African-American Fiction: Great Books You May Have Missed |
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- Big Girls Don't Cry by Connie Briscoe (1996)
- Naomi Jefferson, who experiences loss, betrayal, and addiction, believes that the weight of the world lies on her shoulders, until Joseph, her deceased brother's illegitimate teenage son, enters her life and teaches her a lesson in courage and self-love.
- Singing in the Comeback Choir by Bebe Moore Campbell (1998)
- Called one of the leading black novelists of the twentieth century by The Washington Post , the author of Brothers and Sisters follows a successful producer who tries to revitalize the ghetto of her youth.
- What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage (1997)
- A highly praised debut novel by an African-American playwright and essayist follows Ava Johnson's discovery that she is HIV positive and her journey back to her sleepy North Michigan hometown, where she manages to find new love.
- Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant (1997)
- A heartwarming novel of friendship follows the lives of Patricia Reid and Gayle Saunders, two black children raised as sisters, who as adults are separated by the different dreams that each tries to follow.
- Friends and Lovers by Eric Jerome Dickey (1997)
- The author of Sister, Sister tells the humorous, poignant story of two romances between young African-American couples -- one of which ends in a storybook marriage, and the other, which ends in an unexpected pregnancy and a painful reunion.
- B-Boy Blues: A Seriously Sexy, Fiercely Funny, Black-on-Black Love Story by James Earl Hardy (1994)
- Mitchell Crawford, who has long sought a street-wise lover, finds one in Raheim Rivers, a young man who can take him for a walk on the wild side.
- Just As I Am by E. Lynn Harris (1994)
- Middle-class black homosexuals deal with their sexuality and the AIDS, racism, and homophobia that go with it in a novel that explores the lies people tell one another in an effort to conceal their true selves.
- Caught Up in the Rapture by Sheneska Jackson (1996)
- In the heart of South Central L.A., Jazmine, the daughter of a preacher, connects with X-Man, headed for a life on the streets, and their love takes them to the top of the music industry.
- Bebe's By Golly Wow! by Yolanda Joe (1998)
- A thoroughly modern look at romance, friendship, and family, the sequel to He Say, She Say continues the story of Bebe, a fortysomething bank supervisor and recent college graduate, and her best friend, Sandy, a young radio executive.
- Good Hair by Benilde Little (1996)
- Alice Andrews, a reporter in Newark, falls in love with handsome, Harvard-educated surgeon Jack Russworm, but class differences, especially his upper-crust African American background, threaten their romance.
- Disappearing Acts by Terry McMillan (1989)
- When Franklin, a young construction worker, meets Zora, a struggling singer from Ohio, neither is certain they can make the sacrifices and commitments needed to build love.
- God Don't Like Ugly by Mary Monroe (2000)
- Frightened and ashamed, budding teenager Annette Goode, a shy, awkward, overweight young girl, hides the devastating secret that her mother's boarder has been sexually abusing her, until her life is changed forever by the beautiful and worldly Rhoda Nelson, a new best friend who also shares a horrific secret about her past.
- Soul Mates Dissipate by Mary B. Morrison (2001)
- Beautiful fashion photographer Jada Diamond Tanner finds a soulmate in handsome Wellington Jones, and as the two fall madly in love, they are faced with unexpected obstacles, forcing Jada to learn some painful lessons in love, trust, and fidelity.
- Temptation by Victoria Christopher Murray (2000)
- Kyla and and her husband, Jefferson, discover the importance of God's love after Kyla's friend, Jasmine, decides to seduce Jefferson.
- It's a Thin Line by Kimberla Lawson Roby (2001)
- When their mother suffers a debilitating stroke, siblings Sydney, Rick, and Gina must overcome personal obstacles, rebuild their lives, and find solace and trust in one another.
- Coffee Will Make You Black by April Sinclair (1994)
- Chronicles the experiences of Stevie, a bookish African-American girl growing up on Chicago's South Side during the 1960s.
- When All Hell Breaks Loose by Camika Spencer (1999)
- After asking Adrian Jenkins, his girlfriend of three years, to marry him, Gregory Alston begins to suffer doubts about their relationship as he deals with his mother's return from Europe after nineteen years, his friends' misgivings, and his fiancee's secrets.
- Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do by Valerie Wilson Wesley (1999)
- A family is strained to the limits when a husband walks out on his forty-year-old wife and two adult children to search for happiness and everyone must pick up the pieces.
- Fed Up With the Fanny by Franklin White (1996)
- Combining humor and compassion, a debut novel -- originally self-published -- explores one man's convoluted relationships with the women in his life -- colleagues, love interests, friends, and sisters -- and how interconnected they all are.
Many titles may be currently checked out or only available at other locations - please see the librarian to request your copy!
Call the Reference Desk at 413-263-6828 ext. 213, your branch library, or use our Askalibrarian service to reserve a book today! |
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