Tag: African American
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The Ending of Silver Sparrow
In Silver Sparrow, Tayari Jones explores what it means to be a family. Set in Atlanta, first Dana tells the story, then Chaurisse, before Dana closes it off. We get to know each sister intimately, from multiple perspectives. These two sisters grow up very differently, and from each of their stories, we get to build…
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The Ending of Lovely War
Lovely War is a fictional novel by Julie Berry. It is a story of love, beauty and the effects of war. As the first world war spreads its impact throughout Europe, two unlikely couples meet — Hazel and James and Aubrey and Colette. Aphrodite tells the story with roles from Ares, Apollo, Hephaestus, and Hades.…
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The Ending of Parable of the Talents
Parable of the Talents is the second and final book in the Earthseed series by Octavia Butler. While the first book, Parable of the Sower, is told by Lauren, Parable of the Talents is told by her daughter Larkin. We learn what happened to Earthseed through Lauren’s journal, with reflection and details added by Larkin.…
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The Ending of Parable of the Sower
Parable of the Sower was first published in 1993 by Octavia Butler. The year is 2024 and the world is in chaos. There are few jobs, no social welfare system. The police are as likely to be thugs as to help you, and you have to pay them for help. Those who can afford to…
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The Ending of When No One is Watching
When No One is Watching is a fictional novel by Alyssa Cole. My cousin told me this genre is called existential horror. That seems right, as the book reminded me of the movie Get Out. The story is set in Gifford Place in Brooklyn (a fictional place) and told from two perspectives, Theo’s and Sydney’s.…
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The Ending of The Vanishing Half
The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett is a multigenerational story of an African American family. Desiree and Stella are identical twin girls born in the 1950s in Mallard, a small town in Louisiana. All the people in Mallard are black but light-skinned. They are distrustful of dark-skinned people, considering themselves better because of the proximity…
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The Ending of Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Long Way Down is a young adult book by Jason Reynolds. It is the story of Will, a 15-year-old who lives with his mother. His older brother Shawn has just been shot and while his mother is wailing, he is not; he is following the rules passed down from father to son, son to brother.…
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The Ending of Such a Fun Age
Such a Fun Age is a contemporary fiction by Kiley Reid. It explores themes of identity, friendship, class, privilege, and relationships through the perspective of a young black woman, Emira. While babysitting for a wealthy white family one night, Emira is accused of kidnapping the child. That incident changes the relationship between Emira and the…
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The Ending of An American Marriage
An American Marriage is a contemporary fiction by Tayari Jones. It is a love story, but not a conventional one. It explores the complexities of love, marriage, family, and social justice. Newlyweds Roy and Celestial are an African American couple whose marriage is challenged when Roy is arrested and wrongfully convicted of a crime. The…
