We Are a Haunting

Více o knize

Following three generations of East New Yorkers, this debut coming-of-age novel blends magical realism and Southern Gothic elements. Spanning thirty years, it chronicles a family's struggle to connect with their history. Grandma Audrey, a living ancestor among the speaking dead, faces the loss of her apartment. Her vibrant daughter, Key, dies young after serving her neighborhood's Black women, leaving behind her son, Colly, who grapples with disdain for a community he cannot escape. Flashing back to the '80s, Key's life is filled with nightclubs and enchantment. As she trains to be a doula, she discovers her ability to communicate with the dead, forging connections between her living and deceased family members. After her death, Colly realizes he has inherited this sacred gift. Expelled from school, he moves across town and learns how friendship, family, and community can foster love in challenging environments. After college, Colly returns to East New York to work with community organizers addressing structural neglect in NYCHA blocks, striving to support those he cares about. With a unique blend of urban fiction, supernatural elements, and social critique, the narrative captures the vibrant essence of outer borough New York City with lyricism and depth.