to becoming a midwife like her mother , nevertheless learns the craft , including the spells and healing abilities that mark her as a conjure woman . When a strange baby is born and a series of illnesses mark the land where they live as cursed , Rue and Varina must work together to save a town on the precipice of destruction . Based partially on narratives of formerly enslaved people , Conjure Women is soul-baring in its honesty and masterfully focuses its lens on the bonds of family , the complexity of morality , and which people and places are worth saving .
THE CITY WE BECAME by N . K . Jemisin
N . K . Jemisin , known for being the first author to win the Hugo Award three consecutive years for The Broken Earth Trilogy , is back with new series starter The City We Became . Fans of Neil Gaiman ’ s American Gods will love this sweeping experiential saga about the birth and growing pains of five everyday peopleturned-avatars who are tasked with protecting NYC from an alien being .
A PHOENIX FIRST MUST BURN Edited by Patrice Caldwell
THE BLACK WIDOW by Leslie Gray Streeter
Leslie Gray Streeter was many things . She was a 40-something Black woman in a mixed-race marriage . She was a new parent to a not-quite-but-almost adopted child . But suddenly , she is one new , unexpected thing : a widow . From wondering where her husband should be buried ( he was Jewish , she ’ s Baptist ) to marveling at new parallels with her own mother ( also widowed ), Streeter examines life after death with unflinching humor , honesty , and heart .
A BLACK WOMEN ’ S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES by Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross
Chronicling the lives of those who are often pushed to the sidelines , this book centers on the perspectives of Black women in the United States through a historical lens . It follows enslaved women , free women , and women both within and outside the law . Authors Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross tell these essential , complex stories with nuance , love , and grace .
The title of this book comes from Octavia Butler ’ s Wild Seed — the full quote reads , “ In order to rise from its own ashes , a phoenix first must burn .” Editor Patrice Caldwell gathers a group of amazing writers — phoenixes in their own right — to tell Black female and gender nonconforming stories , centering these voices in a way that is rarely seen in fantasy and sci-fi anthologies . From aliens to mermaids , fantasy to folklore , these stories are written with the care and joy of Black people being their authentic selves , and this makes it a wonder to read .
15 | Colossium . July 2020