TFBWL BOOKMAIL 🎉♥️🎉♥️

Thank you so much to Lisa Braxton for sending The Free Black Women’s Library a copy of her debut novel THE TALKING DRUM.

A quick read of the first few chapters and I’m already pulled into this story of 3 young couples living in a community of African and West Indian immigrants.

I’m also drawn in by the gorgeous cover art .

Back cover descriptor reads as such, - - “It is 1971, and Bellport Massachusetts is a dying factory town. But the coming urban redevelopment will have even more implications for the residents. Sydney Stallworth has left her law studies to support her husband’s dream of opening a business in the heart of the Black community. For Omar Basari, a drummer from Senegal, Bellport will be the launching pad from which he hopes to spread African culture across the world. Della Toliver has built a fragile sanctuary for herself, her boyfriend, and her daughter Jasmine, a troubled child prone to nightmares and outbursts. Tensions rise as the demolition date moves closer and suspicious fires begin to break out. Bellport’s residents find themselves increasingly at odds with the political system that is manipulating their lives and their relationships. Examining the profound impact of gentrification.

THE TALKING DRUM explores intra-racial, class, and cross cultural tensions, along with the meaning of community and belonging.

This book published this year(2020) by Inanna Publication & Education in Toronto, Canada has the look and feel of a good solid read, and I’m thrilled to add it to the collection. 🖤 📚🖤