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

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 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

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

﻿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

A national best seller, deemed one of Morrison's most haunting works by the New York Times, A Mercy 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. In 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 Mercy is a sinewy novel [that] contains passages of insight and sensuality . . . It gathers its own power: Morrison plays a tight game with the social, legal and personal connections between her chess set of characters, a game in which each word-and every detail-counts. . . . Morrison renders the ugly beautiful and the unimaginable real: she is a fine teacher." --Heather Thompson, The Times Literary Supplement "The landscape of A Mercy is full of both beauties and terrors: snow 'sugars' eyelashes, yet icicles hang like 'knives' . . . But whatever the glories and rigors of nature may signify to the civilized, for these characters, living in the midst of it, nature doesn't signify. It's simply to be embraced or dreaded-like the people with whom they have to live. In Morrison's latest version of pastoral, it's only mercy or the lack of it that makes the American landscape heaven or hell, and the gates of Eden open both ways at once." --David Gates, The New York Times Book Review "Above all, A Mercy brims with the omnipresence of the author's questing, sifting brain, which the reader can feel injecting each strand of the story, subjecting it to the closest scrutiny before weaving it into the whole. The result is both a compelling yarn and a meditation on the varieties and degrees of enslavement and liberation; it is as precise, taut and tough-minded as Morrison herself." --Kevin Nance, Poets & Writers [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) 195 pages

A national best seller, deemed one of Morrison's most haunting works by the New York Times, A Mercy 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.
In 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
<meta charset="utf-8">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
<meta charset="utf-8"><meta charset="utf-8">"A Mercy is a sinewy novel [that] contains passages of insight and sensuality . . . It gathers its own power: Morrison plays a tight game with the social, legal and personal connections between her chess set of characters, a game in which each word-and every detail-counts. . . . Morrison renders the ugly beautiful and the unimaginable real: she is a fine teacher." --Heather Thompson, The Times Literary Supplement 
"The landscape of A Mercy is full of both beauties and terrors: snow 'sugars' eyelashes, yet icicles hang like 'knives' . . . But whatever the glories and rigors of nature may signify to the civilized, for these characters, living in the midst of it, nature doesn't signify. It's simply to be embraced or dreaded-like the people with whom they have to live. In Morrison's latest version of pastoral, it's only mercy or the lack of it that makes the American landscape heaven or hell, and the gates of Eden open both ways at once." --David Gates, The New York Times Book Review
"Above all, A Mercy brims with the omnipresence of the author's questing, sifting brain, which the reader can feel injecting each strand of the story, subjecting it to the closest scrutiny before weaving it into the whole. The result is both a compelling yarn and a meditation on the varieties and degrees of enslavement and liberation; it is as precise, taut and tough-minded as Morrison herself." --Kevin Nance, Poets &amp; Writers 
[H] Knopf Publishing Group  /  <meta charset="utf-8">November 11, 2008
0.88" H x 9.56" L x 5.88" W (0.85 lbs) 176 pages
[P] Vintage  /  August 11, 2009
<meta charset="utf-8"><meta charset="utf-8">0.7" H x 7.9" L x 5.2" W (0.46 lbs) 195 pages

A Mercy /// 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

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

"Dora Charles is the real deal, and hers may be the most honest - and personal - southern cookbook I've ever read." - John Martin Taylor In her first cookbook, a revered former cook at Savannah's most renowned restaurant divulges her locally famous Savannah recipes--many of them never written down before--and those of her family and friends. Hundreds of thousands of people have made a trip to dine on the exceptional food cooked by Dora Charles at Savannah's most famous restaurant. Now, the woman who was barraged by editors and agents to tell her story invites us into her home to taste the food she loves best. These are the intensely satisfying dishes at the heart of Dora's beloved Savannah: Shrimp and Rice; Simple Smoky Okra; Buttermilk Cornbread from her grandmother; and of course, a truly incomparable Fried Chicken. Each dish has a "secret ingredient" for a burst of flavor: mayonnaise in the biscuits; Savannah Seasoning in her Gone to Glory Potato Salad; sugar-glazed bacon in her deviled eggs. All the cornerstones of the Southern table are here, from Out-of-This-World Smothered Catfish to desserts like a jaw-dropping Very Red Velvet Cake. With moving dignity, Dora describes her motherless upbringing in Savannah, the hard life of her family, whose memories stretched back to slave times, learning to cook at age six, and the years she worked at the restaurant. "Talking About" boxes impart Dora's cooking wisdom, and evocative photos of Savannah and the Low Country set the scene. BIO From a huge Savannah family of accomplished cooks, Dora Charles worked in Savannah's most famous restaurant for 22 years, where she taught dozens of staffers and managers. REVIEWS "Dora Charles's take on classic Southern recipes is approachable and creative, and her moment in the spotlight is long overdue." --Eater.com "The book is itself a tribute to a woman who never imagined she would have to practice signing her name for fans... Some recipes...like crab cakes, poundcakes, and jambalaya, are the best of scratch cooking... Ms. Charles is a meticulous and methodical cook...[she] is also an astute interpreter of culture... [She] stresses the importance of selecting good raw ingredients and building flavor at every step, like saving what she called fry-meat-grease from bacon, sausage, or pork chops to rub on sweet potatoes as they bake or to enliven rice and greens..." --The New York Times "Dora Charles and her family recipes are legendary in Savannah, and finally she has written them down for the rest of us." --Nathalie Dupree, author and television personality Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt / September 08, 2015 0.96" H x 10.33" L x 8.25" W (2.35 lbs) 272 pages

A Real Southern Cook: In Her Savannah Kitchen /// Dora Charles

Chef Joe Randall and Toni Tipton-Martin showcase the rich heritage of African-American cooking in this authentic collection of 300 recipes. Drawn from Joe Randall's personal recipes, the book also includes recipes from chefs who have worked with Randall's A Taste of Heritage Foundation, including Edna Lewis and Patrick Clark. African-American cooking has evolved over more than 200 years to become a sophisticated and distinctive cuisine. More than just soul food, African-American cuisine has become world class. Experience Catfish Stew with Cornmeal Dumplings, Southern Fried Quail, or Crepes with Country Fried Apples. Geared to the home cook, the recipes are also enhanced by a section of menus, complete with wine selections. The final section introduces readers to the stories and menus of the prominent African-American chefs who contributed to the book. BIO Chef Joe Randall is a preeminent American chef. He has been the executive chef for a dozen restaurants, including the award-winning Closter restaurant in Buffalo, New York, and Fishmarket in Baltimore, Maryland. His affiliations include the American Culinary Federation, the Chefs de Cuisine Association of California, and the American Academy of Chefs. He is the founder and president of A Taste of Heritage Foundation, an organization devoted to introducing African-American chefs to a wider audience and supporting beginning chefs. Toni Tipton-Martin is a culinary journalist and community activist and the author of the James Beard Award-winning The Jemima Code. Her collection of more than three hundred African American cookbooks has been exhibited at the James Beard House, and she has twice been invited to the White House to participate in First Lady Michelle Obama's programs to raise a healthier generation of kids. Tipton-Martin is a founding member of the Southern Foodways Alliance and Foodways Texas. Houghton Mifflin / January 07, 2002 1.0" H x 9.2" L x 7.5" W (1.38 lbs) 334 pages This item is not returnable.

A Taste of Heritage: The New African American Cuisine /// Toni Tipton-Martin and Joe Randall

THIS BOOK WILL BE RELEASED MARCH 07, 2023 A culinary adventure and celebration of African cooking and cultural diversity, from a pioneering West African food writer, television personality, and cooking teacher. Food writer and cook Lerato Umah-Shaylor’s magnificent cookbook is a delicious eating tour of the African continent, introducing vibrant and varied cuisines that are rich in flavor, diverse in culture, and steeped in tradition. Lerato adds her own modern twist and inventive style to traditional African dishes that have been passed down and enjoyed for generations, and combines these recipes with personal stories of Africa infused with her delectable sense of adventure. With Africana, home cooks can learn how to create some of the most iconic African dishes, from Nigeria to Madagascar and Morocco to South Africa. Here are more than 100 recipes to delight and inspire, such as Spice Island Coconut Fish Curry, Harissa Leg of Lamb with Hibiscus, Senegalese Yassa, Tunisian Tagine, South African Malva Pudding, and the secret to the perfect Jollof. A feast for the senses, bursting with flavor, and offering a sense of wanderlust, Africana will bring the magic of the continent to any kitchen. BIO Lerato Umah-Shaylor is an award winning author, broadcaster and chef, a leading voice in contemporary cooking espeically in African cooking. Her debut cookbook Africana: Treasured Recipes and Stories from Across the Continent will be published in 2023 [H] Amistad Press / March 07, 2023 1.42 lbs 288 pages

THIS BOOK WILL BE RELEASED MARCH 07, 2023
A culinary adventure and celebration of African cooking and cultural diversity, from a pioneering West African food writer, television personality, and cooking teacher.
Food writer and cook Lerato Umah-Shaylor’s magnificent cookbook is a delicious eating tour of the African continent, introducing vibrant and varied cuisines that are rich in flavor, diverse in culture, and steeped in tradition.
Lerato adds her own modern twist and inventive style to traditional African dishes that have been passed down and enjoyed for generations, and combines these recipes with personal stories of Africa infused with her delectable sense of adventure.
With Africana, home cooks can learn how to create some of the most iconic African dishes, from Nigeria to Madagascar and Morocco to South Africa. Here are more than 100 recipes to delight and inspire, such as Spice Island Coconut Fish Curry, Harissa Leg of Lamb with Hibiscus, Senegalese Yassa, Tunisian Tagine, South African Malva Pudding, and the secret to the perfect Jollof.
A feast for the senses, bursting with flavor, and offering a sense of wanderlust, Africana will bring the magic of the continent to any kitchen.
BIO
Lerato Umah-Shaylor is an award winning author, broadcaster and chef, a leading voice in contemporary cooking espeically in African cooking. Her debut cookbook Africana: Treasured Recipes and Stories from Across the Continent will be published in 2023
[H]  Amistad Press  /  March 07, 2023
1.42 lbs 288 pages

Africana: More Than 100 Recipes and Flavors Inspired by a Rich Continent /// Lerato Umah-Shaylor /// pre

- Vibrant plant-based dishes fusing African and European flavors from a young British-Nigerian cook - Includes almost 50 recipes Introducing Zoe Alakija, a London-based cook, whose rich recipes blend modern British flavors with the rich colors and tastes of her Nigerian upbringing. African food in general, and Nigerian food in particular, is on the rise in the UK and dishes like cheesy kokoro and nutty plantain brownies take European vegan food far beyond the more muted flavors and colors that we are used to. Zoe's immaculate balance of tastes combined with playful presentation ensures these are recipes to remember for those willing to explore broader, more environmentally responsible horizons. BIO Zoe Alakija is an art director and food stylist based in London. This is her first book. Hoxton Mini Press / June 29, 2021 0.87" H x 9.13" L x 6.85" W (1.41 lbs) 196 pages

Afro Vegan: Family Recipes from a British-Nigerian Kitchen /// Zoe Alakija

The past as a building block of a more affirming and hopeful future As early as the eighteenth century, white Americans and Europeans believed that people of African descent could not experience nostalgia. As a result, black lives have been predominately narrated through historical scenes of slavery and oppression. This phenomenon created a missing archive of romantic historical memories. Badia Ahad-Legardy mines literature, visual culture, performance, and culinary arts to form an archive of black historical joy for use by the African-descended. Her analysis reveals how contemporary black artists find more than trauma and subjugation within the historical past. Drawing on contemporary African American culture and recent psychological studies, Ahad-Legardy reveals nostalgia's capacity to produce positive emotions. Afro-nostalgia emerges as an expression of black romantic recollection that creates and inspires good feelings even within our darkest moments. Original and provocative, Afro-Nostalgia offers black historical pleasure as a remedy to contend with the disillusionment of the present and the traumas of the past. BIO Badia Ahad-Legardy is an associate professor in the Department of English and Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at Loyola University Chicago. She is the author of Freud Upside Down: African American Literature and Psychoanalytic Culture. REVIEWS "If you've been waiting for a book that steps out of trauma-time and the perpetual present of slavery clear-eyed and with its critical faculties alight, you've found it. Badia Ahad-Legardy breathes gentle and sweet smelling fresh air into stale corners in her book on Afro-Nostalgia, which cogently analyzes and affectively affirms Black cultural producers and chefs who treat the past less as an ongoing traumatic wound and more as a surrealistic space of black historical regenerative possibility and happiness. A gem." --Avery Gordon, author of Ghostly Matters: Haunting and the Sociological Imagination "This thoroughly researched book seeks and sheds light on the spaces where Black joy can live and flourish. Though its tone is academic, its insights reach far beyond the classroom.... a worthy addition to any multicultural studies library and to readers interested in American culture." --Museum of Americana "An important dissection of looking beyond the traumas of the past to find the happiness that existed (and exists) within the Black community. " --Library Journal [P] University of Illinois Press / April 12, 2021 ﻿0.7" H x 8.9" L x 6.0" W (0.75 lbs) 240 pages

Afro-Nostalgia: Feeling Good in Contemporary Black Culture /// Badia Ahad-Legardy

Renowned chef and food justice activist Bryant Terry reworks and remixes the favorite staples, ingredients, and classic dishes of the African Diaspora to present more than 100 wholly new, creative culinary combinations that will amaze vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST VEGETARIAN COOKBOOKS OF ALL TIME BY BON APPÉTIT Blending African, Caribbean, and southern cuisines results in delicious recipes like Smashed Potatoes, Peas, and Corn with Chile-Garlic Oil, a recipe inspired by the Kenyan dish irio; and Cinnamon-Soaked Wheat Berry Salad with dried apricots, carrots, and almonds, which is based on a Moroccan tagine. Creamy Coconut-Cashew Soup with Okra, Corn, and Tomatoes pays homage to a popular Brazilian dish while incorporating classic Southern ingredients, and Crispy Teff and Grit Cakes with Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Peanuts combines the Ethiopian grain teff with stone-ground corn grits from the Deep South and North African zalook dip. There's perfect potluck fare, such as the simple, warming, and intensely flavored Collard Greens and Cabbage with Lots of Garlic, and the Caribbean-inspired Cocoa Spice Cake with Crystallized Ginger and Coconut-Chocolate Ganache, plus a refreshing Roselle-Rooibos Drink that will satisfy any sweet tooth. With more than 100 modern and delicious dishes that draw on Terry's personal memories as well as the history of food that has traveled from the African continent, Afro-Vegan takes you on an international food journey. Accompanying the recipes are Terry's insights about building community around food, along with suggested music tracks from around the world and book recommendations. For anyone interested in improving their well-being, Afro-Vegan's groundbreaking recipes offer innovative, plant-based global cuisine that is fresh, healthy, and forges a new direction in vegan cooking. BIO A national leader in the movement to promote healthy eating, Bryant Terry is the author of The Inspired Vegan and the critically acclaimed Vegan Soul Kitchen. Along with Anna Lappé, Bryant co-authored Grub, which the New York Times called "ingenious." He is also the host of Urban Organic, a multi-episode web series that he co-created. Bryant's work has been featured in the New York Times, Gourmet, Food & Wine, O: The Oprah Magazine, Essence, Yoga Journal, and Vegetarian Times, among others. He has made dozens of national television and radio appearances including the Martha Stewart Show, Emeril Green, The Splendid Table, and Morning Edition. He lives in Oakland, California. REVIEWS "I'm a big fan of food. I'm also a fan of stories. What Bryant Terry has done with Afro-Vegan is tell a new and important story of food. He's connected health with history and culture and made the combination delicious. As important, he's encouraging all of us to learn the story of the food we make and consume and helping us generate our own stories as we share these healthy eats with the communities we love." --Baratunde Thurston, best-selling author of How to Be Black and CEO and cofounder of Cultivated Wit "Afro-Vegan animates the cuisine of the African diaspora with the detail, reverence, and passion it deserves. Bryant elevates our often-overlooked culinary traditions and infuses a personal, smart, and practical love. He goes beyond teaching us to cook. He inspires us to celebrate and explore." --Dayo Olopade, author of The Bright Continent: Breaking Rules and Making Change in Modern Africa Ten Speed Press / April 08, 2014 1.0" H x 9.1" L x 7.6" W (1.75 lbs) 215 pages

Afro-Vegan: Farm-Fresh African, Caribbean, and Southern Flavors Remixed /// Bryant Terry

Discover the untold story of African surf culture in this glorious and colorful collection of profiles, essays, photographs, and illustrations. AFROSURF is the first book to capture and celebrate the surfing culture of Africa. This unprecedented collection is compiled by Mami Wata, a Cape Town surf company that fiercely believes in the power of African surf. Mami Wata brings together its co-founder Selema Masekela and some of Africa's finest photographers, thinkers, writers, and surfers to explore the unique culture of eighteen coastal countries, from Morocco to Somalia, Mozambique, South Africa, and beyond. Packed with over fifty essays, AFROSURF features surfer and skater profiles, thought pieces, poems, photos, illustrations, ephemera, recipes, and a mini comic, all wrapped in an astounding design that captures the diversity and character of Africa. A creative force of good in their continent, Mami Wata sources and manufactures all their wares in Africa and works with communities to strengthen local economies through surf tourism. With this mission in mind, Mami Wata is donating 100% of their proceeds to support two African surf therapy organizations, Waves for Change and Surfers Not Street Children. BIO Mami Wata is an African surf brand whose mission is to be a creative force for good in Africa. They manufacture their products in Africa to create jobs and build skills, support the African surf therapy organization Waves for Change, and help strengthen African surf tourism to grow local economies. They are located in Cape Town. Selema Masekela is a beloved commentator, journalist, host, activist, and Emmy-nominated producer best known for his work across VICE, E!, ESPN/ABC, National Geographic, Red Bull Media House, and beyond. He is a co-founder of Mami Wata and lives in Los Angeles, California. Ten Speed Press / June 15, 2021 1.3" H x 11.1" L x 8.6" W (3.7 lbs) 320 pages

Afrosurf /// Mami Wata with foreword by Selema Masekela

In the tradition of The Glass Castle, this "gorgeous" (The New York Times, Editors' Choice) and deeply felt memoir from Whiting Award winner Nadia Owusu tells the "incredible story" (Malala Yousafzai) about the push and pull of belonging, the seismic emotional toll of family secrets, and the heart it takes to pull through. "In Aftershocks, Nadia Owusu tells the incredible story of her young life. How does a girl--abandoned by her mother at age two and orphaned at thirteen when her beloved father dies--find her place in the world? This memoir is the story of Nadia creating her own solid ground across countries and continents. I know the struggle of rebuilding your life in an unfamiliar place. While some of you might be familiar with that and some might not, I hope you'll take as much inspiration and hope from her story as I did." --MALALA YOUSAFZAI ​ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2021 SELECTED BY VULTURE AND TIME MAGAZINE! Young Nadia Owusu followed her father, a United Nations official, from Europe to Africa and back again. Just as she and her family settled into a new home, her father would tell them it was time to say their goodbyes. The instability wrought by Nadia's nomadic childhood was deepened by family secrets and fractures, both lived and inherited. Her Armenian American mother, who abandoned Nadia when she was two, would periodically reappear, only to vanish again. Her father, a Ghanaian, the great hero of her life, died when she was thirteen. After his passing, Nadia's stepmother weighed her down with a revelation that was either a bombshell secret or a lie, rife with shaming innuendo. With these and other ruptures, Nadia arrived in New York as a young woman feeling stateless, motherless, and uncertain about her future, yet eager to find her own identity. What followed, however, were periods of depression in which she struggled to hold herself and her siblings together. "A magnificent, complex assessment of selfhood and why it matters" ( Elle), Aftershocks depicts the way she hauled herself from the wreckage of her life's perpetual quaking, the means by which she has finally come to understand that the only ground firm enough to count on is the one written into existence by her own hand. "Full of narrative risk and untrammeled lyricism" (The Washington Post), Aftershocks joins the likes of Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight and William Styron's Darkness Visible, and does for race identity what Maggie Nelson does for gender identity in The Argonauts. BIO Nadia Owusu is a Brooklyn-based writer and urban planner. She is the recipient of a 2019 Whiting Award. Her lyric essay So Devilish a Fire won the Atlas Review chapbook contest. Her writing has appeared or is forthcoming in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Granta, The Guardian, Bon Appétit, Electric Literature, The Paris Review Daily, and Catapult. Aftershocks is her first book. REVIEWS "'I have lived in disaster, and disaster has lived in me, ' writes one of the literary world's most promising new voices, Nadia Owusu, in this astonishing memoir. After her mother left and her father died, Owusu became a woman of many homelands and identities: she grew up in many countries including Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda, Italy, and the UK. [ Aftershocks] is Owusu's account of hauling herself out of the wreckage; an intimate look behind the division of today's world." --RED (UK) "Aftershocks is more than just a book--it is delicate, intricate choreography. This memoir is a testimony to how certain books and writers can tell you their story in a way that mirrors your own. Even if the facts of that story are different, the emotion is familiar. Owusu is that writer. She has created a book full of shared emotional memories and I wanted to sit in those memories with her for as long as I could. Nadia Owusu is powerful, beautiful, poetic, and Aftershocks is a testimony to her commitment to constructing towering, lovingly-rendered sentences. Quite simply, Aftershocks is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read." --BASSEY IKPI, New York Times bestselling author of I'm Lying but I'm telling the Truth "Nadia Owusu's Aftershocks bleeds honesty. It is a majestically rendered telling of all the history, hurt and love a body can contain. A wonderful work of art made of so many stories and histories it is bursting with both harshness and perseverance. An incredible debut."-- NANA KWAME ADJEI-BRENYAH, author of New York Times bestseller Friday Black [H] Simon & Schuster / January 12, 2021 1.1" H x 8.5" L x 5.5" W (1.01 lbs) 320 pages

Aftershocks: A Memoir /// Nadia Owusu

The newest novel by the author of Akata Witch and the forthcoming Marvel comic book series about Shuri, Black Panther's sister! "The most imaginative, gripping, enchanting fantasy novels I have ever read!" --Laurie Halse Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of Speak A year ago, Sunny Nwazue, an American-born girl Nigerian girl, was inducted into the secret Leopard Society. As she began to develop her magical powers, Sunny learned that she had been chosen to lead a dangerous mission to avert an apocalypse, brought about by the terrifying masquerade, Ekwensu. Now, stronger, feistier, and a bit older, Sunny is studying with her mentor Sugar Cream and struggling to unlock the secrets in her strange Nsibidi book. Eventually, Sunny knows she must confront her destiny. With the support of her Leopard Society friends, Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha, and of her spirit face, Anyanwu, she will travel through worlds both visible and invisible to the mysteries town of Osisi, where she will fight a climactic battle to save humanity. BIO Much-honored Nnedi Okorafor, winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards, merges today's Nigeria with a unique world she creates. Akata Warrior blends mythology, fantasy, history and magic into a compelling tale that will keep readers spellbound. REVIEWS "★ Akata Warrior swiftly synthesizes the lessons and knowledge of the first book into a heart-racing story of resilience and a determination to save the world. This title is a unique coming of age story, coupling the distinct experience of the cultural duality as both African and African-American with lessons of love, loyalty, and the pains of adolescent insecurities." -- BCCB, starred review "There's more imagination on a page of Nnedi Okorafor's work than in whole volumes of ordinary fantasy epics." --Ursula K. Le Guin, award-winning author of A Wizard of Earthsea "The voice of Nnedi Okorafor does not obey the rules of distance, time, or place. Hers is the voice that fuses matter and imagination. She shows us just how close we are to that alternate reality." --Tchidi Chikere, Nigerian award-winning film director and screenwriter [H] Viking Books for Young Readers / October 03, 2017 1.7" H x 8.3" L x 5.4" W (1.3 lbs) 496 pages [P] Speak / October 16, 2018 1.4" H x 8.2" L x 5.4" W (0.94 lbs) 512 pages

Akata Warrior /// Nnedi Okorafor

Affectionately dubbed the Nigerian Harry Potter, Akata Witch weaves together a heart-pounding tale of magic, mystery, and finding one's place in the world. Twelve-year-old Sunny lives in Nigeria, but she was born American. Her features are African, but she's albino. She's a terrific athlete, but can't go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits in. And then she discovers something amazing--she is a free agent with latent magical power. Soon she's part of a quartet of magic students, studying the visible and invisible, learning to change reality. But will it be enough to help them when they are asked to catch a career criminal who knows magic too? Ursula K. Le Guin and John Green are Nnedi Okorafor fans. As soon as you start reading Akata Witch, you will be, too! BIO Nnedi Okorafor is a novelist of African-based science fiction, fantasy, and magical realism for both children and adults. Born in the United States to Nigerian immigrant parents, Nnedi is known for weaving African culture into creative evocative settings and memorable characters. In a profile of Nnedi's work, the New York Times called Nnedi's imagination "stunning." Nnedi has received the World Fantasy Award, the Hugo Award, and the Nebula Award, among others, for her novels. She holds a PhD in English and is a professor at SUNY Buffalo. She divides her time between Buffalo and the suburbs of Chicago, where she lives with her daughter. Learn more at nnedi.com or follow her on Twitter @nnedi. REVIEWS "Okorafor's novels tend to reflect both her West-African heritage and American experiences, but in this series she creates a stunningly original world of African magic that draws on Nigerian folk beliefs and rituals instead of relying on the predictable tropes of Western fantasy novels." -- Time Magazine "There's more imagination on a page of Nnedi Okorafor's work than in whole volumes of ordinary fantasy epics." --Ursula K. Le Guin, award-winning author of A Wizard of Earthsea "I always loved science fiction, but I didn't feel I was part of it--until I read first Octavia Butler, and now Nnedi Okorafor." --Whoopi Goldberg [H] Viking Books for Young Readers / April 14, 2011 1.35" H x 8.58" L x 5.82" W (1.05 lbs) 368 pages [P] ﻿Speak / July 17, 2017 1.1" H x 8.1" L x 5.4" W (0.75 lbs) 384 pages

Akata Witch /// Nnedi Okorafor

Akata Woman is the New York Times bestselling third book in the series that started with Akata Witch, named one of Time magazine’s “100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time” and “100 Best YA Books of All Time,” from award-winning author Nnedi Okorafor.“In this series, Okorafor creates a stunningly original world of African magic that draws on Nigerian folk beliefs and rituals instead of relying on the predictable tropes of Western fantasy novels.”—Time magazineFrom the moment Sunny Nwazue discovered she had mystical energy flowing in her blood, she sought to understand and control her powers. Throughout her adventures in Akata Witch and Akata Warrior, she had to navigate the balance between nearly everything in her life—America and Nigeria, the “normal” world and the one infused with juju, human and spirit, good daughter and powerful Leopard Person.Now, those hard lessons and abilities are put to the test in a quest so dangerous and fantastical, it would be madness to go . . . but it may destroy the world if she does not. With the help of her friends, Sunny embarks on a mission to find a precious object hidden deep in an otherworldly realm. Defeating the guardians of the prize will take more from Sunny than she has to give, and triumph will mean she will be forever changed. BIO Nnedi Okorafor is a Nigerian-American author of African-based science fiction, fantasy and magical realism for children and adults. Her works include Who Fears Death (currently in development at HBO into a TV series), the Binti novella trilogy, The Book of Phoenix, the Akata books, and Lagoon. She is the winner of Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Locus, and Lodestar Awards, an Eisner Award nominee, and her debut novel Zahrah the Windseeker won the prestigious Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature. Nnedi has also written comics for Marvel, including Black Panther: Long Live the King and Wakanda Forever (featuring the Dora Milaje) and the Shuri series. Her science fiction comic series LaGuardia (from Dark Horse) is an Eisner and Hugo Award nominee and her memoir Broken Places & Outer Spaces is a Locus Award nominee. Nnedi is also creating and co-writing the adaptation of Octavia Butler’s Wild Seed with Viola Davis and Kenyan film director Wanuri Kahiu. Nnedi holds two MAs (literature and journalism) and a PhD (literature). She lives with her daughter Anyaugo and family in Illinois. Follow Nnedi on Twitter (as @Nnedi), Facebook, and Instagram. Learn more about Nnedi at Nnedi.com. [H] Viking Books for Young Readers / January 18, 2022 1.4" H x 8.4" L x 5.9" W (1.15 lbs) 416 pages

Akata Woman /// Nnedi Okorafor

A Today Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick“Sparkling.” —The New York Times"An utterly charming and deeply moving portrait of the joys—and the guilt—of trying to find your own way in life." —Celeste Ng, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Our Missing Hearts "Lively, funny, poignant . . . Prepare to fall in love with Maddie. I did!" —Bonnie Garmus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lessons in ChemistryMaame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi but in my case, it means woman.It’s fair to say that Maddie’s life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced stage Parkinson’s. At work, her boss is a nightmare and Maddie is tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting.When her mum returns from her latest trip to Ghana, Maddie leaps at the chance to get out of the family home and finally start living. A self-acknowledged late bloomer, she’s ready to experience some important “firsts”: She finds a flat share, says yes to after-work drinks, pushes for more recognition in her career, and throws herself into the bewildering world of internet dating. But it's not long before tragedy strikes, forcing Maddie to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and the perils—and rewards - of putting her life on the line.Smart, funny, and deeply affecting, Jessica George's Maame deals with the themes of our time with humor and poignancy: from familial duty and racism, to female pleasure, the complexity of love, and the life-saving power of friendship. Most important, it explores what it feels like to be torn between two homes and cultures - and it celebrates finally being able to find where you belong. BIO Jessica George was born and raised in London to Ghanaian parents and studied English Literature at the University of Sheffield. After working at a literary agency and a theatre, she landed a job in the editorial department of Bloomsbury UK. Maame is her first novel. REVIEWS "An utterly charming and deeply moving portrait of the joys––and the guilt––of trying to find your own way in life. At heart, Maame is about seeing life, your loved ones, and yourself in a new light, and Maddie’s journey will resonate with anyone who’s had to grow up—or who’s still trying to." -- Celeste Ng, New York Times bestselling author of Little Fires Everywhere"George has fashioned an appealing hero here: You can’t help but root for Maddie’s emancipation. Funny, awkward, and sometimes painful, her blossoming is a real delight to witness. A fresh, often funny, always poignant take on the coming-of-age novel." --Kirkus (starred review)"A pitch-perfect debut…The work’s ample magnetism resides in the savvy portrayal of Maddie as a complicated, sharp, and vulnerable person who is trying to figure out adulthood. Readers will revel in this." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)"George illustrates the complexities of navigating two cultures and rising from the pressure of other people’s expectations beautifully. This is a clever and deeply moving debut." -- Booklist"A wry, compassionate debut novel...Full of dry humor and entirely relatable moments, Maame is a warmhearted, often hilarious account of one woman's journey through her awkward yet exciting 20s. Readers will root for Maddie to find self-confidence and happiness, both at work and in her personal life...George's narrative is a tribute to all women who make the effort––no matter how difficult or confusing––to take control of their own lives." -- Shelf Awareness"Meeting MAAME feels like falling in love for the first time: warm, awkward, joyous, a little bit heartbreaking and, most of all, unforgettable. Jessica George viscerally renders the exquisite pain and poignant hilarity of coming of age as a woman today while perfectly capturing the extra thickets of thorns that lay in the paths of women of color in all white spaces. Maame is so many women I have known and loved: experiencing firsts, coming to hard revelations and choosing to bite into life with with full, open hearts." -- Xochitl Gonzalez, New York Times bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming [H] St. Marten's Press / January 31, 2023 1.3" H x 9.6" L x 6.5" W (1.1 lbs) 320 pages

Maame /// Jessica George /// new

Praised by fan favorites including Hoda Kotb, Kim & Khloe Kardashian, and Jimmy Fallon! Inspired by the eagerly awaited birth of her daughter, Kaavia James Union Wade, New York Times bestselling author and award-winning actress Gabrielle Union pens a festive and universal love letter from parents to little ones, perfect for welcoming a baby to the party of life! Reminiscent of favorites such as The Wonderful Things You’ll Be by Emily Winfield Martin, I’ve Loved You Since Forever by Hoda Kotb, and Take Heart, My Child by Ainsley Earhardt, Welcome to the Party is an upbeat celebration of new life that you’ll want to enjoy with your tiny guest of honor over and over again. A great gift for all occasions, especially Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, baby showers, and birthdays. BIO Gabrielle Union is an actress, executive producer, activist, best-selling author and most recently, a Time100 cover honoree. Union formed her production shingle “I’ll Have Another” in 2018 with the goal of telling stories that center marginalized communities with their specific point of views in an authentic manner. In August of 2020, she relaunched her haircare brand “Flawless by Gabrielle Union” for women with textured hair. The new and improved collection includes an array of options, affordably priced between $4 - $10, that empowers consumers to customize a regimen specific to their texture and style preferences. Prior to relaunching Flawless, Union learned of the disparities in the food space and joined Bitsy's as a cofounder with the goal of making healthy, allergen- friendly, school-safe snacks that are accessible and affordable for all families regardless of their socioeconomic or geographical status. Her first book, We’re Going To Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated and True, was released in 2017 and instantly became a New York Times best seller. Union serves as a leader and advocate for inclusion in the entertainment industry. She is also a champion of breast health and combating sexual violence. [H] HarperCollins / May 05, 2022 0.5" H x 9.1" L x 9.1" W (0.65 lbs) 32 pages [B] HarperFestival / May 05, 2022 0.65" H x 6.0" L x 6.0" W (0.45 lbs) 32 pages

Welcome to the Party /// Gabrielle Union, illustrations by Ashley Evans

Boardbook

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work Named a Best Book of the Year by The Root Chosen by Emma Straub as a Best New Celebrity Memoir One month before the release of the highly anticipated film The Birth of a Nation, actress Gabrielle Union shook the world with a vulnerable and impassioned editorial in which she urged our society to have compassion for victims of sexual violence. In the wake of rape allegations made against director and actor Nate Parker, Union—a forty-four-year-old actress who launched her career with roles in iconic ’90s movies—instantly became the insightful, outspoken actress that Hollywood has been desperately awaiting. With honesty and heartbreaking wisdom, she revealed her own trauma as a victim of sexual assault: "It is for you that I am speaking. This is real. We are real." In this moving collection of thought provoking essays infused with her unique wisdom and deep humor, Union uses that same fearlessness to tell astonishingly personal and true stories about power, color, gender, feminism, and fame. Union tackles a range of experiences, including bullying, beauty standards, and competition between women in Hollywood, growing up in white California suburbia and then spending summers with her black relatives in Nebraska, coping with crushes, puberty, and the divorce of her parents. Genuine and perceptive, Union bravely lays herself bare, uncovering a complex and courageous life of self-doubt and self-discovery with incredible poise and brutal honesty. Throughout, she compels us to be ethical and empathetic, and reminds us of the importance of confidence, self-awareness, and the power of sharing truth, laughter, and support. BIO Gabrielle Union is an actress, executive producer, activist, best-selling author and most recently, a Time100 cover honoree. Union formed her production shingle “I’ll Have Another” in 2018 with the goal of telling stories that center marginalized communities with their specific point of views in an authentic manner. In August of 2020, she relaunched her haircare brand “Flawless by Gabrielle Union” for women with textured hair. The new and improved collection includes an array of options, affordably priced between $4 - $10, that empowers consumers to customize a regimen specific to their texture and style preferences. Prior to relaunching Flawless, Union learned of the disparities in the food space and joined Bitsy's as a cofounder with the goal of making healthy, allergen- friendly school-safe snacks that are accessible and affordable for all families regardless of their socioeconomic or geographical status. Her first book, We’re Going To Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated and True, was released in 2017 and instantly became a New York Times best seller. Union serves as a leader and advocate for inclusion in the entertainment industry. She is also a champion of breast health and combating sexual violence. REVIEWS A hilarious and moving memoir from a natural storyteller. Gabrielle Union explores love, family, trauma and racial identity in a book that somehow manages to be both heartbreakingly honest and laugh-out-loud funny. -- Brit Bennett I love this woman and her book. -- Mindy Kaling We’re Going to Need More Wine is honest, raw, and funny. Union’s vulnerability about her flaws and mistakes, and also pride in her triumphs, will not only make you feel as though you’re seeing yourself reflected, but will also inspire you to be your most authentic self.” -- Phoebe Robinson We’re Going to Need More Wine is a collection of funny and emotional essays...Union gets real about everything -- USA Today Stunning...an affirmation of [Union’s] uncanny insight and profound capacity for empathy. -- Entertainment Weekly [P] Dey Street Books / January 15, 2019 0.8" H x 7.9" L x 5.2" W (0.4 lbs) 272 pages

We're Going to Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True /// Gabrielle Union

Why are African Americans so underrepresented when it comes to interest in nature, outdoor recreation, and environmentalism? In this thought-provoking study, Carolyn Finney looks beyond the discourse of the environmental justice movement to examine how the natural environment has been understood, commodified, and represented by both white and black Americans. Bridging the fields of environmental history, cultural studies, critical race studies, and geography, Finney argues that the legacies of slavery, Jim Crow, and racial violence have shaped cultural understandings of the "great outdoors" and determined who should and can have access to natural spaces. Drawing on a variety of sources from film, literature, and popular culture, and analyzing different historical moments, including the establishment of the Wilderness Act in 1964 and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Finney reveals the perceived and real ways in which nature and the environment are racialized in America. Looking toward the future, she also highlights the work of African Americans who are opening doors to greater participation in environmental and conservation concerns. BIO Carolyn Finney, is a storyteller, author, artist, educator, and currently a scholar-in-residence in the Franklin Environmental Center at Middlebury College. Finney's work reveals how nature and the environment are racialized in America REVIEWS “Makes a clear case for the dominant culture’s habitual (though, sometimes unwitting) rejection of African Americans.” -- Library Journal, starred review “Weaving scholarly analysis with interviews of leading black environmentalists and ordinary Americans, Finney traces the environmental legacy of slavery and Jim Crow segregation, which mapped the wilderness as a terrain of extreme terror and struggle for generations of blacks—as well as a place of refuge.” -- Boston Globe "A must-read for those who hope to make the parks matter to diverse populations." -- Sierra “Finney’s exemplary work moves beyond a critique of the movement and popular culture. It carves through multiple layers of meaning to excavate unique moments of African American environmental history that demand retelling.” -- CHOICE "Offers an engaging interdisciplinary analysis of the historical conditions that shape the whiteness of 'Nature' in the United States." -- American Book Review [P] University of North Carolina Press / June 01, 2014 0.6" H x 9.1" L x 6.1" W (0.65 lbs) 194 pages

Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors /// Carolyn Finney

From Lincoln Center’s inaugural poet-in-residence comes this unflinching collection that intricately mines the experience of being a Black woman in America.Boldly lyrical and fiercely honest, Mahogany L. Browne’s Chrome Valley offers an intricate portrait of Black womanhood in America. “We praise their names / & the hands that write / Praise the mouth that speaks,” she writes in tribute to those who came before her.Browne captures a quintessential girlhood through the pleasures and pangs of young love: the thrill of skating hip to hip at the roller rink, the heat of holding hands in the dark, and, sometimes, the sting of a palm across the cheek. Friendship, too, comes with its own complex yearnings: “you ain’t had freedom / ’til you climb on bus 62 / & head to the closest mall / for a good seat at the girl fight.”Reflections of Browne’s mother, Redbone, bolster the collection with moments of unwavering strength: “give me my mother’s bone structure / & her gap tooth slaughter / give me her spine—Redbone got a spine for the world.” Other moments explore the inherent anxieties shared among Black mothers, rhythmically intoning names like the tolling of a church bell: “Because Kadiatou Diallo / Because Sybrina Fulton / Because Valeria Bell / Because Mamie Till.”The characters in Chrome Valley grapple with the legacies of inherited trauma but also revel in the beauty of the undaunted self-determination passed down from Black woman to Black woman. Transcendent and grounded, funny and furious, Chrome Valley brings depth to a movement, solidifying Mahogany L. Browne as one of the most significant poetic voices of our time. BIO Mahogany L. Browne, selected as one of the Kennedy Center’s Next 50, is the executive director of JustMedia, founder of the Woke Baby Book Fair, and artistic director of Urban Word NYC. Her most recent works are Woke: A Young Poet’s Guide to Justice and the young adult novel Vinyl Moon. REVIEWS "Generous and expansive—a decidedly full work. Across her poems, Browne deftly creates atmosphere through juxtaposition and pacing." - Nick Ripatrazone [H] Liveright Publishing Corporation / February 07, 2023 0.67" H x 9.01" L x 5.32" W (0.65 lbs) 160 pages

Chrome Valley: Poems /// Mahogany L. Browne /// pre

Soul Food Odyssey is recipes - recipes from the restaurant, recipes from the families of Chef Stephanie Tyson and co-owner Vivian Joiner, recipes that are Southern, plain and simple. In the introduction to Soul Food Odyssey, Chef Stephanie Tyson describes her early feelings when people assumed her Sweet Potatoes restaurant was a “soul food” establishment. “Soul food to me was like the boxer George Foreman,” she says. “He would stand and go toe-to-toe. It wasn't pretty but he got the job done. Southern food, on the other hand, was more like Muhammad Ali—fancier footwork but the same effectiveness. I wanted Ali. I missed the connection that they were both great fighters. Once I got off my high horse, I wanted to know, from a culinary point of view, how do you make what is essentially castaway food into a ‘cuisine’?”In Soul Food Odyssey, Tyson takes readers along on her journey back to find the food her grandmother called “sumntaeat.” The recipes she shares include how to cook various parts of the pig from “the router to the tooter”; other meat dishes, including everything from stewed turkey wings and pot roast to a Low Country boil; what Tyson calls “stone soul sides,” including crackling cornbread, hoecakes, and, of course, different kinds of greens; soups and stews including oxtail and fish head stew and “Everything in It Vegetable Soup”; and desserts “to sell your soul for." Along with the recipes come Tyson’s comments, which reflect her biting wit as well as her deep appreciation of the food she has come to embrace. BIO ﻿Stephanie L. Tyson and her partner and co-owner, Vivian Joiner, opened Sweet Potatoes in the Downtown Arts District of Winston-Salem in 2004. Both live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. [P] Blair / June 01, 2015 0.5" H x 8.5" L x 6.1" W (0.6 lbs) 167 pages

Soul Food Odyssey is recipes - recipes from the restaurant, recipes from the families of Chef Stephanie Tyson and co-owner Vivian Joiner, recipes that are Southern, plain and simple.
In the introduction to Soul Food Odyssey, Chef Stephanie Tyson describes her early feelings when people assumed her Sweet Potatoes restaurant was a “soul food” establishment. “Soul food to me was like the boxer George Foreman,” she says. “He would stand and go toe-to-toe. It wasn't pretty but he got the job done. Southern food, on the other hand, was more like Muhammad Ali—fancier footwork but the same effectiveness. I wanted Ali. I missed the connection that they were both great fighters. Once I got off my high horse, I wanted to know, from a culinary point of view, how do you make what is essentially castaway food into a ‘cuisine’?” In Soul Food Odyssey, Tyson takes readers along on her journey back to find the food her grandmother called “sumntaeat.” The recipes she shares include how to cook various parts of the pig from “the router to the tooter”; other meat dishes, including everything from stewed turkey wings and pot roast to a Low Country boil; what Tyson calls “stone soul sides,” including crackling cornbread, hoecakes, and, of course, different kinds of greens; soups and stews including oxtail and fish head stew and “Everything in It Vegetable Soup”; and desserts “to sell your soul for."
Along with the recipes come Tyson’s comments, which reflect her biting wit as well as her deep appreciation of the food she has come to embrace.
BIO
﻿Stephanie L. Tyson and her partner and co-owner, Vivian Joiner, opened Sweet Potatoes in the Downtown Arts District of Winston-Salem in 2004. Both live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 
[P]  Blair  /  June 01, 2015
<meta charset="utf-8">0.5" H x 8.5" L x 6.1" W (0.6 lbs) 167 pages

Soul Food Odyssey /// Stephanie L. Tyson

Well, Shut My Mouth! The Sweet Potatoes Restaurant Cookbook is recipes―recipes from the restaurant, recipes from the families of chef Stephanie Tyson and co-owner Vivian Joiner, recipes that are Southern, plain and simple. In creating the recipes for Sweet Potatoes, Tyson used all of her influences Geechee flavor from Joiner’s father, who was from the Hilton Head area of South Carolina; her mother’s working-woman “out of the can and into the pan” shortcuts; and her training in culinary arts at Baltimore International College and her later work in South Carolina, the Florida Keys, Arizona, and Maryland. Just the names of the recipes in this book are enough to whet one’s appetite: Pimento Cheese Fondue; Sweet Potato, Corn, and Country Ham Risotto; Gullah Shrimp and Crab Pilau; Slow Cooker Chocolate Stout Pot Roast; Down-Home ’Tata Salad; Molasses Dijon Dressing; Sweet Potato Bread Pudding with Pecan Crunch Topping; and many others. Most recipes include a bit of flavorful commentary from the chef, such as this tip for Spicy Greens: “If you are faint of heart (burn), eliminate the red pepper altogether.” Or the brief definition that introduces Crackling Cornbread: “Cracklings are deep-fried crispy skins of various animals―in this case, pork.” Well, Shut My Mouth! is also the history of the two women who started a locally and nationally acclaimed restaurant (Our State, Southern Living, New York Times). As Tyson says in her introduction, “Every part of me is a part of Sweet Potatoes.” In Well, Shut My Mouth! she shares a culinary experience that has been a favorite of Winston-Salem natives and visitors for years. Now, patrons have the tools to re-create the Sweet Potatoes dining experience in their own homes. BIO Stephanie L. Tyson and her partner and co-owner, Vivian Joiner, opened Sweet Potatoes in the Downtown Arts District of Winston-Salem in 2004. Both live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. REVIEWS “Everything about this book is correct except the title. Anyone with a taste bud in their mouth should follow these recipes and open their mouth.” -- Maya Angelou [P] Blair / October 11, 2011 0.5" H x 8.5" L x 6.0" W (0.6 lbs) 238 pages

Well, Shut My Mouth!: The Sweet Potatoes Restaurant Cookbook /// Stephanie L. Tyson

The recipes in this book highlight seasonal bounties and four major Caribbean flavors, resulting in a basketful of healthy, edible treasures! This paperback edition contains 5 brand new recipes.This innovative cookbook presents a new way to look at the four seasons through four ingredients that are integral to Caribbean flavors and culture, but available everywhere. Coconut, ginger, shrimp, and rum each boast unique health benefits, but are still simple and fundamental ingredients that will take any cook through the year, and especially highlighting seasonal ingredients!The book is divided into four seasons, and each of those is divided into “Light Fare,” “Mains,” “To Sip,” and “Sweets.” Recipes include: Coconut spiced cashews White coconut gazpacho Rum buttered jerk wings Spring pea and ginger risotto Rhubarb & ginger challah Salsa verde coconut rice Grilled strawberry ginger shortcake Garlicky parmesan shrimp & fava bean ravioli Poached pear negroni BIO Brigid Washington is a journalist, cookbook author, educator and passionate dual citizen. She’s a graduate of North Carolina State University, where currently she holds the position of chef-instructor at the Dinah E. Gore Teaching & Research Kitchen. She is a classically trained chef; a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, where she was also the Editor in Chief of its monthly, La Papillote. Her writing has appeared in Bon Appetit, Epicurious, Food & Wine, Food 52, Real Simple, Taste, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Weight Watchers, among many others. ​Her debut cookbook Coconut Ginger Shrimp Rum: Caribbean Flavors for Every Season was published by Skyhorse Publishers in the Spring of 2017. Her cookbook and much of her writing and teaching is inspired by the indomitable spirit of the Caribbean table. Brigid lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her Jamaican husband, and their two delicious children. REVIEWS "Brigid Washington knows food's power to tell more evocative stories and deepen connections between people. She brings this to everything she does, including this delightful book. In showing us the expansiveness of four ingredients, Brigid reminds us to think about what foods best define who, and where, we come from." -- Julia Turshen, bestselling author + podcast host "I've always found Brigid Washington's approach to food to be joyfully inquisitive. She inspires the home cook to cherish even the most basic ingredients, while weaving in cultural touchstones from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and more. Brigid's wealth of knowledge and genuine warmth come through in her remix of well-loved recipes alongside singular creations. Adding these dishes to your list of faves will be an easy move." -- Osayi Endolyn, James Beard Award-winning writer [P] Skyhorse Publishing / June 21, 2022 ﻿0.63" H x 9.45" L x 7.01" W (1.2 lbs) 160 pages

Caribbean Flavors for Every Season: 85 Coconut, Ginger, Shrimp, and Rum Recipes /// Brigid Washington, foreword by Nina Compton

First published in 1974 and even more relevant today, a natural and whole foods guide the voice of black consciousness, cultural icon Dick Gregory, the incomparable satirist, human rights and environmental activist, health advocate, social justice champion, and author of the NAACP Image Award–winning Defining Moments in Black History: Reading Between the Lies and the classic bestseller Nigger: An Autobiography.Written with Dick Gregory’s irreverent wit and informed by his deep intelligence, Dick Gregory’s Natural Diet for Folks Who Eat is for real people who are concerned about their health and wellness. Gregory offers an enlightening introduction to natural foods, and offers a wickedly amusing and informative assessment of how our modern diet damages the human digestive tract, and raises our consciousness about the political power of food. Gregory argues that how you treat yourself and your body reflects how you treat others. He discusses various fasts and the ones he’s done for both political and health reasons, hunger in America, navy beans, and how Americans are changing the way they eat—the beginning of a movement in the 1970s that is still felt today. He offers suggestions on diets to help you gain or lose pounds and offers advice on natural substitutes for favorite alcoholic drinks. You are what you eat—with Dick Gregory’s Natural Diet for Folks Who Eat you can laugh your way to better health. BIO Richard “Dick” Claxton Gregory was an African American comedian, civil rights activist, and cultural icon who first performed in public in the 1950s. He was on Comedy Central’s list of “100 Greatest Stand-Ups” and was the author of fourteen books, most notably the bestselling classic Nigger: An Autobiography. A hilariously authentic wisecracker and passionate fighter for justice, Gregory is considered one of the most prized comedians of our time. He and his beloved wife, Lil, have ten kids. [P] Amistad Press / January 08, 2021 ﻿0.6" H x 8.0" L x 5.3" W (0.4 lbs) 224 pages

Dick Gregory's Natural Diet for Folks Who Eat: Cookin' with Mother Nature /// Dick Gregory and James R. McGraw

A historical graphic novel inspired by the life of Harlem's legendary mobster, Stephanie Saint-Clair Queenie follows the life of Stephanie Saint-Clair—the infamous criminal who made herself a legend in Harlem in the 1930s. Born on a plantation in the French colony of Martinique, Saint-Clair left the island in 1912 and headed for the United States, eager to make a new life for herself. In New York she found success, rising up through poverty and battling extreme racism to become the ruthless queen of Harlem’s mafia and a fierce defender of the Black community. A racketeer and a bootlegger, Saint-Clair dedicated her wealth and compassion to the struggling masses of Harlem, giving loans and paying debts to those around her. But with Prohibition ending, and under threat by Italian mobsters seeking to take control of her operation, she launched a merciless war to save her territory and her skin. In an America still swollen by depression and segregation, Saint-Clair understood that her image was a tool she could use to establish her power and wield as a weapon against her opponents. Authors Elizabeth Colomba and Aurelie Levy's meticulous details—in both story and art—bring Saint-Clair’s story to life in a tense narrative, against a sometimes bloody backdrop of jazz and voodoo. The story tackles the themes of colonization, corruption, police violence, and racial identity, but above all, Queenie celebrates the genius of a woman forgotten by history. BIO From Martinique descent, born and raised in France, Elizabeth Colomba is a representational artist living in New York City. Her previous years as a storyboard artist for Hollywood came in handy to transition from figurative painting to imagining a graphic novel with a cinematic quality. Specialized in postcolonial art, dedicated to reinstalling and liberating the Black body from traditionally restrictive storylines, Colomba analyzes the construction of identity and tangled interrelationship between past and present in our collective identity today. Her works have been exhibited in institutions such as the Met and the LACMA and are part of the permanent collection of the Studio museum in Harlem, the Park Armory Avenue, Yale, PAFA, and JP Morgan. Aurelie Levy is a screenwriter, novelist, and documentary filmmaker. Born and raised in France, she pursued her higher education in Japan at the prestigious ICU in Tokyo where she studied history. She then extended her film and history studies at UCLA where she met Elizabeth Colomba. She then went on to write and direct six feature length documentaries. For the past 20 years she has traveled around the globe unveiling relevant stories and addressing current issues. Among the subjects she tackled are: celebrity culture, international adoption, and men in the #metoo era. Recently she has explored the hurdles of overlooked historical figures such as Stephanie Saint-Clair, the heroine of Levy and Elizabeth Colomba's debut graphic novel Queenie: Godmother of Harlem. Levy currently writes screenplays and TV series for French and US productions and hosts a podcast on writing with the largest literary media company in France. Other books by the author include the novel And the Oscar Goes To (2012) and The 21st Man (2021). REVIEWS “I’ve been an admirer of Elizabeth Colomba’s work for a while now. Her work is a vision of history and in particular herstory, which is often left out and left behind for being too clear, too beautiful, too interesting, too horrific . . . I’m excited to see she poured her talent into a new form of storytelling. Queenie: Godmother of Harlem is her new graphic novel where she brings back to life a powerful Black woman erased by history. It’s original, entertaining, riveting, moving. A beautiful piece of art, a must read!” -- Whoopi Goldberg “A dazzling, gripping, masterfully illustrated graphic novel that commands your attention from the first page! It’s a remarkable true story about a character who’s larger than life.” --Regina King "This smart, sure-footed biography belongs on every history aficionado’s shelf." --Publishers Weekly [H] Harry N. Abrams / January 17, 2023 0.8" H x 8.6" L x 7.1" W (1.37 lbs) 160 pages

Queenie: Godmother of Harlem /// Elizabeth Colomba and Aurelie Levy, illustrations by Elizabeth Colomba /// new

An intimate celebration of New Orleans food and its Black culture from a born-and-raised local chef. Toya Boudy’s father grew up in the Magnolia projects of New Orleans; her mother shared a tight space with five siblings uptown. They worked hard, rotated shifts, and found time to make meals from scratch for the family. In Cooking for the Culture, Boudy shares these recipes, many of which are deeply rooted in the proud Black traditions that shaped her hometown. Driving the cookbook are her personal stories: from struggling in school to having a baby at sixteen, from her growing confidence in the kitchen to her appearances on Food Network. The cookbook opens with Sweet Cream Farina, prepared at the crack of dawn for girls in freshly ironed clothes—being neat and pressed was important. Boudy recounts making cookies from her commodity box peanut butter; explains the know-how behind Smothered Chicken, Jambalaya, and Red Gravy; and shares her original television competition recipes. The result is a deeply personal and unique cookbook. BIO Toya Boudy has appeared on Guy’s Grocery Games, TLC, and Food Network. Crowned Best Home Cook by Hallmark’s Home & Family Channel, Boudy is an ambassador for the New Orleans Multicultural Tourism Network. She lives with her family in New Orleans, Louisiana. [H] Countryman Press / February 07, 2023 0.88" H x 10.63" L x 7.84" W (2.25 lbs) 240 pages

Cooking for the Culture: Recipes and Stories from the New Orleans Streets to the Table /// Toya Boudy /// pre

Hailing from the Tremé neighborhood in New Orleans, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews got his nickname by wielding a trombone twice as long as he was high. A prodigy, he was leading his own band by age six, and today this Grammy-nominated artist headlines the legendary New Orleans Jazz Fest. Along with esteemed illustrator Bryan Collier, Andrews has created a lively picture book autobiography about how he followed his dream of becoming a musician, despite the odds, until he reached international stardom. Trombone Shorty is a celebration of the rich cultural history of New Orleans and the power of music. BIO Troy Andrews (born January 2, 1986), also known by the stage name Trombone Shorty, is an American musician, producer, and philanthropist from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is best known as a trombone and trumpet player but also plays drums, organ, and tuba.Bryan Collier is an acclaimed illustrator who has won three Caldecott Honors and five Coretta Scott King Awards. He lives in Upstate New York. REVIEWS With amply layered mixed-media art by Collier, this high-spirited book feels like going to a music party. -- Maria Russo, The New York Times Book Review The streets of New Orleans are filled with music, and so is the house of Troy Andrews, who narrates the story of his growth into the musician known as Trombone Shorty. Troy dreams of having his own band, and when he finds a battered trombone, he knows he’s on his way: “It didn’t sound perfect, but finally with a real instrument in my hand, I was ready to play.” He brings it to a Bo Diddley concert, and Diddley brings him onstage. Andrews shares the culture of Tremé, his New Orleans neighborhood, punctuating his story’s high moments with the traditional greeting—“Where y’at?” Collier’s (My Country ’Tis of Thee) collaged illustrations give the story even more joyful power. He paints sound with sunbursts of color, the fragrance of gumbo with misty swirls, and Troy’s dreams about the future with bubbles that rise from his bed as he sleeps with his arm around his trombone. If a fairy tale were set in New Orleans, this is how it would read. Ages 4–8. Illustrator’s agent: Marcia Wernick, Wernick & Pratt. (Apr.) -- Publishers Weekly "Sharp panels of color and image, perspective that dips and soars, and layers of mixed-media collage unite to feel like renditions of brass band music itself." -- Amina Chaudhri, Booklist "Collier’s expressive watercolor collages layer and texture each page, creating a mix of images that echo the combination of styles Andrews uses to create his own “musical gumbo'...Read this one aloud to capture the sounds and sights of Trombone Shorty’s New Orleans." -- The Horn Book Magazine "The storytelling is imbued with a touch of storybook glamour and generous humor...Collier’s vibrant mixed-media illustrations ably complement the text with a skillful melding of paint and photo collage that underscore the “gumbo” of street sounds and musical styles that influence Andrews’ works." -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books [H] Abrams Books for Young Readers / April 14, 2015 0.5" H x 10.0" L x 10.2" W (1.1 lbs) 40 pages

Trombone Shorty /// Troy Andrews, illustrations by Bryan Collier

A Phenomenal Book Club Pick“A great and engrossing read, Kashana humanizes a way of life that is often made fun of and makes the reader understand why someone would go to such great lengths to prepare for the future, so much so she almost sold me on those Life Preserver soy bars!” —Trevor NoahA single Black lawyer puts her career and personal moral code at risk when she moves in with her coffee entrepreneur boyfriend and his doomsday-prepping roommates in a novel that’s packed with tension, curiosity, humor, and wit from a writer with serious comedy credentialsIn the wake of her parents’ death, Aretha, a habitually single Black lawyer, has had only one obsession in life—success—until she falls for Aaron, a coffee entrepreneur. Moving into his Brooklyn brownstone to live along with his Hurricane Sandy-traumatized, illegal-gun-stockpiling, optimized-soy-protein-eating, bunker-building roommates, Aretha finds that her dreams of making partner are slipping away, replaced by an underground world, one of selling guns and training for a doomsday that’s maybe just around the corner. For readers of Victor LaValle’s The Changeling, Paul Beatty’s The Sellout, and Zakiya Harris’s The Other Black Girl, The Survivalists is a darkly humorous novel from a smart and relevant new literary voice that’s packed with tension, curiosity and wit, and unafraid to ask the questions most relevant to a new generation of Americans: Does it make sense to climb the corporate ladder? What exactly are the politics of gun ownership? And in a world where it’s nearly impossible for young people to earn enough money to afford stable housing, what does it take in order to survive? BIO Kashana Cauley is the author of the novel The Surivivalists, which will be published on January 10, 2023 by Soft Skull Press. She’s also a writer for The Great North, former staff writer for The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, and former contributing opinion writer for the New York Times. She has also written for Pod Save America on HBO, The Atlantic, Esquire, The New Yorker, Pitchfork, and Rolling Stone, among other publications. But you’re probably here because of her Twitter feed. REVIEWS A Phenomenal Book Club PickNamed a Best Book by Today and PeopleNamed a Most Anticipated Book by The Washington Post, Bustle, Vulture, Salon, Oprah Daily, The Millions, and more“A great and engrossing read, Kashana humanizes a way of life that is often made fun of and makes the reader understand why someone would go to such great lengths to prepare for the future, so much so she almost sold me on those Life Preserver soy bars!” -- Trevor Noah“This is a banger of a book!” -- Samantha Irby“[A] lethally witty debut . . . One might expect a novel about gun-toting, conspiracy-minded loners to lampoon its key players, but the book succeeds because Cauley appears as curious and empathetic toward the survivalists as she is toward her protagonist . . . Cauley, a former writer for The Daily Show With Trevor Noah, displays an enviably versatile sense of humor. The novel is most fun when her wit bolsters the narrative’s sociopolitical underpinnings, as when she describes a ‘house full of mysterious, unexplainable rich-people’ paraphernalia, ‘like gazebos.’ Funny because they’re true, such jabs give the book its verve but also its depth. ” -- Laura Warrell, The New York Times Book Review“Inventive . . . Cauley, a former staff writer for Trevor Noah’s The Daily Show and columnist for The New York Times, has shown herself to be a master of diagnosing our nation’s troubles through acerbic humor . . . Cauley’s quick wit flickers across these pages as her comedy carries us from scene to scene . . . There’s a nail-biting urgency to the juxtaposition of Aretha’s fledgling survivalism and her increasingly clumsy performance at work, contributing to the sense that The Survivalists would make for a thrilling screen adaptation.” -- Lovia Gyarkye, The Washington Post [H] Soft Skull Press / January 10, 2023 1.1" H x 9.0" L x 6.1" W (1.25 lbs) 288 pages

The Survivalists /// Kashana Cauley /// new

Jacqueline Woodson’s National Book Award and Newbery Honor winner is a powerful memoir that tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse.A President Obama “O” Book Club pickRaised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.Includes 7 additional poems, including “Brown Girl Dreaming.” BIO Jacqueline Woodson is the recipient of a 2020 MacArthur Fellowship, the 2020 Hans Christian Andersen Award, the 2018 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and the 2018 Children’s Literature Legacy Award. She was the 2018–2019 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, and in 2015, she was named the Young People’s Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation. She received the 2014 National Book Award for her New York Times bestselling memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, which was also a recipient of the Coretta Scott King Award, a Newbery Honor, the NAACP Image Award, and a Sibert Honor. She wrote the adult books Red at the Bone, a New York Times bestseller, and Another Brooklyn, a 2016 National Book Award finalist. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Jacqueline grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from college with a B.A. in English. She is the author of dozens of award-winning books for young adults, middle graders, and children; among her many accolades, she is a four-time Newbery Honor winner, a four-time National Book Award finalist, and a three-time Coretta Scott King Award winner. Her books include Coretta Scott King Award winner Before the Ever After; New York Times bestsellers The Day You Begin and Harbor Me; The Other Side, Each Kindness, Caldecott Honor book Coming On Home Soon; Newbery Honor winners Feathers, Show Way, and After Tupac and D Foster; and Miracle’s Boys, which received the LA Times Book Prize and the Coretta Scott King Award. Jacqueline is also a recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement for her contributions to young adult literature and a two-time winner of the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York. REVIEWS A National Book Award WinnerA Coretta Scott King Award WinnerA Newbery Honor BookOne of TIME MAGAZINE’s 100 Best YA Books of All Time“Brown Girl Dreaming, Jacqueline Woodson’s highly lauded collection of free-verse poems about her childhood in New York and South Carolina, has language simple enough to be accessible to tweens and young teenagers and more than enough complexity to engage older readers. The winner of a Newbery Honor, NAACP Image Award, National Book Award and Coretta Scott King Award, Brown Girl Dreaming presents the story of Woodson’s experiences living with the remnants of Jim Crow during the 1960s and 1970s. The author confronts issues like faith, racism and sexual abuse using the elegant, spare language and powerful imagery she has come to be known for.” -- TIME MAGAZINE“Gorgeous.” -- Vanity Fair“A radiantly warm memoir.” -- The Washington Post“Moving and resonant . . . captivating.” -- The Wall Street Journal“This is a book full of poems that cry out to be learned by heart. These are poems that will, for years to come, be stored in our bloodstream.” -- The New York Times Book Review“A profoundly moving memoir.” -- San Francisco Chronicle“The writer’s passion for stories and storytelling permeates the memoir, explicitly addressed in her early attempts to write books and implicitly conveyed through her sharp images and poignant observations seen through the eyes of a child. Woodson’s ability to listen and glean meaning from what she hears lead to an astute understanding of her surroundings, friends, and family.” -- Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW "Ms. Woodson writes with a sure understanding of the thoughts of young people, offering a poetic, eloquent narrative that is not simply a story, but a mature exploration of grown-up issues and self-discovery." -- The New York Times Book Review [H] Nancy Paulsen Books / August 28, 2014 1.2" H x 8.75" L x 5.89" W (1.04 lbs) 352 pages [P] Nancy Paulsen Books / October 11, 2016 1.1" H x 8.1" L x 5.6" W (0.75 lbs) 368 pages

Brown Girl Dreaming /// Jacqueline Woodson

A beautiful family-centric cookbook for the home chef, from Ayesha Curry.In The Seasoned Life, Ayesha Curry shares 100 of her favorite recipes and invites readers into the home she has made with her two daughters and her husband Stephen Curry. Ayesha knows firsthand what it is like to be a busy mom and wife, and she knows that for her family, time in the kitchen and around the table is where that balance begins.This book has something for everybody. The simple, delicious recipes include Cast Iron Biscuits, Smoked Salmon Scramble, Homemade Granola, Mom's Chicken Soup, Stephen's 5 Ingredient Pasta, and plenty of recipes that get the whole family involved — even the little ones! BIO Ayesha Curry has been featured in Food & Wine, Time, InStyle, Cooking Light, the Wall Street Journal, People, and USA Today and is a frequent guest on the Rachael Ray Show. Curry has appeared on several popular Food Network programs and hosts her own show on the Food Network. Mom to two daughters, Riley and Ryan, and wife to Stephen Curry, she lives in the Bay Area. REVIEWS One of Eater's Biggest New Cookbooks of 2016One of Essence's "Fantastic Gifts for the Foodie Friends in Your Life""The first time I met Ayesha Curry, I knew I had found a kindred spirit. Ayesha recognizes the true power of food, how a home-cooked meal can bring a family together, and the importance of getting your kids in the kitchen early. Her collection of delicious and accessible recipes reflects who she is as a human—colorful, fresh, and full of flavor!" -- Rachael Ray"Spending an afternoon reading The Seasoned Life is like spending an afternoon with Ayesha at home. It's a relaxed, comfortable book that welcomes you in from the first page, reminding us why we cook: to bring the most important people in our lives together to create memories. Ayesha reassuringly reminds us that cooking doesn't have to be fussy or time-consuming. From her Brown Sugar Bacon with Fennel to her Roasted Potatoes with Lime, her recipes reflect her confidence and creativity in the kitchen. This book is a wonderful addition to any cook's library!" -- Amanda Haas, Williams-Sonoma's Culinary Director and author of The Anti-Inflammation Cookbook and Cooking Light Real Family Food"I've had the pleasure of cooking side by side with Ayesha, and this is a special collection of recipes. I have been impressed with her ability to put flavors together in order to create dishes that are bold, balanced, and flavorful. She cooks from the heart, and has created recipes that people can easily recreate at home for their families. The Seasoned Life is a beautiful collection of dishes that every family will be able to enjoy." -- Michael Mina, author of Michael Mina: The Cookbook"Ayesha Curry...has carved out a path of her own in the lifestyle and culinary world. [S]he has branded herself as the sports world's lifestyle maven, a Gwyneth Paltrow or a Chrissy Teigen of the NBA set. [S]tyles and flavors run the gamut, echoing Curry's own culinary backstory" -- Eater [H] Little Brown & Company / September 20, 2016 0.9" H x 10.2" L x 8.1" W (2.3 lbs) 256 pages

The Seasoned Life: Food, Family, Faith, and the Joy of Eating Well /// Ayesha Curry

The rapid rise of Ayesha Curry sounds a lot like the story of a certain Golden State Warriors guard who took the NBA by storm. Ayesha scores major points with families as she problem-solves weeknight cooking for all of us who are time-crunched but need to develop our kitchen game. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLEREnjoy family-friendly recipes that are ready in no time, when you've got no time, from New York Times bestselling author, online phenomenon, and TV star Ayesha Curry. Ayesha Curry knows what it's like to have so much on your plate you can barely think about dinner. But she also knows that finding balance between work and family life starts with gathering around the table to enjoy a home-cooked meal. The Full Plate brings the best of Ayesha's home kitchen straight to you, with 100 recipes that are flexible and flavorful and come together in less than an hour. You'll find sheet pan dinners and crowd-pleaser pastas, hearty salads and healthy updates to takeout favorites, and fresh spins on classic dishes-plus kid-friendly meals, desserts, and sides (and a few beverages just for the adults).Recipes include: Mushroom Tacos with Avocado Crema Hot Honey Chicken Sandwiches Crab Bucatini Sheet Pan Pork Chops Guava Ginger Ice Cream Spicy Margaritas, and more BIO Ayesha Curry is the New York Times bestselling author of The Seasoned Life, as well as a celebrated entrepreneur, television host, and restaurateur. She starred in ABC’s Family Food Fight and the EllenTube series Fempire, and is the co-owner of the International Smoke group of restaurants. She has has been featured in Food & Wine, Time, InStyle, Cooking Light, the Wall Street Journal, People, Parents, Good Housekeeping, and USA Today. She is mom to three children, daughters Riley and Ryan and son Canon, and wife to Stephen Curry. She lives in the Bay Area. REVIEWS Curry (The Seasoned Life), a TV cooking personality and wife of NBA superstar Stephen Curry, presents a winning collection of dishes that often come together in less than half an hour, designed for busy families. Her pantry includes convenience items deployed in novel ways, such as pancake mix used as a batter for coconut shrimp and refrigerated tubes of biscuit dough deployed for maple-glazed bacon doughnuts. The fusions of global seasonings and jarred sauces in such dishes as curried crab with okra; her childhood-staple red pea soup “loaded with handmade rolled-flour dumplings... called ‘spinners’ ”; and her own take on the spicy-sweet takeout standby, “General Ayesha’s Honey Chicken” reflect her upbringing by parents of Jamaican-Chinese, African-American, and Polish descent. This being a celebrity cookbook, readers are treated to photos of Curry as a contented mom in a stylish home setting. They also will enjoy the way this approachable and appealing recipe collection caters to wide variety of tastes. Agent: Stacey Glick, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. -- Publishers Weekly With her new cookbook, The Full Plate, due out this fall, the mother of three, 31, hopes to help fellow caretakers find new, innovative ways to bring their families joy with efficient meals that still taste amazing. -- People[The Full Plate] provides clever twists on nostalgic favorites, and each recipe is mercifully easy. Her headnotes are also encouraging and playful enough to convince a home cook of any level to pick up a pan. -- EpicuriousThe Full Plate is a simple read packed with something for the entire family. It motivates me to create memories in the kitchen with my loved ones. I hope it does for you too -- Cuisine NoirAyesha Curry, cookbook author, TV personality, and entrepreneur has added a second cookbook to her portfolio. “The Full Plate,” the follow-up to her beloved debut, “The Seasoned Life,” shares how she cooks for her family. The 100 recipes included in the book are specifically designed to be on the table in less than an hour, geared toward busy families who still aim to eat healthfully. -- ChowhoundIn [her] new cookbook, [Curry] keeps prep time to a minimum — no elaborate techniques, just what's needed to make a great meal — and fret time even shorter, assuring readers not to worry if they don’t have an ingredient. Instead, she encourages them to have fun, make substitutions, and rediscover their creativity." -- RomperFood personality and restaurateur Ayesha Curry makes an expert banana fritter and she flavors most of her desserts with homemade vanilla extract, an homage to one of her kitchen heroes Ina Garten. You can find the recipe for that vanilla extract and more family-friendly recipes, including plenty of dinners that cook on sheet pans, in The Full Plate, her second book that is engineered for busy cooks. -- Food & Wine [H] Voracious / September 22, 2022 0.8" H x 10.1" L x 7.9" W (2.24 lbs) 256 pages

The Full Plate: Flavor-Filled, Easy Recipes for Families with No Time and a Lot to Do /// Ayesha Curry

Take an Amazing Soul Food Journey With 60 Authentic, Unique and Indulgent RecipesGet ready to shake up your home cooking with the most soul-satisfying dishes you’ve ever encountered. From hilarious and beloved chef Scotty Scott comes a deep dive into the delicious world of soul food, showcasing traditional recipes as well as awe-inspiring remixes on the classics. Learn the history behind how these iconic dishes came to be so embedded in soulful southern culture, and follow along as Scotty tells the heartwarming, sometimes side-splitting stories of how they were interwoven into his family history and childhood.Start your morning off right with savory Southern Raised Biscuits with Spicy Sausage Cream Gravy or a big ol’ hearty plate of Catfish and Grits. Next, put some meat on your bones with staples like succulent Short Rib Grillades or Sea Island Red Peas and Carolina Gold Rice Hoppin’ John. Finally, dive into the Soul Remix with Scotty’s out-of-this-world elevations of classic recipes, like Fried Oyster Collard Green Salad, Duck Fat Shrimp Etouffee or Chicken and Brown Butter Sweet Potato Waffles with Maple Bourbon Sauce.Capturing the very essence of family, history and hearty goodness, Fix Me A Plate delivers the best of down-home cooking with the funkiest of mouthwatering funky fusions. So dig right in, and you’ll soon be creating crowd-pleasing meals that will have your friends and family asking, “Can you Fix Me a Plate?” BIO Scotty Scott is a personal chef, recipe creator, cooking video director and owner of Cook Drank Eat, a social media platform and catering service. His work has been profiled in 360 West Magazine, Delish.com and on the Strive Podcast. Scotty currently lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with his partner and son. REVIEWS I’ve had the pleasure of hiring Scotty on numerous occasions, from friends and family brunches to cooking for the entire crew on the ‘Sweeter’ video. His food provides the southern feel we need most and he delivers amazing flavor with each dish he prepares! I’m excited for my guy and his new cookbook!” -- Leon Bridges, Grammy awardwinning singer and songwriter“Whether you’re a first-time fryer or a well-seasoned chef, you are going to love this book. Its eyecatching recipes will turn your kitchen into a place of worship.” -- Ryan Hinkson, creator of EatFamous“Fix Me a Plate is filled with mouthwatering and easy to make comfort food recipes that satisfy and warm the soul! With Scotty’s incredible flavors and excitement in every single dish, there’s something to enjoy for every meal of the day.” -- Alex Snodgrass, New York Times bestselling author of The Defined Dish“Anyone can learn to cook, but pouring his true life’s passion into every dish places Scotty in a class of his own. This book is proof of how much he loves to not only cook, but nurture our souls.” -- Jonathan Morris, host of Self Employed on Magnolia Network [P] Page Street Publishing / March 15, 2022 0.4" H x 9.0" L x 7.8" W (0.95 lbs) 168 pages

Fix Me a Plate: Traditional and New School Soul Food Recipes from Scotty Scott of Cook Drank Eat /// Scotty Scott

Leila Aboulela, hailed as “a versatile prose stylist” (New York Times) has also been praised by J.M. Coetzee, Ali Smith, and Ben Okri, among others, for her rich and nuanced novels depicting Islamic spiritual and political life. Her new novel is an enchanting narrative of the years leading up to the British conquest of Sudan in 1898, and a deeply human look at the tensions between Britain and Sudan, Christianity and Islam, colonizer and colonized. In River Spirit, Aboulela gives us the unforgettable story of a people who—against the odds and for a brief time—gained independence from foreign rule through their willpower, subterfuge, and sacrifice. When Akuany and her brother Bol are orphaned in a village raid in South Sudan, they’re taken in by a young merchant Yaseen who promises to care for them, a vow that tethers him to Akuany through their adulthood. As a revolutionary leader rises to power – the self-proclaimed Mahdi, prophesied redeemer of Islam – Sudan begins to slip from the grasp of Ottoman rule, and everyone must choose a side. A scholar of the Qur’an, Yaseen feels beholden to stand against this false Mahdi, even as his choice splinters his family. Meanwhile, Akuany moves through her young adulthood and across the country alone, sold and traded from house to house, with Yaseen as her inconsistent lifeline. Everything each of them is striving for – love, freedom, safety – is all on the line in the fight for Sudan. Through the voices of seven men and women whose fates grow inextricably linked, Aboulela’s latest novel illuminates a fraught and bloody reckoning with the history of a people caught in the crosshairs of imperialism. River Spirit is a powerful tale of corruption, coming of age, and unshakeable devotion – to a cause, to one’s faith, and to the people who become family. BIO Leila Aboulela is the first-ever winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing. Nominated three times for the Orange Prize (now the Women’s Prize for Fiction), she is the author of numerous novels, including The Kindness of Enemies, The Translator, Minaret and Lyrics Alley, which was Fiction Winner of the Scottish Book Awards. Her work has been translated into fifteen languages. She grew up in Khartoum, Sudan, and now lives in Aberdeen, Scotland. REVIEWS “Action-packed Aboulela casts a scrutinous and perceptive eye on the motives of religious leaders and colonial forces, and she layers the narrative with a rich blend of languages and cultures. This brims with drama and nuance.” -- Publishers Weekly “Rich and moving… captivating.” -- Kirkus “[Aboulela] explores themes of faith and conquest without compromising on rich characterization or compelling plot development. She also also centralizes women and their experiences in a larger sociopolitical context that is most often viewed in terms of men’s lives… Aboulela reveals the thin lines that can demarcate religious zeal and patriotic fervor, social crusade and personal recklessness, as she creates a finely wrought and compellingly in-depth drama about a land and its people." -- Booklist, starred review “A novel of extraordinary sympathy and insight… a wonderful achievement.” --Abdulrazak Gurnah, Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature “River Spirit had me gripped from the first page. This is real history, imagined in splendid detail, a story of ordinary people caught in extraordinary times. The characters’ interwoven narratives create a book shaped into twists and turns all the way to its thrilling end. A triumph of storytelling.” -- Aminatta Forna, author of Happiness and The Window Seat [H] Grove Press / March 07, 2023 1.4" H x 8.5" L x 5.6" W (0.9 lbs) 400 pages

River Spirit /// Leila Aboulela /// pre

Discover the inspiring story of Augustus Jackson, an African American entrepreneur who is known as "the father of ice cream," in this beautifully illustrated picture-book biography.Augustus Jackson was born in 1808 in Philadelphia. While most African Americans were enslaved at that time, in Pennsylvania, slavery was against the law. But while Augustus and his family were free, they were poor, and they depended on their garden and their chickens for food. Augustus enjoyed helping his mom prepare meals for their family. He dreamed of becoming a professional cook, and when his mom suggested he may be able to make meals for the president one day, Augustus didn’t waste any time in making that dream a reality. In 1820, when he was only twelve years old, he set off for Washington, DC. He applied to work in the White House, where the head cook offered him a job as a kitchen helper. After five years of working hard, Augustus, or Gus, was promoted to cook. He went on to serve presidents James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Jackson.During his time at the White House, Augustus became an expert at making a popular egg-based dessert. He soon made an eggless version—known to us today as ice cream—and left the White House determined to make and sell the frozen treat to everyone, not just the wealthy. Gus headed back home to Philadelphia, and in 1830, he opened his very own ice cream parlor. He devised a way to keep the ice cream frozen so that it could be shipped and sold to other businesses. Gus also began adding rock salt to the ice that he used to make his ice cream, which made the mixture freeze more quickly. This allowed him to speed up his production process. He created more ice cream with new flavors, and soon he was shipping product via train to places like New York City, which was 100 miles away. Gus’s dream had come true, and better yet, he had brought smiles to many faces.Shining a light on a little-known visionary, this inspiring picture-book biography includes an afterword, a list of sources, and an easy-to-follow recipe so readers can make their own delicious ice cream! BIO Glenda Armand has had a long career as a teacher and school librarian and enjoys writing picture-book biographies that inspire children to dream big. Glenda is the author of the award-winning Love Twelve Miles Long, Ira’s Shakespeare Dream, and Song in a Rainstorm: The Story of Musical Prodigy Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins. Her picture book Black-Eyed Peas and Hoghead Cheese will be published by Crown Books for Young Readers in Fall 2022. When not writing or practicing the piano, Glenda tends a garden full of succulents and roses. She lives in Los Angeles, and you can learn more about her at glenda-armand.com. Kim Freeman is a children’s book writer in Bloomington, Indiana, who enjoys writing books that inspire children to follow their dreams. Kim holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University and is a long-time member of SCBWI (the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators). She enjoys spending time with her family at museums and zoos, attending musicals and sporting events, and discovering new ice cream shops. (Kim is a triple-scoop fan of chocolate with peanut butter). Keith Mallett is an American artist who has worked as a painter, etcher and ceramic artist. His subject matter ranges from figurative to still life and abstracts. Mallett's work has been exhibited worldwide and is featured in corporate and private collections. REVIEWS "A charming—and tasty—slice of history." -- Kirkus Reviews"Text takes a reminiscing tone, while digitally painted period illustrations shine light on every face." -- Publishers Weekly [H] Crown Books for Young Readers / January 17, 2023 0.39" H x 10.08" L x 10.16" W (1.01 lbs) 40 pages

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