Soon to be a Netflix series starring Octavia Spencer, On Her Own Ground is the first full-scale biography of “one of the great success stories of American history” (The Philadelphia Inquirer), Madam C.J. Walker—the legendary African American entrepreneur and philanthropist—by her great-great-granddaughter, A’Lelia Bundles. The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Sarah Breedlove—who would become known as Madam C. J. Walker—was orphaned at seven, married at fourteen, and widowed at twenty. She spent the better part of the next two decades laboring as a washerwoman for $1.50 a week. Then—with the discovery of a revolutionary hair care formula for black women—everything changed. By her death in 1919, Walker managed to overcome astonishing odds: building a storied beauty empire from the ground up, amassing wealth unprecedented among black women, and devoting her life to philanthropy and social activism. Along the way, she formed friendships with great early-twentieth-century political figures such as Ida B. Wells, Mary McLeod Bethune, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Booker T. Washington.
"The unraveling of Bebe Jones revolves around the rich and famous Jones family and the people who work for them as they cope through an array of personal dramas. The story begins at the height of the Global Financial Crisis, when 23-year-old Desiree Washington lands a job with her idol, legendary R&B singer Bebe Jones. Desiree quickly discovers that the outwardly perfect Bebe is in fact a troubled and lonely diva reeling from a career in decline and a marriage in tatters, and that behind all the money, glamor and fame, there are skeletons in the family closet"--Author's website.
As a child, Laura Ingalls Wilder traveled across the prairie in a covered wagon. Her daughter, Rose, thought those stories might make a good book, and the two created the beloved Little House series. Sara Breedlove, the daughter of former slaves, wanted everything to be different for her own daughter, A'Lelia. Together they built a million-dollar beauty empire for women of color. Marie Curie became the first person in history to win two Nobel prizes in science. Inspired by her mother, Irène too became a scientist and Nobel prize winner. Borrowed Names is the story of these extraordinary mothers and daughters. Borrowed Names is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
“Sure to delight Bridgerton fans.” —USA TODAY The “sweet, sexy, and utterly fun” (Emily Henry, author of People We Meet on Vacation) Regency Vows series continues with a witty, charming, and joyful novel following a seasoned debutante and a rakish theater owner as they navigate a complicated marriage of convenience. Lady Emily Turner has been a debutante for six seasons now and should have long settled into a suitable marriage. However, due to her father’s large debts, her only suitor is the persistent and odious owner of her father’s favorite gambling house. Meanwhile, Lord Julian Belfry, the second son of a marquess, has scandalized society as an actor and owner of a theater—the kind of establishment where men take their mistresses, but not their wives. When their lives intersect at a house party, Lord Julian hatches a plan to benefit them both. With a marriage of convenience, Emily will use her society connections to promote the theater to a more respectable clientele and Julian will take her out from under the shadows of her father’s unsavory associates. But they soon realize they have very different plans for their marriage—Julian wants Emily to remain a society wife, while Emily discovers an interest in the theater. But when a fleeing actress, murderous kitten, and meddlesome friends enter the fray, Emily and Julian will have to confront the fact that their marriage of convenience comes with rather inconvenient feelings. With “an arch sense of humor and a marvelously witty voice that rivals the best of the Regency authors” (Entertainment Weekly), Martha Waters crafts another fresh romantic comedy that for fans of Julia Quinn and Evie Dunmore.
In 1956, one year before federal troops escorted the Little Rock 9 into Central High School, fourteen year old Jo Ann Allen was one of twelve African-American students who broke the color barrier and integrated Clinton High School in Tennessee. At first things went smoothly for the Clinton 12, but then outside agitators interfered, pitting the townspeople against one another. Uneasiness turned into anger, and even the Clinton Twelve themselves wondered if the easier thing to do would be to go back to their old school. Jo Ann--clear-eyed, practical, tolerant, and popular among both black and white students---found herself called on as the spokesperson of the group. But what about just being a regular teen? This is the heartbreaking and relatable story of her four months thrust into the national spotlight and as a trailblazer in history. Based on original research and interviews and featuring backmatter with archival materials and notes from the authors on the co-writing process.
"A major study...one that thorougly interweaves the philosophies and fads, the people and movements that combined to give a small segment of Afro America a brief place in the sun."—The New York Times Book Review.
“One of the most exciting novels of the year . . . The dramatic story of Madam C.J. Walker, America’s first black female millionaire.”—E. Lynn Harris Born to former slaves on a Louisiana plantation in 1867, Madam C.J. Walker rose from poverty and indignity to become America’s first black female millionaire, the head of a hugely successful beauty company, and a leading philanthropist in African American causes. Renowned author Alex Haley became fascinated by the story of this extraordinary heroine, and before his death in 1992, he embarked on the research and outline of a major novel based on her life. With The Black Rose, critically acclaimed writer Tananarive Due brings Haley’s work to an inspiring completion. Blending documented history, vivid dialogue, and a sweeping fictionalized narrative, Tananarive Due paints a vivid portrait of this passionate and tenacious pioneer and the unforgettable era in which she lived. Praise for The Black Rose “An artfully framed page-turner.”—Essence “An impressive accomplishment . . . Due’s combination of historical study and fictional exploration endows this gripping tale with intimacy and emotional authenticity.”—The Miami Herald
A breathtaking exploration of the lives of young black women in the early twentieth century. In Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments, Saidiya Hartman examines the revolution of black intimate life that unfolded in Philadelphia and New York at the beginning of the twentieth century. Free love, common-law and transient marriages, serial partners, cohabitation outside of wedlock, queer relations, and single motherhood were among the sweeping changes that altered the character of everyday life and challenged traditional Victorian beliefs about courtship, love, and marriage. Hartman narrates the story of this radical social transformation against the grain of the prevailing century-old argument about the crisis of the black family. In wrestling with the question of what a free life is, many young black women created forms of intimacy and kinship that were indifferent to the dictates of respectability and outside the bounds of law. They cleaved to and cast off lovers, exchanged sex to subsist, and revised the meaning of marriage. Longing and desire fueled their experiments in how to live. They refused to labor like slaves or to accept degrading conditions of work. Beautifully written and deeply researched, Wayward Lives recreates the experience of young urban black women who desired an existence qualitatively different than the one that had been scripted for them—domestic service, second-class citizenship, and respectable poverty—and whose intimate revolution was apprehended as crime and pathology. For the first time, young black women are credited with shaping a cultural movement that transformed the urban landscape. Through a melding of history and literary imagination, Wayward Lives recovers their radical aspirations and insurgent desires.
'A feel-good, uplifting read' USA Today 'A heartfelt, hopeful, and humorous exploration of the importance of learning to love yourself . . . a joy to read' Booklist, STARRED REVIEW 'Reading a body positive book with a curvy women of colour who is a leading lady and NOT a sidekick, made me smile ear-to-ear. Savvy is a talented, compassionate, intelligent and fully developed character who made me stand up and cheer!' Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Savvy Sheldon spends a lot of time tiptoeing around the cracks in her life: her high-stress and low-thanks job, her clueless boyfriend and the falling-apart kitchen she inherited from her beloved grandma-who taught her how to cook. But when Savvy's world starts to crash down around her, she knows it's time for some renovations. Starting from the outside in, Savvy tackles her crumbling kitchen, her relationship with her body, her work-life balance (or lack thereof) and, last but not least, her love life. But as any home-renovation-show junkie can tell you, something always falls apart during renovations. First, Savvy passes out during hot yoga. Then it turns out that the contractor she hires is the same sexy stranger she unintentionally offended by judging based on appearances. Worst of all, Savvy can't seem to go anywhere without tripping over her ex and his latest "upgrade." Maybe Savvy should've started her renovations the other way around: beginning with how she sees herself before building a love that lasts . . . A sexy and heart-pounding romantic comedy that will make you stand up and cheer! Fans of Talia Hibbert, Ali Hazelwood and Jesse Sutanto won't be able to resist Savvy Sheldon Feels Good As Hell. Readers still aren't over Savvy Sheldon: 'I love plus-size positive love stories and it seems like there are so many coming out recently that I really need to catch up! This was definitely worth the read and I'll be reading more of McCoy in the future!' Netgalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'SAVVY SHELDON FEELS GOOD AS HELL was wonderful! I adored Savvy from page 1, and her journey to self love was wonderful to read. The food descriptions in this book!!! I caught myself cooking while reading because it made me so hungry. Plus her connection with Spencer was electric! I loved this one and can't wait for McCoy's next!' Netgalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'What a great story! I loved Savvy and I also loved Spencer, a man who ended up being much more than Savvy's contractor. Factor in a lot of tennis, a lot of cooking, and Savvy fighting the insecurities she had with her appearance, and Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell left me with a feel-good feeling' Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Another one to add to the favourites pile! I loved Savvy and getting to be alongside her on her journey to self-discovery!' Netgalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'LOVEDDDDD IT!!!!' Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I was enamoured with Taj's McCoy's debut. Savvy goes on one heck of a self-love journey post-breakup and I was cheering for her the whole way. Add a steamy romance into the mix and my heart sang as I tore through this book. This feel-good, empowering romcom will blow you away, guaranteed' Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This is a unique book that I think a lot of women, young and old alike will benefit from reading. It has a wonderful message wrapped up in a love story, full of affirmations for Black women especially, and an MC who everyone will want to root for. I read it in one sitting and couldn't recommend it more!' Netgalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Madam C. J. Walker was beloved within her community for her philanthropy and establishing the local YMCA, but she couldn't have done that if she wasn't the first female self-made millionaire and one of the most successful African American business owners ever. Born Sarah Breedlove, she was the first person born free in her family. She married Charles Joseph Walker and became known as Madam C. J. Walker, the name she would later use on her haircare products. After talking with her brothers, who were barbers, she realized that African American women didn't know how to properly care for their hair. This inspired her to start her own line of hair care products to do things like reduce dandruff, grow longer hair, smooth hair, or prevent baldness. Her company employed thousands of door-to-door saleswomen from all over the United States and the Caribbean. She supported the African American community by establishing the first YMCA in Indianapolis, funding scholarships for the Tuckegee Institute, and becoming a patron of the Harlem renaissance.
