Book Reviews

“Notes on a Blacklash: When a Black Woman Goes Viral” by April Ryan

In Notes on a Blacklash: When a Black Woman Goes Viral, veteran White House correspondent April Ryan offers a candid look at racism, sexism, political power and the challenges facing…

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“Jesse Jackson: The Last Interview and Other Conversations” with an introduction by Al Sharpton

In Jesse Jackson: The Last Interview and Other Conversations, decades-old interviews echo modern debates about civil rights, economic inequality and political power. This review examines the collection’s continuing relevance and…

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“Holding Lightning: The Life, Loves, and Art of Whitney Houston” by Emily Lordi

Emily Lordi’s “Holding Lightning: The Life, Loves, and Art of Whitney Houston” revisits the superstar’s extraordinary voice, complicated relationships, artistic ambition and struggles. This review considers whether the new biography…

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‘Mazywood’ Review: Tananarive Due Delivers a Slow-Burn Historical Horror

Tananarive Due blends Black Hollywood history, family trauma and creeping supernatural dread in “Mazywood.” The slow-burn horror novel follows screenwriter Johnny Washington as he returns to a mountain retreat created…

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“Curved Air: A Biography of Sickle Cell Anemia and the Quest to Cure the First Molecular Disease” by Kevin Davies

Four weeks of testing, and you’re exhausted. Two gallons of blood, maybe three, have been removed, no lie. You’ve laid on tables, slid through machines, been scanned so much you…

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“Ain’t Nobody’s Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton” by Martha Ackmann

Martha Ackmann traces Dolly Parton’s journey from a childhood in the Tennessee mountains to country music stardom in “Ain’t Nobody’s Fool.” The deeply researched biography explores Parton’s family, ambition, hardships,…

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Every Inch a Lady Review: Audrey Smaltz’s Fabulous Life in Fashion

Audrey Smaltz recounts a remarkable journey from Harlem to the heights of the fashion industry in “Every Inch a Lady.” The lively memoir takes readers through modeling, Ebony magazine, entrepreneurship,…

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“Mahalia Jackson, Moving On Up a Little Higher: The Story of An American Civil Rights Pioneer” by Timothy B. Tyson & Mary D. Williams

Mahalia Jackson, Moving On Up a Little Higher reveals how the gospel icon used her extraordinary voice, fame and influence to break barriers and advance the Civil Rights Movement.

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“Searching for Jane Crow: Black Women and Mass Incarceration in America From the Auction Block to the Cell Block”

In “Searching for Jane Crow,” historian Talitha L. LeFlouria traces the incarceration of Black women from slave jails to modern prisons, revealing disturbing connections between slavery, punishment and profit. The…

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“Daily Life Along the Underground Railroad” by Cassandra Newby-Alexander

Cassandra Newby-Alexander's Daily Life Along the Underground Railroad reveals the courage, planning, sacrifice, and hidden heroes who helped enslaved Americans pursue freedom. This compelling history uncovers stories often overlooked while…

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