Fiction : African American

Verdi and Rowe have been living a comfortable existence for the past twenty years. She was the pampered daughter of a prosperous rural preacher when she came to Philadelphia in the seventies -- and he was a conservative professor at the university she was attending, the man who rescued Verdi from an ugly addiction, and left his sophisticated wife for her when he fell in love with the confused young southern girl. It was another student, a poor and militant city boy named Johnson, who awakened Verdi's passionate heart and taught her to love heroin. But Johnson was an obsession Verdi closed her eyes to but never got over, and now he has come back into her life -- rekindling with one look the fire that still smolders in the ashes of the past, sending them both skidding dangerously and uncontrollably toward the mad desires of their youth. more...

Price: $10.99

Whitney is a plus-size woman who just can't turn down a box of Krispy Kremes or find a man who will stay put. Taylor is in a long-term relationship with a boyfriend who's allergic to commitment. Charisse is married, with two adorable children, but somehow doesn't have what she really wants—or needs. Best friends since high school, this devoted troika is about to discover a wave of unexpected troubles when Charisse suddenly spins out of control. Her doormat husband is threatening to go public with a very shady secret Charisse desperately wants to keep hidden, especially from her interfering mother. And she feels only a very risky scheme will save her now. The one constant for Whitney, Taylor, and Charisse has always been the support they've offered one another. But this time, how far can friendship go? more...

Price: $10.99

The first known novel from an African American writer—published to coincide with its 150th anniversary. First published in December 1853, Clotel was written amid then unconfirmed rumors that Thomas Jefferson had fathered children with one of his slaves. The story begins with the auction of his mistress, here called Currer, and their two daughters, Clotel and Althesa. The Virginian who buys Clotel falls in love with her, gets her pregnant, seems to promise marriage—then sells her. Escaping from the slave dealer, Clotel returns to Virginia disguised as a white man in order to rescue her daughter, Mary, a slave in her father’s house. A fast-paced and harrowing tale of slavery and freedom, of the hypocrisies of a nation founded on democratic principles, Clotel is more than a sensationalist novel. It is a founding text of the African American novelistic tradition, a brilliantly composed and richly detailed exploration of human relations in a new world in which race is a cultural construct. * First time in Penguin Classics. * Published in time for African-American History Month. * Includes appendices that show the different endings Brown created for the various later versions of Clotel, along with the author's narrative of his "Life and Escape," Introduction, suggested readings, and comprehensive explanatory notes. more...

Price: $12.00

New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe’s extraordinary novel celebrates life, love, and the power of sisterhood—proving that friends, like fine wine, only get better with age…. Gorgeous, successful executive Teri Stewart spends her days working for L.A.’s hottest record company—and her nights all alone. Her best friend Nicole is determined to find Teri a man, but she hasn’t had much luck...because Teri wants more than Mr. Maybe. She’s holding out for Mr. Right and won’t settle for anything less. Just when Teri is ready to give up, a man from her past returns to reignite their romance. With his sultry smile and easy-going charm, radio DJ Harrison Starr is one-of-a kind—and Teri can’t deny she’s fallen hard for him again. With her life finally falling into place, Teri thinks her dreams might come true after all. But Harrison may have a secret that could change everything… more...

Price: $12.00

This profound and intense debut novel is the story of a young African American woman from West Philadelphia who finds her path to a bright future in gentrified Brooklyn, New York, blocked when she can't let go of the love she lost. more...

Price: $13.00