A page-turning, tenderhearted debut about a Black woman who is finally given a chance to pursue her dream of becoming a renowned choreographer, only to find that it comes at a tremendous personal cost

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE FALL: People, Oprah Daily, Los Angeles Times

“Lauren Morrow’s smart, incisive and hilarious debut is an ode to the creative process and to people everywhere who feel the pull to take a risk and try something new.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune

Layla Smart was raised by her pragmatic Midwestern mother to dream medium. But all Layla’s ever wanted is a career in dance, which requires dreaming big. So when she receives a prestigious offer to be the choreographer-in-residence at Briar House, an arts program in rural Vermont, she leaves behind Brooklyn, her job, her friends, and her husband to pursue it.

Navigating Briar House and the small, white town that surrounds it proves difficult—Layla wants to create art for art’s sake and resist tokenization, but the institution’s director keeps encouraging Layla to dig deep into her people’s history. Still, the mental and physical demands of dancing spark a sharp, unexpected sense of joy, bringing into focus the years she’d distanced herself from her true calling for the sake of her marriage and maintaining the status quo.

Just as she begins to see her life more clearly, she discovers a betrayal that proves the cracks in her marriage were deeper than she ever could have known. Then Briar House’s dangerously problematic past comes to light. And Layla discovers she’s pregnant. Suddenly, dreaming medium sounds a lot more appealing.

Poignant, propulsive, and darkly funny, Little Movements is a novel about self-discovery, about what we must endure—or let go of—in order to realize our dreams.

BIO

Lauren Morrow studied dance and creative writing at Connecticut College and earned an MFA in fiction from the Helen Zell Writers’ Program. She was a Kimbilio Fellow and an Aspen Words Emerging Writer Fellow and is the recipient of two Hopwood Awards, among other prizes. Her writing has appeared in Ploughshares and the South Carolina Review. She worked in publicity at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and is now a senior publicist at Dutton, Plume, and Tiny Reparations Books. Originally from St. Louis, she lives in Brooklyn.

REVIEWS

“With comic verve, Morrow’s novel dances on the page as she explores the dilemma of being a Black artist who is expected by traditionally white arts organizations to represent their notions of Blackness.” -- Los Angeles Times

“Lauren Morrow’s smart, incisive and hilarious debut is an ode to the creative process and to people everywhere who feel the pull to take a risk and try something new. I have never read a book quite like this one . . .It beautifully (and amusingly) asks us to acknowledge the pitfalls the illusion of stability engenders, in order to embrace a fuller, more courageous life.” -- Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Lauren Morrow’s debut urges us to take charge of our own narratives and resist the pressures to conform, no matter the cost. It’s a beautifully wrought tribute to all that inspires us to move, and a necessary reminder that, though missteps and stumbles are inevitable, they’re only a part of life’s wondrous dance.” -- Mateo Askaripour, author of Black Buck

“Morrow’s debut shines with snappy dialogue, spot-on status details, and lovely writing about dance and creativity.” -- Oprah Daily

[H]  Random House  /  September 09, 2025

1.06" H x 9.46" L x 6.43" W (1.08 lbs) 256 pages