KIN by Tayari Jones, Alfred A. Knopf, 2026 Soulmates don't always come in the form of romantic partners. Sometimes they are cradle friends who will travel hundreds of miles just to hold your hand while your heart is breaking. Niecy and Annie are just those soulmates. The first thing you need to know is: KIN by Tayari Jones is more than a story about two Black girls from Honeysuckle, Louisiana. It’s a story of sacrifice, the invisible work women do, subtle love, holding on, an

Black Girl in Paris, Riverhead Books, 2000 Key elements of this book: Paris setting 1980s time period James Baldwin Finding oneself Eden has dreamt of going to Paris for most of her life. Even as she works in the basement of a former plantation, she dreams of the freedom of Paris, and to walk the same streets as her literary hero James Baldwin. She imagines herself living there, finally going after her dream of being a writer. She will meet James Baldwin and he will take her