The daughter of an affluent Black family pieces together the connection between a childhood tragedy and a beloved heirloom in this moving novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake.

When ten-year-old Ebby Freeman heard the gunshot, time stopped. And when she saw her brother, Baz, lying on the floor surrounded by the shattered pieces of a centuries-old jar, life as Ebby knew it shattered as well.

The crime was never solved—and because the Freemans were one of the only Black families in a particularly well-to-do enclave of New England—the case has had an enduring, voyeuristic pull for the public. The last thing the Freemans want is another media frenzy splashing their family across the papers, but when Ebby's high profile romance falls apart without any explanation, that's exactly what they get.

So Ebby flees to France, only for her past to follow her there. And as she tries to process what's happened, she begins to think about the other loss her family suffered on that day eighteen years ago—the stoneware jar that had been in their family for generations, brought North by an enslaved ancestor. But little does she know that the handcrafted piece of pottery held more than just her family's history—it might also hold the key to unlocking her own future.

In this sweeping, evocative novel, Charmaine Wilkerson brings to life a multi-generational epic that examines how the past informs our present.

In this honest and stunning novel, James Baldwin has given America a moving story of love in the face of injustice. Told through the eyes of Tish, a nineteen-year-old girl, in love with Fonny, a young sculptor who is the father of her child, Baldwin's story mixes the sweet and the sad. Tish and Fonny have pledged to get married, but Fonny is falsely accused of a terrible crime and imprisoned.

Their families set out to clear his name, and as they face an uncertain future, the young lovers experience a kaleidoscope of emotions—affection, despair, and hope. In a love story that evokes the blues, where passion and sadness are inevitably intertwined, Baldwin has created two characters so alive and profoundly realized that they are unforgettably ingrained in the American psyche.

Leaving Atlanta is a poignant and evocative coming-of-age novel by the talented Tayari Jones. Set against the harrowing backdrop of the Atlanta child murders of 1979, this story immerses you in the lives of three young black children navigating their way through a world fraught with fear and uncertainty.

The narrative unfolds through the perspectives of fifth-grade classmates Tasha Baxter, Rodney Green, and Octavia Harrison. As they return to school, they face not only the usual childhood challenges but also the terrifying reality of safety lessons, anxious parents, and an omnipresent sense of dread. Jones masterfully captures the innocence and resilience of childhood, painting a vivid picture of how these young souls strive to grow up and survive amidst the chaos.

With its rich storytelling and deep emotional resonance, Leaving Atlanta is a testament to the strength of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming odds. It's a story that will linger in your heart long after you've turned the last page.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is the remarkable true story of Harriet Jacobs, an individual's struggle for self-identity, self-preservation, and freedom. This autobiographical account chronicles Harriet's journey from a life of servitude and degradation in North Carolina to liberty and reunion with her children in the North.

Written and published in 1861 after Jacobs' harrowing escape from a vile and predatory master, the memoir delivers a powerful and unflinching portrayal of the abuses and hypocrisy of the master-slave relationship. Jacobs writes frankly of the horrors she suffered as a slave, her eventual escape after several unsuccessful attempts, and her seven years in self-imposed exile, hiding in a coffin-like "garret" attached to her grandmother's porch.

A rare firsthand account of a courageous woman's determination and endurance, this inspirational story also represents a valuable historical record of the continuing battle for freedom and the preservation of family.

This revolutionary play by lauded playwright and poet Ntozake Shange is a fearless portrayal of the experiences of women of color. Since its inception in California in 1974, and its highly acclaimed success at Joseph Papp's Public Theater and on Broadway, it has excited, inspired, and transformed audiences nationwide.

Passionate and fearless, Shange's words reveal what it is to be of color and female in the twentieth century. This groundbreaking dramatic prose poem is written in vivid and powerful language that resonates with unusual beauty and delivers a fierce message to the world.

In the winter of 1926, when everybody everywhere sees nothing but good things ahead, Joe Trace, a middle-aged door-to-door salesman of Cleopatra beauty products, shoots his teenage lover to death. At the funeral, Joe’s wife, Violet, attacks the girl’s corpse.

This passionate, profound story of love and obsession brings us back and forth in time, as a narrative is assembled from the emotions, hopes, fears, and deep realities of black urban life. In a dazzling act of jazz-like improvisation, moving seamlessly in and out of past, present, and future, a mysterious voice weaves this brilliant fiction, capturing the ineffable mood and complex humanity of black urban life at a moment in our century we assumed we understood.

The Temple of My Familiar is a visionary novel that weaves together a cast of characters, intertwining their past and present into a brilliantly intricate tapestry of tales. It tells the story of the dispossessed and displaced, of peoples whose history is ancient and whose future is yet to come.

Meet Lissie, a woman of many pasts; Arveyda, the great guitarist, and his Latin American wife who has had to flee her homeland; Suwelo, the history teacher, and his former wife Fanny, who has fallen in love with spirits. Hovering tantalizingly above their stories are Miss Celie and Shug, the beloved characters from The Color Purple.

This novel transcends time, examining contradictions such as black vs. white, man vs. woman, sexual freedom vs. sexual slavery, and past vs. present. As Alice Walker follows these astonishing characters, she weaves a new mythology from old fables and history, providing a profoundly spiritual explanation for centuries of shared African American experience.