THE PLOT: ‘Nervous Conditions’ by Tsitsi Dangarembga is a semi-autobiographical novel set in 60’s Zimbabwe. While the post-colonial country is still under white rule, Tambudzai lives in contented poverty; washing clothes in the river and cooking over a hearth. However, her … Continue reading Review: Nervous Conditions
THE PLOT: ‘Memphis’ by Tara M. Stringfellow is a multi-generational family saga about Black women in the American South. There’s Hazel – the matriarch and grandmother whose story starts in 1937 as she finds and loses the love of her life. … Continue reading Review: Memphis
THE PLOT: ‘Letter to My Daughter’ by Maya Angelou is a collection of short essays by the esteemed author. Littered with witty observations, poetry and memoir, Angelou shares a range of life lessons. Although Angelou never had a biological daughter, … Continue reading Review: Letter to My Daughter
Last year, I put together a list of debuts by black authors that were being released in 2021. I’ll be honest, I didn’t get to read them all… BUT, it did encourage me to make loads of pre-orders and I’ve … Continue reading Black Debut Authors 2022
The Plot: ‘The Wedding’ by Dorothy West is a novel set in 1950’s America. It follows a light-skinned Black girl, Shelby, on the eve of her wedding to a white jazz musician. Shelby comes from a wealthy family who oppose the … Continue reading Review: The Wedding
THE PLOT: ‘Keisha the Sket’ by Jade LB is fiction about a young Black girl in 00’s London. 17-year-old Keisha has a reputation for being a “top sket” (aka “ho”) but all she wants is to fall in love with her … Continue reading Review: Keisha the Sket
THE PLOT: ‘Misfits’ by Michaela Coel is a written version of the actress, scriptwriter and producer’s MacTaggart Lecture. Given in 2018, the lecture originally addressed notable dignitaries in the production industry with an honest and open account of Coel’s life, … Continue reading Review: Misfits
THE PLOT: Sista Sister by Candice Brathwaite is a compilation of personal essays. Written for black girls, the book covers all the things Candice wishes someone had talked to her about when she was growing up in South London. The book … Continue reading Review: Sista Sister
THE PLOT: Passing by Nella Larsen is a short novel about two light-skinned women in 1920’s New York. Irene has an enviable life. She and her husband, a prominent physician in the Black community, share a comfortable Harlem town house with … Continue reading Review: Passing
THE PLOT: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison is about a young girl called Pecola whose life is full of trauma. She’s poor, her daddy is an alcoholic and her mother cares more about the white girl she’s paid to … Continue reading Review: The Bluest Eye
Amina's Bookshelf 