energetic, musical and often funny story of good and evil, power and justice, features a charismatic cast of characters.
Finalist for the National Book Award for Translated Literature Full of wit, music, and a rollicking cast of characters, The Villain's Dance shows Fiston Mwanza Mujila is back with a bang.
Zaire. Late 90's. Mobutu's thirty-year reign is tottering. In Lubumbashi, the stubbornly homeless Sanza has fallen in with a trio of veteran street kids led by the devious Ngungi. A chance encounter with the mysterious Monsieur Guillaume seems to offer a way out...
Meanwhile in Angola, Molakisi has joined thousands of fellow Zairians hoping to make their fortunes hunting diamonds, while Austrian Franz finds himself roped into writing the memoirs of the charismatic Tshiamuena, the "Madonna of the Cafunfo Mines." Things are drawing to a head, but at the Mambo de la Fête, they still dance the Villain's Dance from dusk till dawn.
BIO
Born in Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Fiston Mwanza Mujila studied literature and humanities there. In 2007, Mwanza Mujila left the Congo and subsequently lived in Belgium, Germany, France, and, after being invited to Graz as the “Stadtschreiber” (writer-in-residence) in 2009/2010, in Austria. Fiston Mwanza Mujila is pursuing a PhD in Romance Studies at the University of Graz, where he teaches African literature. He writes poetry and short stories as well as for the theater. His texts have been staged in France, Congo, Germany and Austria. The play “Zur Zeit der Königinmutter” (2018) was performed at the Akademietheater (Vienna) and the Deutsches Theater Berlin.
In his texts, Fiston Mwanza Mujila reflects on the chaos, the civil wars, the decades of Mobutu’s dictatorship that have (did) shape his homeland since its independence from Belgium in 1960. The author repeatedly circles around the themes of loneliness and exile; in the bilingual long poem “Le Fleuve dans le Ventre/ The River in the Belly,” they structure the text as formative elements. Here, a first-person character tells of child soldiers, illness, disfigurement, and again and again of the Congo River, which stands for life and identity in their threatened state. The “I” carries this river “in its belly” in order to spew it out from time to time, just as it spews out the dirt of history and a spoiled meal,” says Ilma Rakusa in the NZZ. About the Congo River, Fiston Mwanza Mujila himself says: “This watercourse inspired me so much that I felt obliged to dedicate a collection of poems to it […] There is an ambiguity in this river […]. For some, it symbolizes the greatness of Africa and could feed the whole continent. But it strikes, does nothing. When conflicts break out, it sets about carrying away the bodies.”
[P]  Deep Vellum Books  /  March 12, 2024
<meta charset="utf-8">0.9" H x 8.1" L x 5.2" W (0.7 lbs) 272 pages

The Villain’s Dance /// Fiston Mwanza Mujila, translation by Roland Glasser

A genre-breaking collection of poetry and prose about Black girlhood that sets the intimacy of memoir against a larger American stage. National Book Award Finalist Written as a collection of vignettes and poetry, The Unboxing of a Black Girl is a creative nonfiction reflection on Black girlhood. The debut YA title, by award-winning author Angela Shanté, is a love letter to Black girls set in New York City and serves as a personal and political critique of how the world raises Black girls. As Shanté navigates the city through memory, she balances poetry with vignettes that explore the innocence and joy of childhood eroded by adultification. Through this book, she illuminates the places where Black girls are nurtured or exploited in stories and poems about personal and political boxes, love, loss, and sexual assault. Many entries are also studded with cultural footnotes designed to further understanding. BIO Angela Shanté is an elementary education teacher by trade. She taught for ten years in her hometown of New York City where she received an MFA in creative writing from the City College of New York. Currently she's an education content editor and Literacy consultant in southern California. Her first two books and third on its way were released through West Margin Press. REVIEWS "Shanté adeptly addresses racism, implicit bias, gender, sexuality, sexual violence, and mental health, encouraging readers to care for themselves, think, research, and act. VERDICT Strongly recommended for all young adult collections." -- SLJ, starred review "By weaving her personal experiences with reflections and observations, the author provides a rich tapestry of perspectives on Black girlhood. [...] A highly creative way of providing insightful social commentary." -- Kirkus Reviews "The author’s story is split into the boxes that Black women do and don’t fit into, proving perseverance in a binary world and providing readers with the tools they need to understand [these] limitations[...]" -- Booklist “A vivid witness to the trials and truths of being young, Black, and female. The smart sister, the generous friend every young woman wants, Angela Shanté shows how you can break away from constraints, become your own masterpiece, and find your own freedom.” -- David Groff, author of Live in Suspense [H] Page Street YA / May 07, 2024 0.8" H x 8.5" L x 5.8" W (0.55 lbs) 160 pages

A genre-breaking collection of poetry and prose about Black girlhood that sets the intimacy of memoir against a larger American stage.
National Book Award Finalist
Written as a collection of vignettes and poetry, The Unboxing of a Black Girl is a creative nonfiction reflection on Black girlhood. The debut YA title, by award-winning author Angela Shanté, is a love letter to Black girls set in New York City and serves as a personal and political critique of how the world raises Black girls.
As Shanté navigates the city through memory, she balances poetry with vignettes that explore the innocence and joy of childhood eroded by adultification. Through this book, she illuminates the places where Black girls are nurtured or exploited in stories and poems about personal and political boxes, love, loss, and sexual assault. Many entries are also studded with cultural footnotes designed to further understanding.
BIO
<meta charset="utf-8">Angela Shanté is an elementary education teacher by trade. She taught for ten years in her hometown of New York City where she received an MFA in creative writing from the City College of New York. Currently she's an education content editor and Literacy consultant in southern California. Her first two books and third on its way were released through West Margin Press.
REVIEWS
"Shanté adeptly addresses racism, implicit bias, gender, sexuality, sexual violence, and mental health, encouraging readers to care for themselves, think, research, and act. VERDICT Strongly recommended for all young adult collections." -- SLJ, starred review
"By weaving her personal experiences with reflections and observations, the author provides a rich tapestry of perspectives on Black girlhood. [...] A highly creative way of providing insightful social commentary." -- Kirkus Reviews
"The author’s story is split into the boxes that Black women do and don’t fit into, proving perseverance in a binary world and providing readers with the tools they need to understand [these] limitations[...]" -- Booklist
“A vivid witness to the trials and truths of being young, Black, and female. The smart sister, the generous friend every young woman wants, Angela Shanté shows how you can break away from constraints, become your own masterpiece, and find your own freedom.” -- David Groff, author of Live in Suspense
[H]  Page Street YA  /  May 07, 2024
0.8" H x 8.5" L x 5.8" W (0.55 lbs) 160 pages

The Unboxing of a Black Girl /// Angela Shanté

-- This title will ship on or after December 03, 2024 -- Creator of Seattle's Plum restaurant group and former personal chef to Stevie Wonder offers a cook‑from‑your pantry vegan cookbook, with accessible recipes for the whole family, every day.A plant‑based lifestyle has finally come of age and she is a beauty to behold. However, when you're vegan—or striving to eat a more plant‑forward diet—it can still be easy to feel like an outsider where food is concerned. Many people aren't quite sure how to marry their newfound vegan lifestyle with their desire for veganism to finally be simply good and fuss free! In Simple Goodness, Makini Howell offers readers a thoughtful, familiar, good‑food centered approach to vegan cooking that is sure to please every palate at the table—from the most experienced foodie among us to the youngest. Developed over her life as a vegan, from childhood with her father's guidance to a professional chef, Howell's recipes reflect a vibrant, layered, and accessible approach to vegan cuisine that draws on the many cultural influences that make up the rich American landscape—from nostalgic, like the Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Pie, to comforting, like the Slow Cooker “Chicken” Noodle Soup, to exciting, like the Salvadorian stew‑filled pot pies. They are satisfying, fill up a full plate, and feed a group, with organization that follows a natural progression from snacks and breakfasts to lunches and weeknight dinners. Simple Goodness is aimed at home cooks who are experimenting with a vegan diet, cooking for friends and family who are discovering vegan food, and with a sweet nod to the little people in your life. These recipes will give you a deeply satisfying and delicious start‑to‑finish plant‑based meal at home. As you cook your way through these recipes, you—and those you lovingly feed—will ease into a lighter, plant‑forward diet without sacrificing flavor, texture, or that vital sense of Goodness. As Makini says,Simple Goodness is chilling in the back of my boyfriend’s pickup truck with a Caesar salad and a bottle of wine at the lake. Simple goodness is a sun-kissed picnic in the park with bomb smoked tofu sandwiches. No need to substitute anything, it is delicious just as it is. Simple Goodness says veganism is here, it’s staying, we have taken up space in many people’s lives and we’re deliciously not going anywhere. Simple Goodness is taco night with chorizo tacos, cauliflower tacos, Just Egg tacos, all types of flavors and options that you can think of. Simple Goodness no longer ask you please try veganism, it no longer says “I promise it’s good and it will taste like chicken,” because plants don’t taste like chicken. We no longer make excuses for veganism, we no longer explain veganism to you. Simple Goodness simply says my plant based life is good and yours can be too—just use what’s in your pantry. BIO Makini Howell is a lifelong vegan, chef, restaurateur, community leader, and plant-based food advocate. She is the owner of Plum Vegan restaurants, Makini has had the unique opportunity to serve as chef to the stars, cooking vegan dishes for Stevie Wonder on his 2015 tour. She is also a culinary advisor for companies like Google, where she is currently developing new, plant-forward food programs. She is the author of Plum: Gratifying Vegan Dishes from Seattle’s Plum Bistro and host of the monthly TV show Makini’s Kitchen on King 5 News in Seattle. REVIEWS "Makini’s cooking will excite and satisfy you…Makini can teach you how to become vegan for the rest of your life if you desire. Her ways should be passed on from generation to generation, for generations to come.” -- Stevie Wonder [H] Hachette Go / December 03, 2024 0.95" H x 9.4" L x 7.67" W (2.02 lbs) 256 pages

-- This title will ship on or after December 03, 2024 --
<meta charset="utf-8">Creator of Seattle's Plum restaurant group and former personal chef to Stevie Wonder offers a cook‑from‑your pantry vegan cookbook, with accessible recipes for the whole family, every day. A plant‑based lifestyle has finally come of age and she is a beauty to behold. However, when you're vegan—or striving to eat a more plant‑forward diet—it can still be easy to feel like an outsider where food is concerned. Many people aren't quite sure how to marry their newfound vegan lifestyle with their desire for veganism to finally be simply good and fuss free!  In Simple Goodness, Makini Howell offers readers a thoughtful, familiar, good‑food centered approach to vegan cooking that is sure to please every palate at the table—from the most experienced foodie among us to the youngest.   Developed over her life as a vegan, from childhood with her father's guidance to a professional chef, Howell's recipes reflect a vibrant, layered, and accessible approach to vegan cuisine that draws on the many cultural influences that make up the rich American landscape—from nostalgic, like the Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Pie, to comforting, like the Slow Cooker “Chicken” Noodle Soup, to exciting, like the Salvadorian stew‑filled pot pies. They are satisfying, fill up a full plate, and feed a group, with organization that follows a natural progression from snacks and breakfasts to lunches and weeknight dinners. Simple Goodness is aimed at home cooks who are experimenting with a vegan diet, cooking for friends and family who are discovering vegan food, and with a sweet nod to the little people in your life. These recipes will give you a deeply satisfying and delicious start‑to‑finish plant‑based meal at home. As you cook your way through these recipes, you—and those you lovingly feed—will ease into a lighter, plant‑forward diet without sacrificing flavor, texture, or that vital sense of Goodness.   As Makini says, Simple Goodness is chilling in the back of my boyfriend’s pickup truck with a Caesar salad and a bottle of wine at the lake. Simple goodness is a sun-kissed picnic in the park with bomb smoked tofu sandwiches. No need to substitute anything, it is delicious just as it is.   Simple Goodness says veganism is here, it’s staying, we have taken up space in many people’s lives and we’re deliciously not going anywhere.   Simple Goodness is taco night with chorizo tacos, cauliflower tacos, Just Egg tacos, all types of flavors and options that you can think of.  Simple Goodness no longer ask you please try veganism, it no longer says “I promise it’s good and it will taste like chicken,” because plants don’t taste like chicken. We no longer make excuses for veganism, we no longer explain veganism to you.   Simple Goodness simply says my plant based life is good and yours can be too—just use what’s in your pantry.
BIO
<meta charset="utf-8">Makini Howell is a lifelong vegan, chef, restaurateur, community leader, and plant-based food advocate. She is the owner of Plum Vegan restaurants, Makini has had the unique opportunity to serve as chef to the stars, cooking vegan dishes for Stevie Wonder on his 2015 tour. She is also a culinary advisor for companies like Google, where she is currently developing new, plant-forward food programs. She is the author of Plum: Gratifying Vegan Dishes from Seattle’s Plum Bistro and host of the monthly TV show Makini’s Kitchen on King 5 News in Seattle.
REVIEWS
"Makini’s cooking will excite and satisfy you…Makini can teach you how to become vegan for the rest of your life if you desire. Her ways should be passed on from generation to generation, for generations to come.” -- Stevie Wonder
[H]  Hachette Go  /  December 03, 2024
0.95" H x 9.4" L x 7.67" W (2.02 lbs) 256 pages

Simple Goodness: No-fuss, Plant-based Meals Straight from Your Pantry /// Makini Howell /// pre

-- This title will ship on or after January 28, 2025 -- Everything the connoisseur could ever want to know about gin, the spirit that sparked a worldwide distilling boom. Nothing communicates elegance and refinement like a Martini. Nothing refreshes on a warm summer day like a Gin & Tonic. It is no accident that gin stands at the center of these iconic cocktails, as its bold, unique character leaves a lasting impression everywhere it appears. Big Gin is the definitive exploration into this beloved spirit, tracing its history from London's Gin Craze to the recent renaissance that sparked a worldwide distilling boom. Aficionados will find their appreciation for their favorite varieties deepened and discover new varieties to fall in love with, while the cocktail connoisseur will uncover innovative craft offerings that are pushing the spirit in exciting directions. Inside you'll find: The history of gin A breakdown of the botanicals that lend gin its unique character An in-depth exploration of the predominant style, London dry Profiles of Hendrick's, Tanqueray, Beefeater, and other major players Interviews with the master distillers who are both preserving tradition and pushing the spirit forward Recipes for the perfect Martini, Gin & Tonic, Negroni, and other beloved gin-based cocktails BIO Emanuele Mensah is a mixologist, bar manager, photographer, and videographer based in Milan, Italy. He has worked for some of the best cocktail bars in the world, including Disrepute in London and Eau-de-Vie Sydney, and he was named one of the World Class Top 100 Bartenders by Diageo Reserve. [H] Cider Mill Press / January 28, 2025 464 pages

-- This title will ship on or after January 28, 2025 --
Everything the connoisseur could ever want to know about gin, the spirit that sparked a worldwide distilling boom. 
Nothing communicates elegance and refinement like a Martini. Nothing refreshes on a warm summer day like a Gin &amp; Tonic. It is no accident that gin stands at the center of these iconic cocktails, as its bold, unique character leaves a lasting impression everywhere it appears. Big Gin is the definitive exploration into this beloved spirit, tracing its history from London's Gin Craze to the recent renaissance that sparked a worldwide distilling boom.
Aficionados will find their appreciation for their favorite varieties deepened and discover new varieties to fall in love with, while the cocktail connoisseur will uncover innovative craft offerings that are pushing the spirit in exciting directions.
Inside you'll find:
<ul>
<li>The history of gin</li>
<li>A breakdown of the botanicals that lend gin its unique character</li>
<li>An in-depth exploration of the predominant style, London dry</li>
<li>Profiles of Hendrick's, Tanqueray, Beefeater, and other major players</li>
<li>Interviews with the master distillers who are both preserving tradition and pushing the spirit forward</li>
<li>Recipes for the perfect Martini, Gin &amp; Tonic, Negroni, and other beloved gin-based cocktails</li>
</ul>
BIO
<meta charset="utf-8">Emanuele Mensah is a mixologist, bar manager, photographer, and videographer based in Milan, Italy. He has worked for some of the best cocktail bars in the world, including Disrepute in London and Eau-de-Vie Sydney, and he was named one of the World Class Top 100 Bartenders by Diageo Reserve.
[H]  Cider Mill Press  /  January 28, 2025
<meta charset="utf-8">464 pages

Big Gin: The Rebirth of One of the World's Oldest Spirits /// Emanuele Mensah /// pre

-- This title will ship on or after March 25, 2025 -- An original novel written by New York Times best-selling author Lauren Blackwood inspired by Walt Disney Studios' live action reimagining of Snow White. One moment eighteen-year-old Snow White is taking a bite of an apple. The next, she blinks and finds herself in an enchanted and dangerous dream world. As it turns out, the Queen’s poison did more than place Snow White in an eternal sleep. It sent her subconscious to the Land of Diamant, a world crafted from gems and home to the Queen’s most sinister creations.After meeting some of the others cursed by the Queen, Snow White realizes the only way to save the people trapped in Diamant and her kingdom back in the real world, is to embark on a quest to find the mythical Ruby Heart. Snow White and her new friends must work together as they face deadly trials on their journey. But there is something more wicked than the creatures made of gems, and the true danger could be closer than anyone thinks. Snow White will need to be careful, because in Diamant, nothing is what it seems. BIO Lauren Blackwood is a Jamaican American living in Virginia who writes Romance-heavy Fantasy for most ages. When not writing, she's a musician and a tiramisu connoisseur. She's the New York Times bestselling author of Within These Wicked Walls and Wildblood. [H] Disney Press / March 25, 2025 1.25 lbs 256 pages

-- This title will ship on or after March 25, 2025 --
An original novel written by New York Times best-selling author Lauren Blackwood inspired by Walt Disney Studios' live action reimagining of Snow White.
One moment eighteen-year-old Snow White is taking a bite of an apple. The next, she blinks and finds herself in an enchanted and dangerous dream world. As it turns out, the Queen’s poison did more than place Snow White in an eternal sleep. It sent her subconscious to the Land of Diamant, a world crafted from gems and home to the Queen’s most sinister creations. After meeting some of the others cursed by the Queen, Snow White realizes the only way to save the people trapped in Diamant and her kingdom back in the real world, is to embark on a quest to find the mythical Ruby Heart.  Snow White and her new friends must work together as they face deadly trials on their journey. But there is something more wicked than the creatures made of gems, and the true danger could be closer than anyone thinks. Snow White will need to be careful, because in Diamant, nothing is what it seems.
BIO
<meta charset="utf-8">Lauren Blackwood is a Jamaican American living in Virginia who writes Romance-heavy Fantasy for most ages. When not writing, she's a musician and a tiramisu connoisseur. She's the New York Times bestselling author of Within These Wicked Walls and Wildblood.
[H]  Disney Press  /  March 25, 2025
1.25 lbs 256 pages

Snow White: Fair & Sinister Heart /// Lauren Blackwood /// pre

In this classic work—a blend of memoir, social criticism, and political analysis that remains relevant today—the first Black Congresswoman to serve in American history, New York’s dynamic representative Shirley Chisholm, traces her extensive political struggle and examines the problems that have long plagued the American system of government. “Shirley Chisholm created a path for me and for so many others. Today, I'm thinking about her inspirational words: 'I am, and always will be a catalyst for change.'” —Kamala Harris “A tremendously impressive book.” —Washington Post “I want to be remembered as a woman . . . who dared to be a catalyst of change.” Political pioneer Shirley Chisholm—activist, member of the House of Representatives, and former presidential candidate—was a woman who consistently broke barriers and inspired generations of American women, and especially women of color. Unbought and Unbossed is her story, told in her own words—a thoughtful and informed look at her rise from the streets of Brooklyn to the halls of Congress. Chisholm speaks out on her life in politics while illuminating the events, personalities, and issues of her time, including the schism in the Democratic party in the 1960s and ’70s—all of which speak to us today. In this frank assessment, “Fighting Shirley” recalls how she took on an entrenched system, gave a public voice to millions, and embarked on a trailblazing bid to be the first woman and first African American President of the United States. By daring to be herself, Shirley Chisholm shows how one person forever changed the status quo. BIO Shirley Chisholm was the first black woman elected to the U.S. Congress in 1969 and was re-elected six times until she retired in 1983. While in office, she spoke out for civil rights and women’s rights, advocated for the poor, and opposed the Vietnam War. In 1972, she was the first African American person to run for the Democratic Nomination for President of the United States. In 2015, she was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. Chisholm wrote the autobiographical works Unbought and Unbossed (1970) and The Good Fight (1973). REVIEWS “What [Chisholm] did was so pioneering. . . . She embraced what made her different and used it as her superpower.” -- Regina King “Her motto and title of her autobiography—Unbought and Unbossed—illustrates her outspoken advocacy for women and minorities during her seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.” -- National Women’s History Museum [P] Amistad Press / November 08, 2022 0.52" H x 7.97" L x 5.33" W (0.38 lbs) 224 pages

In this classic work—a blend of memoir, social criticism, and political analysis that remains relevant today—the first Black Congresswoman to serve in American history, New York’s dynamic representative Shirley Chisholm, traces her extensive political struggle and examines the problems that have long plagued the American system of government.
“Shirley Chisholm created a path for me and for so many others. Today, I'm thinking about her inspirational words: 'I am, and always will be a catalyst for change.'” —Kamala Harris
“A tremendously impressive book.” —Washington Post
“I want to be remembered as a woman . . . who dared to be a catalyst of change.” Political pioneer Shirley Chisholm—activist, member of the House of Representatives, and former presidential candidate—was a woman who consistently broke barriers and inspired generations of American women, and especially women of color. Unbought and Unbossed is her story, told in her own words—a thoughtful and informed look at her rise from the streets of Brooklyn to the halls of Congress. Chisholm speaks out on her life in politics while illuminating the events, personalities, and issues of her time, including the schism in the Democratic party in the 1960s and ’70s—all of which speak to us today.
In this frank assessment, “Fighting Shirley” recalls how she took on an entrenched system, gave a public voice to millions, and embarked on a trailblazing bid to be the first woman and first African American President of the United States. By daring to be herself, Shirley Chisholm shows how one person forever changed the status quo.
BIO
Shirley Chisholm was the first black woman elected to the U.S. Congress in 1969 and was re-elected six times until she retired in 1983. While in office, she spoke out for civil rights and women’s rights, advocated for the poor, and opposed the Vietnam War. In 1972, she was the first African American person to run for the Democratic Nomination for President of the United States. In 2015, she was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. Chisholm wrote the autobiographical works Unbought and Unbossed (1970) and The Good Fight (1973).
REVIEWS
“What [Chisholm] did was so pioneering. . . . She embraced what made her different and used it as her superpower.” -- Regina King
“Her motto and title of her autobiography—Unbought and Unbossed—illustrates her outspoken advocacy for women and minorities during her seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.” -- National Women’s History Museum
[P]  Amistad Press  /  November 08, 2022
0.52" H x 7.97" L x 5.33" W (0.38 lbs) 224 pages

Unbought & Unbossed /// Shirley Chisholm

Times Book Review“Strikes the perfect balance of brutally honest and laugh-out-loud funny. I didn’t want it to end.”—Mindy Kaling, New York Times bestselling author of Why Not Me?With sharp, timely insight, pitch-perfect pop culture references, and her always unforgettable voice, New York Times bestselling author, comedian, actress, and producer Phoebe Robinson is back with her most must-read book yet.In her brand-new collection, Phoebe shares stories that will make you laugh, but also plenty that will hit you in the heart and inspire a little bit of rage, and maybe a lot of action. That means revealing her perspective on performative allyship, white guilt, and what happens when white people take up space in cultural movements; exploring what it’s like to be a woman who doesn’t want kids living in a society where motherhood is the crowning achievement of a straight, cis woman’s life; and discussing how the dire state of mental health in America means that taking care of one’s psychological well-being—aka “self-care”—usually requires disposable money.She also shares tales of her mom slowpoking before a visit with Mrs. Obama, the stupidly fake reassurances of zip-line attendants, her favorite things about dating a white person from the UK, and how the lack of Black women in leadership positions fueled her to become the Black lady-boss of her dreams. By turns perceptive, hilarious, and heartfelt, Please Don’t Sit on My Bed in Your Outside Clothes is not only a brilliant look at our current cultural moment, it’s also a collection that will stay with readers for years to come. BIO Phoebe Robinson is a multitalented stand-up comedian, a New York Times bestselling writer, and an actress. She is best known as the co-creator and costar of the hit podcast-turned-TV-show 2 Dope Queens, which aired eight hour-long specials on HBO in February 2018 and 2019. On her second WNYC Studios podcast, the critically acclaimed talk show Sooo Many White Guys, Phoebe interviews today’s biggest stars and groundbreakers such as Tom Hanks, Issa Rae, Abbi Jacobson, and many more. Phoebe is also making her presence known in publishing as the author of the New York Times bestseller You Can’t Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain, a collection of essays about race, gender, and pop culture. Phoebe made her feature film debut as one of the stars of the Netflix comedy Ibiza and followed that up by acting alongside Taraji P. Henson in the Paramount film What Men Want. She was also a staff writer on MTV’s hit talking-head show Girl Code and IFC’s Portlandia, and was a consultant on season three of Broad City. REVIEWS “Phoebe Robinson has done it again! While exploring topics ranging from being the boss to helping me determine which wigs are my Zoom standbys, Pheebs keeps the comic relief coming. I’ve never looked forward to reading footnotes so much. Come for the laughs, stay for her vulnerability. You just might find yourself walking away lighter and braver.” -- Austin Channing Brown, New York Times bestselling author of I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness“Phoebe’s the G.O.A.T. when it comes to honest and hilarious storytelling, and Please Don’t Sit on my Bed in Your Outside Clothes is no exception. Her writing is a MasterClass in transforming life’s most complicated parts into relatable gems. Righteous, ratchet, sincere, and downright entertaining, I couldn’t put Please Don’t Sit on My Bed down.” -- Hasan Minhaj, comedian, actor, producer “She did it again! Whip-smart, laugh-out-loud, and unabashedly honest, this collection feels like a long-awaited weekend with an old friend. Phoebe brings you in with her hilarity, and keeps you with her unparalleled social commentary. After the past year, I needed this!” -- Abbi Jacobson, New York Times bestselling author of I Might Regret This: Essays, Drawings, Vulnerabilities, and Other Stuff “Phoebe Robinson continues to be one of the most interesting, thoughtful, and hilarious writers of our generation. She’s so relatable and captivating and especially gifted at illustrating the ridiculous side of humanity comically while striking you right through your heart without you realizing it. Frankly, how dare she be this gifted and cool and hot? It’s disrespectful. F*ck her. I hate Phoebe Robinson.” -- Jameela Jamil, actress, author, activist“Comedian Phoebe Robinson delivers another hilarious-yet-poignant collection of essays about her life and work.” -- Entertainment Weekly, “Best New Books of September 2021” [P] Tiny Reparations Books / June 21, 2022 0.87" H x 8.11" L x 5.43" W (0.6 lbs) 352 pages

Please Don't Sit in My Bed in Your Outside Clothes: Essays /// Phoebe Robinson

In Rabata, everyone has secrets—especially since the arrival of the white American missionaries. Twenty-year-old Jummai is a beautiful and unassuming house girl whose dreams of escaping her home life are disrupted when an unexpected pregnancy forces her to hide her lover's identity. Tebeya, an ambitious Dublin-educated doctor, has left prestigious opportunities abroad to return to the small town of her birth, and discovers a painful betrayal when she strives to take control of the mission clinic. Zanya is a young translator, enticed by promises of progress, who comes to Rabata to escape a bitter past and finds himself embroiled in a fight against the American reverend for the heart of the church and town. United by their yearning for change, all three must make difficult decisions that threaten the fragile relationships of the Rabata they know. As tensions mount and hypocrisies are unveiled, the people of Rabata are faced with a question that will transform their town forever: Let the Americans stay, or make them go? Set against the backdrop of 1970s Nigeria teetering between post-colonial dependency and self-rule, Before the Mango Ripens examines the enduring themes of faith, disillusionment, and the search for belonging. Both epic and intimate, Afabwaje Kurian's debut announces a brilliant new talent for readers of Imbolo Mbue and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. BIO Afabwaje Kurian is the author of the novel Before the Mango Ripens, which was longlisted for the 2025 Aspen Words Literary Prize. She received her MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Her short fiction has been published in McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, Callaloo, Crazyhorse (now swamp.pink), The Bare Life Review, and Joyland Magazine. She's taught creative writing at the University of Iowa, for the International Writing Program, and for The Writer’s Center, and received residencies and fellowships from Ucross, Vermont Studio Center, and Ragdale. Born in Jos, Nigeria, and raised in Maryland and Ohio, Afabwaje now divides her time between Washington, D.C., and the Midwest. [H] Dzanc Books / September 24, 2024 1.4" H x 8.6" L x 5.7" W (1.3 lbs)

In Rabata, everyone has secrets—especially since the arrival of the white American missionaries.
Twenty-year-old Jummai is a beautiful and unassuming house girl whose dreams of escaping her home life are disrupted when an unexpected pregnancy forces her to hide her lover's identity. Tebeya, an ambitious Dublin-educated doctor, has left prestigious opportunities abroad to return to the small town of her birth, and discovers a painful betrayal when she strives to take control of the mission clinic. Zanya is a young translator, enticed by promises of progress, who comes to Rabata to escape a bitter past and finds himself embroiled in a fight against the American reverend for the heart of the church and town.
United by their yearning for change, all three must make difficult decisions that threaten the fragile relationships of the Rabata they know. As tensions mount and hypocrisies are unveiled, the people of Rabata are faced with a question that will transform their town forever: Let the Americans stay, or make them go?
Set against the backdrop of 1970s Nigeria teetering between post-colonial dependency and self-rule, Before the Mango Ripens examines the enduring themes of faith, disillusionment, and the search for belonging. Both epic and intimate, Afabwaje Kurian's debut announces a brilliant new talent for readers of Imbolo Mbue and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
BIO
Afabwaje Kurian is the author of the novel Before the Mango Ripens, which was longlisted for the 2025 Aspen Words Literary Prize. She received her MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Her short fiction has been published in McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, Callaloo, Crazyhorse (now swamp.pink), The Bare Life Review, and Joyland Magazine. 
She's taught creative writing at the University of Iowa, for the International Writing Program, and for The Writer’s Center, and received residencies and fellowships from Ucross, Vermont Studio Center, and Ragdale. Born in Jos, Nigeria, and raised in Maryland and Ohio, Afabwaje now divides her time between Washington, D.C., and the Midwest. 
[H]  Dzanc Books  /  September 24, 2024
<meta charset="utf-8">1.4" H x 8.6" L x 5.7" W (1.3 lbs)

Before the Mango Ripens /// Afabwaje Kurian

-- This title will ship on or after September 23, 2025 -- Celebrate the heritage and history of traditional African American cuisine. Soul Food for Dummies teaches you about the foods, dishes, recipes and traditions of the cuisine of the African American culture. From greens and cornbread to fried foods like porgies, catfish, and chicken; baked goods such as tea cakes, cobblers and pies. Add thirst-quenchers like lemonade, Hibisicus and sweet tea. African American cooks have skillfully flavored foods for more than 400 years—many of the foods have become favorites—often crossing over with appeal to other cultures. Written by a former editor of Ebony magazine, this book dishes up the history and legacy of Soul Food while helping you develop and strengthen your skills in the kitchen. Soul Food for Dummies also includes guidelines for successful recipe preparation, including kitchen equipment needed for specific dishes, and nutrition tips for creating healthful, soulful meals, modifying recipes as needed. Discover key ingredients linked to African American cuisine Get recipes for classic traditional dishes, tips for cooking with cast iron, and instructions for adjusting recipes for specific health needs Improve your skills in the kitchen with best practice shopping guidelines and soul food prep methods. Prepare meals that explode with flavor and honor the history of African Americans. This engaging Dummies cookbook and guide will inspire folks who want to know more about traditional Soul Food cuisine, a dash of food history and how to prepare legacy dishes of the African American culture. BIO Charla L. Draper is the former food editor of Ebony magazine and the founder of National Soul Food Month, a holiday created to celebrate the heritage and history of foods and foodways of African Americans and peoples from the African diaspora. The Chicago native has known about good food all her life coming from a family of cooks who set the bar high. She graduated from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, with a degree in home economics and began her career in food. As subscriber to the iconic Ebony magazine, she approached the publication about enhancing their food section and after interviewing, got a call and the offer to be the food editor one year later. “One of the things that was important was to strengthen the food pages, make them more appetizing and a section that would really resonate with the Ebony reader.” She would be there first food editor to work in the iconic Ebony Test Kitchen that has now secured a home a the National Museum of African American History and Culture in D.C. After her stint at Ebony, she took on the role as the food editor of Southern Living in Alabama before moving back to her home town of Chicago. [P] For Dummies / September 23, 2025 384 pages

<div id="product-description-1" data-aboutthebook="true" data-overviewlongdescription="null" data-action="read-more" class="read-more">
<div class="aboutthebook">
-- This title will ship on or after September 23, 2025 --
Celebrate the heritage and history of traditional African American cuisine.
Soul Food for Dummies teaches you about the foods, dishes, recipes and traditions of the cuisine of the African American culture. From greens and cornbread to fried foods like porgies, catfish, and chicken; baked goods such as tea cakes, cobblers and pies. Add thirst-quenchers like lemonade, Hibisicus and sweet tea. African American cooks have skillfully flavored foods for more than 400 years—many of the foods have become favorites—often crossing over with appeal to other cultures. Written by a former editor of Ebony magazine, this book dishes up the history and legacy of Soul Food while helping you develop and strengthen your skills in the kitchen. Soul Food for Dummies also includes guidelines for successful recipe preparation, including kitchen equipment needed for specific dishes, and nutrition tips for creating healthful, soulful meals, modifying recipes as needed. Discover key ingredients linked to African American cuisine
<ul>
<li>Get recipes for classic traditional dishes, tips for cooking with cast iron, and instructions for adjusting recipes for specific health needs</li>
<li>Improve your skills in the kitchen with best practice shopping guidelines and soul food prep methods.</li>
<li>Prepare meals that explode with flavor and honor the history of African Americans.</li>
</ul>
This engaging Dummies cookbook and guide will inspire folks who want to know more about traditional Soul Food cuisine, a dash of food history and how to prepare legacy dishes of the African American culture.
</div>
</div>
BIO
<meta charset="utf-8">Charla L. Draper is the former food editor of Ebony magazine and the founder of National Soul Food Month, a holiday created to celebrate the heritage and history of foods and foodways of African Americans and peoples from the African diaspora. 
<meta charset="utf-8">The Chicago native has known about good food all her life coming from a family of cooks who set the bar high. She graduated from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, with a degree in home economics and began her career in food.
As subscriber to the iconic Ebony magazine, she approached the publication about enhancing their food section and after interviewing, got a call and the offer to be the food editor one year later. “One of the things that was important was to strengthen the food pages, make them more appetizing and a section that would really resonate with the Ebony reader.” She would be there first food editor to work in the iconic Ebony Test Kitchen that has now secured a home a the National Museum of African American History and Culture in D.C.
After her stint at Ebony, she took on the role as the food editor of Southern Living in Alabama before moving back to her home town of Chicago.
[P]  For Dummies  /  September 23, 2025
<meta charset="utf-8">384 pages

Soul Food for Dummies /// Charla L. Draper /// pre

Big Tequila is the ultimate guide to the rich cultural heritage, history, and makers of this legendary spirit. Immerse yourself in Mexican tradition and learn the essential role that mezcal and tequila have played in this country's history and identity. Offering a detailed account of the transformation of agave into tequila, this book delves into the traditional methods used to produce tequila and the various techniques that have developed over the years. Uncover the renowned mezcal and tequila distilleries that have developed these world-class spirits over the years. Inside you'll find: A collection of 75 distillery profiles 25 interviews with distillers and industry experts Detailed tasting notes 50 delicious cocktail recipes An in-depth overview of the history of mezcal and tequila A rundown of the industry beyond Mexico Featuring stunning photography and engaging stories, this book is a must-have for any tequila lover, history buff, or traveller looking to understanding the cultural significance of mezcal and tequila.Discover why tequila has earned its reputation as one of the finest spirits in the world with Big Tequila. BIO Emanuele Mensah is a mixologist, bar manager, photographer, and videographer based in Milan, Italy. He has worked for some of the best cocktail bars in the world, including Disrepute in London and Eau-de-Vie Sydney, and he was named one of the World Class Top 100 Bartenders by Diageo Reserve. [H] Cider Mill Press / October 15, 2024 1.76" H x 8.79" L x 6.35" W (2.73 lbs) 624 pages

Big Tequila is the ultimate guide to the rich cultural heritage, history, and makers of this legendary spirit.
Immerse yourself in Mexican tradition and learn the essential role that mezcal and tequila have played in this country's history and identity. Offering a detailed account of the transformation of agave into tequila, this book delves into the traditional methods used to produce tequila and the various techniques that have developed over the years. Uncover the renowned mezcal and tequila distilleries that have developed these world-class spirits over the years.
Inside you'll find:
<ul>
<li>A collection of 75 distillery profiles</li>
<li>25 interviews with distillers and industry experts</li>
<li>Detailed tasting notes</li>
<li>50 delicious cocktail recipes</li>
<li>An in-depth overview of the history of mezcal and tequila</li>
<li>A rundown of the industry beyond Mexico</li>
</ul>
Featuring stunning photography and engaging stories, this book is a must-have for any tequila lover, history buff, or traveller looking to understanding the cultural significance of mezcal and tequila.Discover why tequila has earned its reputation as one of the finest spirits in the world with Big Tequila.
BIO
<meta charset="utf-8">Emanuele Mensah is a mixologist, bar manager, photographer, and videographer based in Milan, Italy. He has worked for some of the best cocktail bars in the world, including Disrepute in London and Eau-de-Vie Sydney, and he was named one of the World Class Top 100 Bartenders by Diageo Reserve.
[H]  Cider Mill Press  /  October 15, 2024
<meta charset="utf-8">1.76" H x 8.79" L x 6.35" W (2.73 lbs) 624 pages

Big Tequila: A Comprehensive Guide to Agave Spirits /// Emanuele Mensah

A close friendship is one of the most influential and important relationships a human life can contain. Anyone will tell you that! But for all the rosy sentiments surrounding friendship, most people don’t talk much about what it really takes to stay close for the long haul.Now two friends, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, tell the story of their equally messy and life-affirming Big Friendship in this honest and hilarious book that chronicles their first decade in one another’s lives. As the hosts of the hit podcast Call Your Girlfriend, they’ve become known for frank and intimate conversations. In this book, they bring that energy to their own friendship—its joys and its pitfalls.Aminatou and Ann define Big Friendship as a strong, significant bond that transcends life phases, geographical locations, and emotional shifts. And they should know: the two have had moments of charmed bliss and deep frustration, of profound connection and gut-wrenching alienation. They have weathered life-threatening health scares, getting fired from their dream jobs, and one unfortunate Thanksgiving dinner eaten in a car in a parking lot in Rancho Cucamonga. Through interviews with friends and experts, they have come to understand that their struggles are not unique. And that the most important part of a Big Friendship is making the decision to invest in one another again and again.An inspiring and entertaining testament to the power of society’s most underappreciated relationship, Big Friendship will invite you to think about how your own bonds are formed, challenged, and preserved. It is a call to value your friendships in all of their complexity. Actively choose them. And, sometimes, fight for them. BIO Aminatou Sow is a writer, interviewer, and cultural commentator. She is a frequent public speaker whose talks and interviews lead to candid conversations about ambition, money, and power. Aminatou lives in Brooklyn. REVIEWS “[A] thoughtful and highly readable story... Friendship is a choice. With this book, Sow and Friedman remind us that laziness in tending to friendships is dangerous, and that regardless of the circumstance, whether geography or pandemic, friendships must be nourished, or they will wither." -- New York Times Book Review“Deeply compelling… This is the kind of book that makes you want to reach out to your best, biggest friends to say thank you, thank you, thank you for walking in this world with me. As with your big friendships, this unforgettable book is one you will want to keep close.” -- Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author of Bad Feminist and Hunger“Here, friendship gets the emotional and intellectual respect it deserves; and like any truly great love story, Ann’s and Aminatou’s is a page turner. I love this book.“ --Rebecca Traister, New York Times bestselling author of Good and Mad"A wonderful and intimate portrayal. A story is as universal as it is revolutionary." -- Hillary Rodham Clinton“In this openhearted book, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman show us how a friendship can be as rewarding and enduring as a marriage, and they urge us to value it accordingly—as they clearly do. An inspiration." -- Ariel Levy, New York Times bestselling author of The Rules Do Not Apply [H] Simon & Schuster / July 14, 2020 0.9" H x 8.6" L x 5.7" W (0.74 lbs) 256 pages [P] Simon & Schuster / July 06, 2021 0.9" H x 8.6" L x 5.7" W (0.74 lbs) 256 pages

Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close /// Aminatou Sow and Anna Friedman

-- This title will ship on or after November 26, 2024 -- A second-chance love connection for book romantics in which former college sweethearts reunite at an airport counter upon their flight cancellation, sparking a night of reflection and what could have been.When Zamora Hill decided to follow her childhood dreams of being a chef, she didn’t know that losing the love of her life would be the price she’d have to pay. Excited about going to culinary school, things took a crazy turn with her boyfriend, Marcus, who doesn’t support her decision and calls things off, leaving Zamora not only bewildered but also heartbroken. Defeated, she moves out and moves on.Hotel and business owner Marcus Coleman is a family man and is very close to the ones he loves. Hospitality was all he knew, being a fourth-generation hotel owner, and he did all he could to please his parents. Accustomed to making sacrifices, Marcus was blindsided by the news that his college love, Zamora, would go away for thirteen months to attend culinary school. Driven by ego, he ends their entire relationship before thinking it through.Ten years later, as fate would have it, Zamora and Marcus are both in Las Vegas heading back to Chicago on the very same flight that gets delayed and eventually canceled. They have one night to catch up, and one night is all it takes for them to realize that they still harbor old feelings for each other. BIO National best-selling author Anna Black was born and raised on the south side of Chicago. Her desire to become a published author didn't emerge until her late twenties after close friends and family encouraged her to go for it. In November 2009, Anna earned her best-selling author title with her debut release, Now You Wanna Come Back. For several consecutive weeks, it remained #1 in African American Women’s Fiction on Amazon. She has since released over two dozen novels, short stories, and collaborations. As she forges her path to success, her goal is to offer page-turning tales to readers worldwide. This award-winning author currently lives in Texas with her daughter Tyra, who will soon graduate from Sam Houston State University and her adorable Yorkie, Jasmine. Anna is a city girl at heart, and when she is not writing romantic, page-turners, she enjoys football, playing pool, and binge-watching her favorite shows and series! [P] Black Odyssey Media / November 26, 2024 0.8" H x 8.2" L x 5.5" W (0.5 lbs) 240 pages

-- This title will ship on or after November 26, 2024 --
<meta charset="utf-8">A second-chance love connection for book romantics in which former college sweethearts reunite at an airport counter upon their flight cancellation, sparking a night of reflection and what could have been. When Zamora Hill decided to follow her childhood dreams of being a chef, she didn’t know that losing the love of her life would be the price she’d have to pay. Excited about going to culinary school, things took a crazy turn with her boyfriend, Marcus, who doesn’t support her decision and calls things off, leaving Zamora not only bewildered but also heartbroken. Defeated, she moves out and moves on. Hotel and business owner Marcus Coleman is a family man and is very close to the ones he loves. Hospitality was all he knew, being a fourth-generation hotel owner, and he did all he could to please his parents. Accustomed to making sacrifices, Marcus was blindsided by the news that his college love, Zamora, would go away for thirteen months to attend culinary school. Driven by ego, he ends their entire relationship before thinking it through. Ten years later, as fate would have it, Zamora and Marcus are both in Las Vegas heading back to Chicago on the very same flight that gets delayed and eventually canceled. They have one night to catch up, and one night is all it takes for them to realize that they still harbor old feelings for each other.
BIO
National best-selling author Anna Black was born and raised on the south side of Chicago. Her desire to become a published author didn't emerge until her late twenties after close friends and family encouraged her to go for it. In November 2009, Anna earned her best-selling author title with her debut release, Now You Wanna Come Back. For several consecutive weeks, it remained #1 in African American Women’s Fiction on Amazon.
She has since released over two dozen novels, short stories, and collaborations. As she forges her path to success, her goal is to offer page-turning tales to readers worldwide. This award-winning author currently lives in Texas with her daughter Tyra, who will soon graduate from Sam Houston State University and her adorable Yorkie, Jasmine. Anna is a city girl at heart, and when she is not writing romantic, page-turners, she enjoys football, playing pool, and binge-watching her favorite shows and series!
[P]  Black Odyssey Media  /  November 26, 2024
<meta charset="utf-8"> 0.8" H x 8.2" L x 5.5" W (0.5 lbs) 240 pages

Love Delayed /// Anna Black /// pre

-- This title will ship on or after December 24, 2024 -- Good fences make good neighbors—except when a scorching shared past makes things complicated—in this delightful city-meets-country romance from Zuri Day.She’s packing her bags—and her baggage.Ten years ago, Genesis Washington made a very poor decision. At the time, it seemed great. Fantastic. Explosive. But the truth is, your one-night rebound should never be your younger brother’s rival. And he definitely shouldn’t be someone who allegedly only slept with you to gain the upper hand—even if the sex was amazing.Now Genesis is blindsided when the farm she’s inherited just happens to be right next door to Jaxson King, the regrettable one-night stand she’s still painfully attracted to. This man has aged like the finest of wines, and what’s worse, he’s now a thoughtful and responsible father. Good thing Genesis has a (*cough* long-distance *cough*) boyfriend. Well, sort of. It’s complicated.Jaxson and his hotness should be easy enough to ignore. But when city-girl Genesis discovers there’s a serious learning curve to her humble new home, it’s Jaxson who’s there to lend a very skilled helping hand. With every problem that arises, Jaxson is seemingly making all the right moves—both on the farm and when things heat up behind closed doors. But, surely, that doesn’t mean he’s right for Genesis, does it? BIO Zuri Day is an award-winning, internationally bestselling author of books that make you think and tingle while wanting to mix and mingle! When not writing, she loves traveling the globe, being a famous vegan chef (in her own mind), gardening, convincing her ragdoll cat Namaste that she, not he, is the boss, and having similar fun conversations with family and friends. [H] Afterglow Books by Harlequin / December 24, 2024 0.69" H x 8.0" L x 5.31" W (0.49 lbs) 288 pages

-- This title will ship on or after December 24, 2024 --
<meta charset="utf-8">Good fences make good neighbors—except when a scorching shared past makes things complicated—in this delightful city-meets-country romance from Zuri Day. She’s packing her bags—and her baggage. Ten years ago, Genesis Washington made a very poor decision. At the time, it seemed great. Fantastic. Explosive. But the truth is, your one-night rebound should never be your younger brother’s rival. And he definitely shouldn’t be someone who allegedly only slept with you to gain the upper hand—even if the sex was amazing. Now Genesis is blindsided when the farm she’s inherited just happens to be right next door to Jaxson King, the regrettable one-night stand she’s still painfully attracted to. This man has aged like the finest of wines, and what’s worse, he’s now a thoughtful and responsible father. Good thing Genesis has a (*cough* long-distance *cough*) boyfriend. Well, sort of. It’s complicated. Jaxson and his hotness should be easy enough to ignore. But when city-girl Genesis discovers there’s a serious learning curve to her humble new home, it’s Jaxson who’s there to lend a very skilled helping hand. With every problem that arises, Jaxson is seemingly making all the right moves—both on the farm and when things heat up behind closed doors. But, surely, that doesn’t mean he’s right for Genesis, does it?
BIO
Zuri Day is an award-winning, internationally bestselling author of books that make you think and tingle while wanting to mix and mingle! When not writing, she loves traveling the globe, being a famous vegan chef (in her own mind), gardening, convincing her ragdoll cat Namaste that she, not he, is the boss, and having similar fun conversations with family and friends.
[H]  Afterglow Books by Harlequin  /  December 24, 2024
0.69" H x 8.0" L x 5.31" W (0.49 lbs) 288 pages

Stuck in the Country with You /// Zuri Day /// pre

-- This title will ship on or after January 28, 2025 -- A surprising and beautiful meditation on the color blue—and its fascinating role in Black history and culture—from National Book Award winner Imani Perry Throughout history, the concept of Blackness has been remarkably intertwined with another color: blue. In daily life, it is evoked in countless ways. Blue skies and blue water offer hope for that which lies beyond the current conditions. But blue is also the color of deep melancholy and heartache, echoing Louis Armstrong’s question, “What did I do to be so Black and blue?” In this book, celebrated author Imani Perry uses the world’s favorite color as a springboard for a riveting emotional, cultural, and spiritual journey—an examination of race and Blackness that transcends politics or ideology. Perry traces both blue and Blackness from their earliest roots to their many embodiments of contemporary culture, drawing deeply from her own life as well as art and history: The dyed indigo cloths of West Africa that were traded for human life in the 16th century. The mixture of awe and aversion in the old-fashioned characterization of dark-skinned people as “Blue Black.” The fundamentally American art form of blues music, sitting at the crossroads of pain and pleasure. The blue flowers Perry plants to honor a loved one gone too soon. Poignant, spellbinding, and utterly original, Black in Blues is a brilliant new work that could only have come from the mind of one of our greatest writers and thinkers. Attuned to the harrowing and the sublime aspects of the human experience, it is every bit as vivid, rich, and striking as blue itself. BIO Imani Perry is the author of South to America, winner of the 2022 National Book Award for Nonfiction. She is the Henry A. Morss, Jr. and Elisabeth W. Morss Professor of Studies of Women, Gender and Sexuality and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. Perry's other books include Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry, winner of the 2019 Bograd-Weld Biography Prize from the Pen America Foundation; Breathe: A Letter to My Sons; Vexy Thing: On Gender and Liberation; and May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem. Perry lives between Philadelphia and Cambridge with her two sons. REVIEWS “Black in Blues is a stunningly original journey in search of the historical origins of the very soul of African American life and culture. Along the way, Perry shows, with telling detail and in engaging prose, how ‘The Blues’ became Black, and how Black people became ‘Blues People.’” -- Henry Louis Gates, Jr. “National Book Award winner Perry offers surprising revelations about the connection between the color blue and Black identity as she explores myth and literature, art and music, folklore and film. . . . An innovative cultural history.” -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “With Black in Blues, Imani Perry establishes herself as the most important interpreter of Black life in our time. With intellectual skill, an artist’s eye, and the beauty of her pen, she powerfully tells the story of our people through the color blue. This is an extraordinary book.” -- Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., author of Begin Again and We Are the Leaders [H] Ecco Press / January 28, 2025 1.0 lbs 256 pages

-- This title will ship on or after January 28, 2025 --
A surprising and beautiful meditation on the color blue—and its fascinating role in Black history and culture—from National Book Award winner Imani Perry
Throughout history, the concept of Blackness has been remarkably intertwined with another color: blue. In daily life, it is evoked in countless ways. Blue skies and blue water offer hope for that which lies beyond the current conditions. But blue is also the color of deep melancholy and heartache, echoing Louis Armstrong’s question, “What did I do to be so Black and blue?” In this book, celebrated author Imani Perry uses the world’s favorite color as a springboard for a riveting emotional, cultural, and spiritual journey—an examination of race and Blackness that transcends politics or ideology.
Perry traces both blue and Blackness from their earliest roots to their many embodiments of contemporary culture, drawing deeply from her own life as well as art and history: The dyed indigo cloths of West Africa that were traded for human life in the 16th century. The mixture of awe and aversion in the old-fashioned characterization of dark-skinned people as “Blue Black.” The fundamentally American art form of blues music, sitting at the crossroads of pain and pleasure. The blue flowers Perry plants to honor a loved one gone too soon.
Poignant, spellbinding, and utterly original, Black in Blues is a brilliant new work that could only have come from the mind of one of our greatest writers and thinkers. Attuned to the harrowing and the sublime aspects of the human experience, it is every bit as vivid, rich, and striking as blue itself.
BIO
<meta charset="utf-8">Imani Perry is the author of South to America, winner of the 2022 National Book Award for Nonfiction. She is the Henry A. Morss, Jr. and Elisabeth W. Morss Professor of Studies of Women, Gender and Sexuality and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. Perry's other books include Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry, winner of the 2019 Bograd-Weld Biography Prize from the Pen America Foundation; Breathe: A Letter to My Sons; Vexy Thing: On Gender and Liberation; and May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem. Perry lives between Philadelphia and Cambridge with her two sons.
REVIEWS
“Black in Blues is a stunningly original journey in search of the historical origins of the very soul of African American life and culture. Along the way, Perry shows, with telling detail and in engaging prose, how ‘The Blues’ became Black, and how Black people became ‘Blues People.’” -- Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
“National Book Award winner Perry offers surprising revelations about the connection between the color blue and Black identity as she explores myth and literature, art and music, folklore and film. . . . An innovative cultural history.” -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“With Black in Blues, Imani Perry establishes herself as the most important interpreter of Black life in our time. With intellectual skill, an artist’s eye, and the beauty of her pen, she powerfully tells the story of our people through the color blue. This is an extraordinary book.” -- Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., author of Begin Again and We Are the Leaders
[H]  Ecco Press  /  January 28, 2025
<meta charset="utf-8">1.0 lbs 256 pages

Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People /// Imani Perry /// pre

Monsters and mortals, rejoice! Acheron is back . . .Though Laure has tried to close the lid on her ballet shoes and the feelings she once held for dance since the Palais Garnier incident two months ago, Laure is spinning out. Between partying, drinking, and avoiding anything and, well, everyone, she has no time to be anything but a monster. But when Laure stumbles across a mysterious dead body during one of her nights out, she’s forced to notice the cracks stretching beyond herself.Below the streets of Paris, Elysium is dying, and Acheron and Lethe’s influence is spilling into the streets like a blight. Laure isn’t the only of Elysium’s beasts to rise from the ruins of Palais Garnier, and someone is mobilizing an army of monsters with plans greater than Laure, Andor, and Keturah could have ever guessed. While Laure is warring between her wants and Acheron’s ever-demanding appetite, she and her circle of monsters are left to reckon with a not-so-simple question: how do you save yourself from oblivion?Jamison Shea's sharp and unflinching voice will bring readers to terrifying new heights in this vicious sequel to the "relentlessly gory and almost euphoric in its embrace of the horrific" (NPR) I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me. BIO Jamison Shea (they/them) is a dark fantasy and horror author, flautist, and linguist hailing from Buffalo, NY and now dwelling in the dark forests of Finland. When they’re not writing, they’re drinking milk tea or searching for eldritch horrors in uncanny places. I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me is their debut novel. Jamison is represented by Jennifer March Soloway at Andrea Brown Literary Agency. [H] Henry Holt & Company / November 12, 2024 1.11" H x 9.25" L x 6.36" W (1.09 lbs) 336 pages

I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call /// Jamison Shea /// new

In formally adventurous stories rooted in Zambian literary tradition, Obligations to the Wounded explores the expectations and burdens of womanhood in Zambia and for Zambian women living abroad. The collection converses with global social problems through the depiction of games, social media feuds, letters, and folklore to illustrate how girls and women manage religious expectation, migration, loss of language, death, intimate partner violence, and racial discrimination. Although the women and girls inhabiting these pages are separated geographically and by life stage, their shared burdens, culture, and homeland inextricably link them together in struggle and triumph. BIO Mubanga Kalimamukwento is a Zambian attorney and writer. She is the winner of the 2022 Tusculum Review Poetry Chapbook Contest, the 2019 Dinaane Debut Fiction Award, and the 2019 Kalemba Short Story Prize. Her first novel, The Mourning Bird, was listed among the top fifteen debut books of 2019 by Brittle Paper. Her work has also appeared or is forthcoming in adda, Aster(ix), Overland, the Red Rock Review, Menelique, on Netflix, and elsewhere. When she’s not writing, Mubanga serves as fiction editor for Doek! and as mentor at the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop. REVIEWS "Kalimamukwento writes with empathic knowing, deftly treading between resignation and hope. Her enigmatic storytelling underscores that silence is not an option, that bearing witness is obligatory." -- Shelf Awareness "Timely and at times wrenching stories about contemporary Zambian women fighting to establish their identities." -- Kirkus "These stories! They are opulent, clever, and ingenious." -- Debutiful "Obligations to the Wounded is a marvel of a collection. Kalimamukwento joins the likes of Deesha Philyaw, Edwidge Danticat and others whose short stories signaled breaking boundaries of the form and creation of space for a wide range of Black women’s experiences committed to making noises louder, sights sharper, and feelings linger with us." -- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "The stories in Obligations to the Wounded have a universal appeal. Kalimamukwento’s characters face daunting odds while trying to do the right thing, in a way that feels so familiar, so compelling. Everyone can use a little help, human or divine. We feel that obligation, reading these stories." -- The Hopkins Review "Kalimamukwento's syntax is as selective as a poet’s, allowing the reader to sit in the spaces so often filled with unnecessary words. Obligations to the Wounded is a sensitive work of compelling juxtapositions: neat and raw, soft and tough, victimized and empowered." -- Booklist [H] University of Pittsburgh Press / October 08, 2024 1.0" H x 7.4" L x 5.5" W (0.7 lbs) 200 pages

Obligations to the Wounded: Stories /// Mubanga Kalimamukwento

For those who wish to decolonize their minds, particularly Black women, comes a thoughtful guide to ancestral veneration, with a focus on the importance of reclaiming African Spiritual practices as an act of liberation.In today’s world, there’s a notable resurgence in spiritual exploration that diverges from the mainstream New Age culture. People are seeking clarity that aligns with their own ancestral lineage, and ancestral veneration has emerged as a powerful avenue to navigate life’s complexities. For Black communities, this resurgence represents a reclamation of hope for the diaspora.In this book, Ifa and Orisa priestess Ehime Ora shares the importance of connection to the ancestors, and to one’s spiritual roots. There’s a certain type of radical healing that takes place when we reconnect to our ancestral veneration and follow through with their wisdom.Providing healing through the written word, Ehime walks you though the reclamation of African Spiritual practices, discussing the spiritual renaissance occurring in the African community, and includes interviews with elders of the rich traditions. She also provides tangible spiritual tools so that you can incorporate ancestral veneration in your life: how to properly set up and work with an ancestral altar, the importance of spiritual hygiene, and bringing forth the concept of the ori, or the higher self. BIO Ehime Ora is a proud Bendelite, hailing from Edo (Ora) and Urhobo (Agbon) ethnic groups. She has been drawn to global spiritual practices since she was a young child growing up in Ibadan, Nigeria before immigrating to the states. Her search for the Creator inspired her to build a life rooted in religious pluralism. She is formally initiated into Yoruba’s Ifá, Sango, Erinle and Osun. Ehime holds ancestral connections to various water spirits within her Edo and Urhobo lineage. Ehime is a multidisciplinary artist who leverages mediums such as spoken word, photo/videography, painting, and sculpting as avenues for lineage healing and ancestral remembrance. She credits her mother for teaching her the power of storytelling, spoken word, and written word–lessons that have proven to be integral to Ehime’s work, art, and life. As an alumna of Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship and Brooklyn College, Ehime has presented her research at various academic conferences regarding African spiritual art. [H] Hay House LLC / November 05, 2024 0.7" H x 8.4" L x 5.4" W (0.5 lbs) 224 pages

Spirits Come from Water: An Introduction to Ancestral Veneration and Reclaiming African Spiritual Practices /// Ehime Ora /// new

-- This title will ship on or after April 01, 2025 -- A PR relationship between a pop superstar and a pro-athlete bad boy turns into so much more in this swoony romance from the acclaimed author of When I Think of You.Ella Simone’s popstar life is what dreams are made of. Her eight year marriage to renowned music producer, Elliot Majors, has helped garner the hits, awards, and adoring fans to prove it. But when Ella tires of Elliot’s many infidelities, she decides to fight for her independence despite the ironclad prenup that threatens her career. To help her case, Ella is under strict orders to stick to The Plan: no headlines, no rumors, no rocking the boat. But this strategy is thrown a curveball after an awards show wardrobe snafu and quick rescue by Miles Westbrook, MLB’s most eligible player, sends the tabloids into a frenzy. Amid tricky divorce proceedings, Ella’s magnetic connection with the charismatic pitcher might just be her downfall.Now the pressure is on to turn a scandal into an opportunity and give their teams what they want: a picture-perfect performance that will shore up both Ella and Miles’ reputations. But as the lines between reality and PR begin to blur, Ella will either stick to the choreographed life she knows so well, or surrender to a love that could set her free. BIO Myah Ariel is the author of debut contemporary romance When I Think of You. Her early love of movies led her from Arkansas to New York City where she earned a BA in cinema studies from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She also holds an MA in specialized journalism for the arts from USC Annenberg. For several years Myah worked across multiple roles in the film and entertainment industry before pivoting to work in academia. As a medical mom and a hopeless romantic, Myah is passionate about inclusive love stories. [P] Berkley Books / April 01, 2025 0.75" H x 8.0" L x 5.19" W (0.62 lbs) 320 pages

-- This title will ship on or after April 01, 2025 --
<meta charset="utf-8">A PR relationship between a pop superstar and a pro-athlete bad boy turns into so much more in this swoony romance from the acclaimed author of When I Think of You. Ella Simone’s popstar life is what dreams are made of. Her eight year marriage to renowned music producer, Elliot Majors, has helped garner the hits, awards, and adoring fans to prove it. But when Ella tires of Elliot’s many infidelities, she decides to fight for her independence despite the ironclad prenup that threatens her career.  To help her case, Ella is under strict orders to stick to The Plan: no headlines, no rumors, no rocking the boat. But this strategy is thrown a curveball after an awards show wardrobe snafu and quick rescue by Miles Westbrook, MLB’s most eligible player, sends the tabloids into a frenzy. Amid tricky divorce proceedings, Ella’s magnetic connection with the charismatic pitcher might just be her downfall. Now the pressure is on to turn a scandal into an opportunity and give their teams what they want: a picture-perfect performance that will shore up both Ella and Miles’ reputations. But as the lines between reality and PR begin to blur, Ella will either stick to the choreographed life she knows so well, or surrender to a love that could set her free.
BIO
<meta charset="utf-8">Myah Ariel is the author of debut contemporary romance When I Think of You. Her early love of movies led her from Arkansas to New York City where she earned a BA in cinema studies from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She also holds an MA in specialized journalism for the arts from USC Annenberg. For several years Myah worked across multiple roles in the film and entertainment industry before pivoting to work in academia. As a medical mom and a hopeless romantic, Myah is passionate about inclusive love stories.
[P]  Berkley Books  /  April 01, 2025
<meta charset="utf-8">0.75" H x 8.0" L x 5.19" W (0.62 lbs) 320 pages

No Ordinary Love /// Myah Ariel /// pre

The vibrant stories in I’ll Give You a Reason explore race, identity, connection, and belonging in the Ironbound, an immigrant neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey. A young widow goes on her first date since her husband’s death and finds herself hunting a bear in the woods with a near stranger. An unhappy wife compares her mother’s love spells and rituals to her own efforts to repair her strained marriage. A self-conscious college student discovers a porn star who shares her name and becomes obsessed with her doppelgänger’s freedom and comfort with her own body. Annell López’s indelible characters tread the waters of political unrest, sexuality, religion, body image, Blackness, colorism, and gentrification—searching for their identities and a sliver of joy and intimacy. Through each story, a nuanced portrait of the “American Dream” emerges, uplifting the voices of those on its margins. BIO Annell López is a Dominican immigrant. She is the author of the short story collection I’ll Give You a Reason, winner of the Louise Meriwether First Book Prize. A 2022 Peter Taylor fellow, her work has received support from Tin House and the Kenyon Review Workshops and has appeared in American Short Fiction, Michigan Quarterly Review, Brooklyn Rail, and elsewhere. López is an Assistant Fiction Editor for New Orleans Review and just finished her MFA at the University of New Orleans. She is working on a nove REVIEWS “Heartfelt stories of a city and the people within it, lovingly pieced together.” -- Kirkus Reviews “This Newark, New Jersey-set collection centers themes of race, identity, connection, and belonging through powerful characters, whose vibrancy pop from the page.” -- TODAY “Stories infused with empathy and insight into the oft-overlooked facets of immigration and the quest for identity and belonging.” -- Public Seminar “A fascinating cast of characters.” -- HipLatina “I’ll Give You a Reason thrums with richly drawn portrayals of Dominican immigrants rarely visible in our society. Annell López makes us see these complex, tough women and girls in their full humanity. Even as they chase an elusive American dream, these characters fight back in the ways they know how. And we can’t help but love them for it. An arresting, vital debut.” -- Bridgett M. Davis, author of The World According to Fannie Davis “Through these elegant, poetic, and often devastating short stories, López explores both the profoundly familiar and the strange in everyday immigrant and working-class American life. I’ll Give You a Reason is a rare page-turner of a collection: startlingly sensitive, oozing with compassion, and full of both gentle and explosive revelations about human nature, forgiveness, and the grace we sometimes fail to offer ourselves. I couldn't put this extraordinary book down.” -- Nancy Jooyoun Kim, author of The Last Story of Mina Lee “‘Girls like me don’t build castles out of sand,’ one of Annell López's characters in I’ll Give You a Reason tells us. This strong and assured sense of voice dominates throughout this simmering short story collection—in characters that are as different as night and day. Full of spunk and insights that sneak up on you, and with prose as clear and sharp as laser surgery, López possesses an uncanny ability to get inside the heads and hearts of all the players—opponents and allies alike—in stories about immigration, sexuality, gentrification, and that ever-elusive American dream.” -- Cassandra Lane, author of We Are Bridges [P] Feminist Press / April 09, 2024 1.0" H x 7.9" L x 4.9" W (0.6 lbs) 230 pages

The vibrant stories in I’ll Give You a Reason explore race, identity, connection, and belonging in the Ironbound, an immigrant neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey. A young widow goes on her first date since her husband’s death and finds herself hunting a bear in the woods with a near stranger. An unhappy wife compares her mother’s love spells and rituals to her own efforts to repair her strained marriage. A self-conscious college student discovers a porn star who shares her name and becomes obsessed with her doppelgänger’s freedom and comfort with her own body.
Annell López’s indelible characters tread the waters of political unrest, sexuality, religion, body image, Blackness, colorism, and gentrification—searching for their identities and a sliver of joy and intimacy. Through each story, a nuanced portrait of the “American Dream” emerges, uplifting the voices of those on its margins.
BIO
<meta charset="utf-8">Annell López is a Dominican immigrant. She is the author of the short story collection I’ll Give You a Reason, winner of the Louise Meriwether First Book Prize. A 2022 Peter Taylor fellow, her work has received support from Tin House and the Kenyon Review Workshops and has appeared in American Short Fiction, Michigan Quarterly Review, Brooklyn Rail, and elsewhere. López is an Assistant Fiction Editor for New Orleans Review and just finished her MFA at the University of New Orleans. She is working on a nove
REVIEWS
“Heartfelt stories of a city and the people within it, lovingly pieced together.” -- Kirkus Reviews
“This Newark, New Jersey-set collection centers themes of race, identity, connection, and belonging through powerful characters, whose vibrancy pop from the page.” -- TODAY
“Stories infused with empathy and insight into the oft-overlooked facets of immigration and the quest for identity and belonging.” -- Public Seminar
“A fascinating cast of characters.” -- HipLatina
“I’ll Give You a Reason thrums with richly drawn portrayals of Dominican immigrants rarely visible in our society. Annell López makes us see these complex, tough women and girls in their full humanity. Even as they chase an elusive American dream, these characters fight back in the ways they know how. And we can’t help but love them for it. An arresting, vital debut.” -- Bridgett M. Davis, author of The World According to Fannie Davis
“Through these elegant, poetic, and often devastating short stories, López explores both the profoundly familiar and the strange in everyday immigrant and working-class American life. I’ll Give You a Reason is a rare page-turner of a collection: startlingly sensitive, oozing with compassion, and full of both gentle and explosive revelations about human nature, forgiveness, and the grace we sometimes fail to offer ourselves. I couldn't put this extraordinary book down.” -- Nancy Jooyoun Kim, author of The Last Story of Mina Lee
“‘Girls like me don’t build castles out of sand,’ one of Annell López's characters in I’ll Give You a Reason tells us. This strong and assured sense of voice dominates throughout this simmering short story collection—in characters that are as different as night and day. Full of spunk and insights that sneak up on you, and with prose as clear and sharp as laser surgery, López possesses an uncanny ability to get inside the heads and hearts of all the players—opponents and allies alike—in stories about immigration, sexuality, gentrification, and that ever-elusive American dream.” -- Cassandra Lane, author of We Are Bridges
[P]  Feminist Press  /  April 09, 2024
<meta charset="utf-8">1.0" H x 7.9" L x 4.9" W (0.6 lbs) 230 pages

I'll Give You a Reason: Stories /// Annell López

Winner of the 2023 Soft Skull-Kimbilio Publishing Prize, a collection of short stories that elaborate the realities of a diasporic existence, split identities, and the beautiful potency of meaningful connections Primarily told from the perspective of women and children in the Northeast who are tethered to fathers and families in Puerto Rico, these stories explore the cultural confusion of being one person in two places—of having a mother who wants your father and his language to stay on his island but sends you there because you need to know your family. Loudly and joyfully filled with Cousins, Aunts, Grandparents, and budding romances, these stories are saturated in summer nostalgia, and place readers at the center of the table to enjoy family traditions and holidays: the resplendent and universal language of survival for displaced or broken families. Refusing to shy away from dysfunction, loss, obligation, or interrogating Black and Latinx heritages “If we flip the channels fast enough, we can turn almost anyone Puerto Rican, blurring black and white into Boricua.” Gautier’s stories feature New York neighborhoods made of island nations living with seasonal and perpetual displacement. Like Justin Torres’ We the Animals, or Quiara Alegria Hudes’ My Broken Language, it’s the characters-in-becoming—flanked by family and rich with detail—that animate each story with special frequencies, especially for readers grappling split-identities themselves. BIO Amina Gautier, Ph.D., is the author of three short story collections: At-Risk, Now We Will Be Happy, and The Loss of All Lost Things. Gautier is the recipient of the Blackwell Prize, the Chicago Public Library Foundation’s 21st Century Award, the International Latino Book Award,the Flannery O’Connor Award, and the Phillis Wheatley Award in Fiction. For her body of work, she has received the PEN/MALAMUD Award for Excellence in the Short Story. REVIEWS Ms., A Must-Read BookNylon, A Best Book of the MonthThe Orange County Register, A 2024 Highly Anticipated BookChicago Review of Books, A Most Anticipated Title"There is a new lyricism in the writing here, and each fiction feels intensely personal, inviting the reader to linger over lines and images. The rest is that we are regularly taken by surprise not only by the circumstances of the plot, but also by the incandescence of the prose. The Best That You Can Do is one of our most important writers working at the height of her powers." -- Jeffrey Condran, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"Joyful, nostalgic, and intimate.” -- Sophia June, Nylon"Gautier's prizewinning short-story collection reflects the acrobatic range of a writer who has made the form her own, seamlessly integrating social commentary into her storytelling." -- Marion Wink, Oprah Daily"In her kaleidoscopic collection, Gautier gathers very brief stories—some just two pages, regarded perhaps as 'micro' or 'flash' fiction—that showcase her protean talents . . . Through the prism of Puerto Rican and Black kids and their mothers, Gautier captures their struggles against dislocation, discrimination, violence and the quotidian parts of life with her distinctive wit, style and wisdom." -- Elizabeth Taylor, The National Book Review“Winner of the 2023 Soft Skull-Kimbilio Publishing Prize Amina Gautier brings an incredible attention to the interior lives of her characters; her work is consistently filled with moments of nostalgia and discontent, as she refuses to shy away from the problems of individual and collective displacement.” -- Michael Welch, Chicago Review of Books [P] Soft Skull Press / January 16, 2024 1.0" H x 7.9" L x 5.6" W (0.55 lbs) 240 pages

Winner of the 2023 Soft Skull-Kimbilio Publishing Prize, a collection of short stories that elaborate the realities of a diasporic existence, split identities, and the beautiful potency of meaningful connections
Primarily told from the perspective of women and children in the Northeast who are tethered to fathers and families in Puerto Rico, these stories explore the cultural confusion of being one person in two places—of having a mother who wants your father and his language to stay on his island but sends you there because you need to know your family. Loudly and joyfully filled with Cousins, Aunts, Grandparents, and budding romances, these stories are saturated in summer nostalgia, and place readers at the center of the table to enjoy family traditions and holidays: the resplendent and universal language of survival for displaced or broken families.
Refusing to shy away from dysfunction, loss, obligation, or interrogating Black and Latinx heritages “If we flip the channels fast enough, we can turn almost anyone Puerto Rican, blurring black and white into Boricua.” Gautier’s stories feature New York neighborhoods made of island nations living with seasonal and perpetual displacement. Like Justin Torres’ We the Animals, or Quiara Alegria Hudes’ My Broken Language, it’s the characters-in-becoming—flanked by family and rich with detail—that animate each story with special frequencies, especially for readers grappling split-identities themselves.
BIO
<meta charset="utf-8">Amina Gautier, Ph.D., is the author of three short story collections: At-Risk, Now We Will Be Happy, and The Loss of All Lost Things. Gautier is the recipient of the Blackwell Prize, the Chicago Public Library Foundation’s 21st Century Award, the International Latino Book Award,the Flannery O’Connor Award, and the Phillis Wheatley Award in Fiction. For her body of work, she has received the PEN/MALAMUD Award for Excellence in the Short Story.
REVIEWS
<meta charset="utf-8">Ms., A Must-Read Book Nylon, A Best Book of the Month The Orange County Register, A 2024 Highly Anticipated Book Chicago Review of Books, A Most Anticipated Title "There is a new lyricism in the writing here, and each fiction feels intensely personal, inviting the reader to linger over lines and images. The rest is that we are regularly taken by surprise not only by the circumstances of the plot, but also by the incandescence of the prose. The Best That You Can Do is one of our most important writers working at the height of her powers." -- Jeffrey Condran, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Joyful, nostalgic, and intimate.” -- Sophia June, Nylon "Gautier's prizewinning short-story collection reflects the acrobatic range of a writer who has made the form her own, seamlessly integrating social commentary into her storytelling." -- Marion Wink, Oprah Daily "In her kaleidoscopic collection, Gautier gathers very brief stories—some just two pages, regarded perhaps as 'micro' or 'flash' fiction—that showcase her protean talents . . . Through the prism of Puerto Rican and Black kids and their mothers, Gautier captures their struggles against dislocation, discrimination, violence and the quotidian parts of life with her distinctive wit, style and wisdom." -- Elizabeth Taylor, The National Book Review “Winner of the 2023 Soft Skull-Kimbilio Publishing Prize Amina Gautier brings an incredible attention to the interior lives of her characters; her work is consistently filled with moments of nostalgia and discontent, as she refuses to shy away from the problems of individual and collective displacement.” -- Michael Welch, Chicago Review of Books
[P]  Soft Skull Press  /  January 16, 2024
<meta charset="utf-8">1.0" H x 7.9" L x 5.6" W (0.55 lbs) 240 pages

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