Our May 2021 book club selection is here!
Dear Good Ancestors,
Welcome to May, and with it, a brand new book selection to share for the Good Ancestor Club.
But firstly, how are you? How is your heart? And how are taking care of your precious self and your loved ones?
We are still observing the holy fasting month of Ramadan, and I will be honest and say that I feel like I pretty much sleep-walked through April!
The combination of fasting, pandemic restrictions, pandemic exhaustion, full-time remote school learning for my kids, work, the news, and just... life... made for a pretty intense month. I continue to learn how to be gentle with myself for getting through each day, and grateful for the many blessings that I do have.
Two of the things I am really grateful for in April were co-hosting a two-part series on Boundaries with my friend and sister Leesa Renee Hall for our Patreon communities. And getting to read and be in conversation with Emma Dabiri and her book Twisted / Don't Touch My Hair. It is such a well-written and well-constructed book that I encourage everyone to check out. A huge thank you to Emma for joining myself, Sarita, and our book club members in live conversation this past Thursday to round off the month.
Watch the video above to find out more about this incredible book.
About Dawnie:
Dawnie's writing explores identity, place, and the influence of pop culture. A MacDowell Colony fellow (2015), a Tin House Scholar (2017), and a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop (MFA, 2018), she has worked as an executive-level editor for magazine and multimedia brands including Essence, Entertainment Weekly, Getty Images, and LIFE. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, she lives in Brooklyn.
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is Dawnie's debut novel, and is a Good Morning America Buzz Pick.
About The Final Revival of Opal & Nev:
Opal is a fiercely independent young woman pushing against the grain in her style and attitude, Afro-punk before that term existed. Coming of age in Detroit, she can’t imagine settling for a 9-to-5 job—despite her unusual looks, Opal believes she can be a star. So when the aspiring British singer/songwriter Neville Charles discovers her at a bar’s amateur night, she takes him up on his offer to make rock music together for the fledgling Rivington Records.
In early seventies New York City, just as she’s finding her niche as part of a flamboyant and funky creative scene, a rival band signed to her label brandishes a Confederate flag at a promotional concert. Opal’s bold protest and the violence that ensues set off a chain of events that will not only change the lives of those she loves, but also be a deadly reminder that repercussions are always harsher for women, especially black women, who dare to speak their truth.
Decades later, as Opal considers a 2016 reunion with Nev, music journalist S. Sunny Shelton seizes the chance to curate an oral history about her idols. Sunny thought she knew most of the stories leading up to the cult duo’s most politicized chapter. But as her interviews dig deeper, a nasty new allegation from an unexpected source threatens to blow up everything.
Provocative and chilling, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev features a backup chorus of unforgettable voices, a heroine the likes of which we’ve not seen in storytelling, and a daring structure, and introduces a bold new voice in contemporary fiction.
Grab your copies of Dawnie’s book from our Good Ancestor Bookshops:
If you are not currently a member of the Good Ancestor Book Club, we would love to have you join us!
You can find out more about the book club at www.goodancestorbookclub.com. To join the book club simply join or upgrade your membership to the Good Ancestor Book Club member tier, where both monthly and annual subscriptions are available.
We begin our book discussions next week on Monday 10th April, and our author event with Dawnie will be on Thursday, May 27th.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. We can't wait to begin the next month of book-clubbing together :)