Winner of the Vulgar Geniuses Award

Florida kitsch swirls together with magical realism in this glittering debut novel about a young Black and Indigenous woman who learns to change the color of her skin

Gabrielle has always had a complicated relationship with her mother Tallulah, one marked by intimacy and resilience in the face of a volatile patriarch. Everything in their home has been bleached a cold white—from the cupboards filled with sheets and crockery to the food and spices Tallulah cooks with. Even Gabrielle, who inherited the ability to change the color of her skin from her mother, is told to pass into white if she doesn’t want to upset her father.

But this vital mother-daughter bond implodes when Tallulah is hospitalized for a mental health crisis. Separated from her mother for the first time in her life, Gabrielle must learn to control the temperamental shifts in her color on her own.

Meanwhile, Gabrielle is spending a year after high school focusing on her piano lessons, an extracurricular her father is sure will make her a more appealing candidate for pre med programs. Her instructor, a queer, dark-skinned woman named Dominique, seems to encapsulate everything Gabrielle is missing in her life—creativity, confidence, and perhaps most importantly, a nurturing sense of love.

Following a young woman looking for a world beyond her family’s carefully -coded existence, Notes on Her Color is a lushly written and haunting tale that shows how love, in its best sense, can be a liberating force from destructive origins.

BIO

Jennifer Neal is an American-Australian author, musician, writer, cook, and occasional standup comedian (really) currently living in Berlin. Born in the US, she has also lived and worked in Japan, Spain, Mexico, Australia – and now, Germany. She was nominated for a Pushcart Prize for her essay 'In Search of Better Skies' in 2019, and she was a 2021 MacDowell Colony artist in residence. 

REVIEWS

Winner of the Vulgar Geniuses Award
Harper’s Bazaar, A Best Book of 2023
One of Electric Literature‘s Books by Women of Color to Read This Year
Debutiful, A Most Anticipated Book of the Year
Goodreads, A Buzziest Debut Novel of the Year

“A vibrant story of self-actualization . . . Riveting . . . A sweeping story of family, community, coming of age, trauma, mental illness, and the life-giving power of art.” -- Sarah Neilson, Shondaland

“At its core, this is a story of expectations, relationships and love.” -- Karla Strand, Ms., A Most Anticipated Title of the Year

“Notes on Her Color is not only a debut novel by Jennifer Neal, but also a musical composition. Each word is a note carefully considered before being etched onto the page with the hope of bringing art to life and feelings to the surface.” -- Aaron Coats, Chicago Review of Books

“In this coming-of-age debut, exceptional storyteller Neal paints a picture of racism and patriarchy in suburban Florida and one young woman’s journey to break free from it all.” -- Booklist (starred review)

“A haunting coming-of-age story, a melodic love letter to the language of music and a fierce, dark, rage-filled upbraiding of patriarchal violence . . . A fascinating commentary on race, power, invisibility and desire.” -- Laura Sackton, BookPage

“This novel sparkles with rich, lyrical, sensuous prose. It portrays dysfunctional family relationships, cleverly revealing their complexity and contradictions as the story unfolds. It is moving and desperately sad at times, yet not without hope. An original novel that will stay with me long after reading.” --Jacqueline Roy, author of The Gosling Girl

[H]  Catapult  /  May 23, 2023

1.13" H x 8.52" L x 5.9" W (1.11 lbs) 336 pages

[P]  Catapult  /  September 24, 2024

1.0" H x 8.2" L x 5.5" W (0.75 lbs) 336 pages