Black History in Fiction: 2023
From historical fiction to fantasy to romance to thrillers, in settings that range from ancient Africa through the Civil War and Civil Rights era, this varied list of adult fiction published over the last year explores and evokes the rich array of Black history. (January 2023)
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Anywhere You Run
In this gripping, suspenseful novel, in which, after the murder of a white man in Jim Crow Mississippi, two black sisters run away to different parts of the country...but can they escape the secrets they left behind?
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Last Gift of the Master Artists
This ominous tale set in Ancient Africa reinvents through the story of the Atlantic slave trade the resilient culture Okri's native Nigeria, in a story that follows a disguised prince’s search for a girl he met by chance as ships with white sails appear on the horizon.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Monsters We Defy
In an alternate 1925 Washington, D.C, a woman able to communicate with spirits must assemble a ragtag crew to pull off a daring heist to save her community in this timely and dazzling historical fantasy that weaves together African American folk magic, history, and romance.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Take My Hand
In 1973 Montgomery, Alabama, Civil Townsend, a young Black nurse working for the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic, grapples with her role when she takes two young girls into her heart and the unthinkable happens, and nothing will ever be the same for any of them.
Format: Book
Availability: All copies in use
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One-shot Harry
Race and civil rights in 1963 Los Angeles provide a powerful backdrop in this gritty, riveting historical crime novel about an African American forensic photographer seeking justice for a friend.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Sister Mother Warrior
When a war breaks out on Saint Domingue, two extraordinary women--the first Empress of Haiti and a West African-born warrior--finally meet and play pivotal roles in the revolution that will eventually lead to full independence for Haiti and its people.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Greenland
A dazzling literary debut novel-within-a-novel about a young author writing about the forbidden love affair between E.M. Forster and Mohammed el Adl - in which Mohammed's story collides with his own, blending fact and fiction.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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On the Rooftop
The talk of the Jazz-era Fillmore, The Salvations--sisters Ruth, Esther and Chloe--find their personal ambitions on a collision course with those of their mother, whose dreams of musical stardom for them forces her to confront the parts of her life that threaten to splinter.
Format: eBook
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The Two Lives of Sara
During the racially divided 1960s, a young Black unwed mother named Sara, working for Mama Sugar at a popular boarding house in Memphis, Tennessee, finds friendship and refuge until secrets from Mama Sugar's past are revealed, forcing Sara to make a decision that will reshape the rest of her life.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Black Cake
Eleanor Bennett's death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a traditional Caribbean black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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