Koncocoo

Best African American Historical Fiction

Yellow Crocus
Moments after Lisbeth is born, she’s taken from her mother and handed over to an enslaved wet nurse, Mattie, a young mother separated from her own infant son in order to care for her tiny charge. It's a must-read for anyone whoenjoys Antebellum historical fiction or is looking for a compellingstory to add to their book club reading list." Then the image of Lisbeth, a white baby, breastfeeding in the loving arms of Mattie, an enslaved wetnurse came to me in a flash. Then I imagined what the experience would be like for Miss Anne, the birth mother, to have her own child twist away from her to get into Mattie's arms.
Reviews
"Angry at others- as when Mattie was torn from her family, including her 3 month old baby and was supposed to be pacified by being able to visit them for a few hours on a Sunday, witnessing through the young heroine's eyes the brutal rape of a young slave girl (not graphically depicted) and reading the general attitudes of people on the black/white person/non-person issues common to this time. I believe these scenes that felt more YA were to give us a flavor of what it was like to grow up during this time and don't know of any other way it could have been done if some of the young girl's activities and thoughts (life on a daily basis) weren't represented."
"As years go by and Elizabeth (Lisbeth) grows up into a young girl, she becomes attached to Mattie and loves her company much more than that of her haughty parents. I could almost see the slaves bent down working in the tobacco fields and returning to their quarters exhausted after a long hard day. I really loved and enjoyed every single word of her exceptional prose and while I highly recommend this book to everyone, I will be looking for more novels by this talented author."
"However, this book portrays both sides of the story-the intense suffering of the slaves and the experiences of the young girl who ultimately flees the south and begins a new life in Ohio with the abolitionist man whom she loves."
"I gave this book an excellent review I love history especially pre civil war."
"Lisbeth befriends Mattie's family until her coming out when she must come to terms with the reality of plantation life and the treatment of slaves."
"And how they treated blacks were just as disturbing, and to think that the whites saw what they did as "taking care" of the blacks."
Find Best Price at Amazon
The Invention of Wings
Sarah will experience crushed hopes, betrayal, unrequited love, and ostracism before leaving Charleston to find her place alongside her fearless younger sister, Angelina, as one of the early pioneers in the abolition and women’s rights movements. Inspired by the historical figure of Sarah Grimke, Kidd goes beyond the record to flesh out the rich interior lives of all of her characters, both real and invented, including Handful’s cunning mother, Charlotte, who courts danger in her search for something better. .By humanizing these formidable women, The Invention of Wings furthers our essential understanding of what has happened among us as Americans – and why it still matters.” – The. Washington Post “A textured masterpiece, quietly yet powerfully poking our consciences and our consciousness . leaves us feeling uplifted and hopeful.” – NPR. “A searing and soaring story of two women bound together as mistress and slave.” – USA Today “Kidd has managed to avoid both condescension and cliché, creating an unforgettable character in the slave Handful, the emotional core of her utterly engaging third novel.” – The Boston Globe “If this isn’t an American classic-to-be, I don’t know what is. I can’t recall reading a book about slavery that presented in such vivid and heartbreaking detail just what the daily life and labor felt like.” – The Minneapolis Star Tribune “A total revelation.
Reviews
"I was able to purchase the Kindle version without Oprah's notes."
"I have four Kindles, but I would recommend a hardcover edition until an Oprah free edition is available."
"Just don't get the "Oprah" copy."
"Only when I reached the end of the story, wishing to remain immersed in it for just a bit longer, did I learn from the author's notes that the novel was based on real people leaving their mark on history."
"This book was the choice of my library's book club read, and I can't wait until we discuss it in-depth next week."
"Imagine sitting down to read one of your favorite authors, and just as the book is pulling you in, someone interrupts you. I wouldn't mind reading Ms. Winfrey's comments once I had a chance to enjoy the book and form my OWN impressions, but this is insulting."
"I like the writing of Sue Monk Kidd and wish I had purchased this book in paper so that I could skip over Oprah's notes."
"No where in the title or book cover did I see anything that suggested that this had Oprah's notes in it, so I returned the kindle book right away."
Find Best Price at Amazon
The Underground Railroad (Pulitzer Prize Winner) (National Book Award Winner) (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, the #1 New York Times bestseller from Colson Whitehead, a magnificent tour de force chronicling a young slave's adventures as she makes a desperate bid for freedom in the antebellum South Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Life is hell for all the slaves, but especially bad for Cora; an outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is coming into womanhood—where even greater pain awaits. WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE, THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD, THE ALA ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL AND THE HURSTON/WRIGHT AWARD ** NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW , WALL STREET JOURNAL, WASHINGTON POST, TIME, PEOPLE, NPR. AND MORE ** #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Get it, then get another copy for someone you know because you are definitely going to want to talk about it once you read that heart-stopping last page.” --Oprah Winfrey (Oprah's Book Club 2016 Selection).
Reviews
"I chose this book, frankly, because Oprah chose it for her book club. Our textbooks did NOT tell the whole story."
"If all Colson Whitehead’s remarkable The Underground Railroad had to offer was its central conceit – in which the “Underground Railroad,” a covert, loose organization that worked to help slaves in the Confederacy get to freedom, becomes a literal subterranean rail network – that might almost be enough to capture the imagination and make the book great. Because, in short, what this allows Whitehead to do is tell an age-old story – the efforts of a runaway slave to escape – in a way that feels like little else out there, bringing new life to a story that none of us can ever afford to forget. And yet, for all of that, The Underground Railroad is still a slave escape narrative, one in which we’re invested in our heroine’s success, and one that keeps us reading in the face of all of the potential horrors, hoping for something good. Whitehead never lets The Underground Railroad become crushing or so bleak as to be unpalatable; he tempers it, mixing the good and the bad, and investing us in the characters so that we need them to succeed – and feel it all the more when some of them don’t."
"So in full transparency, I was skeptical about it, because as a U.S. history major, I have read so many books about slavery, I just wasn't sure what Whitehead could possibly do that would be fresh, enthralling, unique to the genre and subject matter. There were times when I was terribly afraid for the protagonist and my heart was pounding wildly as she faced any number of situations."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Historical African Fiction

Yellow Crocus
Moments after Lisbeth is born, she’s taken from her mother and handed over to an enslaved wet nurse, Mattie, a young mother separated from her own infant son in order to care for her tiny charge. It's a must-read for anyone whoenjoys Antebellum historical fiction or is looking for a compellingstory to add to their book club reading list." Then the image of Lisbeth, a white baby, breastfeeding in the loving arms of Mattie, an enslaved wetnurse came to me in a flash. Then I imagined what the experience would be like for Miss Anne, the birth mother, to have her own child twist away from her to get into Mattie's arms.
Reviews
"Angry at others- as when Mattie was torn from her family, including her 3 month old baby and was supposed to be pacified by being able to visit them for a few hours on a Sunday, witnessing through the young heroine's eyes the brutal rape of a young slave girl (not graphically depicted) and reading the general attitudes of people on the black/white person/non-person issues common to this time. I believe these scenes that felt more YA were to give us a flavor of what it was like to grow up during this time and don't know of any other way it could have been done if some of the young girl's activities and thoughts (life on a daily basis) weren't represented."
"As years go by and Elizabeth (Lisbeth) grows up into a young girl, she becomes attached to Mattie and loves her company much more than that of her haughty parents. I could almost see the slaves bent down working in the tobacco fields and returning to their quarters exhausted after a long hard day. I really loved and enjoyed every single word of her exceptional prose and while I highly recommend this book to everyone, I will be looking for more novels by this talented author."
"I gave this book an excellent review I love history especially pre civil war."
"Lisbeth befriends Mattie's family until her coming out when she must come to terms with the reality of plantation life and the treatment of slaves."
"And how they treated blacks were just as disturbing, and to think that the whites saw what they did as "taking care" of the blacks."
"I enjoyed this book."
"Very enjoyable read."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best African American Urban Fiction

Use Your Heart and Not Your Eyes
With her beautiful face, full hips and round backside, nothing stands in the way of her confidence. He often wonders if Pita is good enough to settle down with or should he forgive the woman who caused him heartache and pain. Tyshae Owens, is a beautiful and smart nail technician at Luxury Tea. The saying is true, “what glitters isn’t gold.” Will she stay or will she move on to someone who can offer her the love she deserves?
Reviews
"I loved Yudai and Cream but with Silah you have to understand hurt people hurt people."
"Natavia did an exceptional job of developing the characters."
"Natavia, this book was awesome!"
"I absolutely love Natavia’s books."
"This book was very good!!"
"I read this book in less than 24 hours... 👏👏👏👏🔥🔥🔥🔥."
"This is another most read book..women a gross the globe could identify with either one of these character..the issues of today was depicted gracefully and Out was amazing."
"I loved seeing true love prevail and the truth that people stay in relationships for an image or fearful of the opinions of others."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best African American Romance Fiction

Marco & Rakia 3: Not Your Ordinary Hood Kinda Love
Rakia, was left to die in the bathroom at her grandmother’s repast by none other than her evil cousin, Cara. Find out in this explosive FINALE if Zaire succeeds in avenging the death of his brother.
Reviews
"I’m so happy with this series."
"I have to admit that Rakia was working my nerves in the first two books because she was soooo freaking naive and gullible. Hunty she grew some extra thick layers because she was not playing around in this finale."
"Ok so you didn’t let her die the way I wanted but honey you did me proud."
"You done did it again Tina girl!!!!!"
"Tina J as always I enjoy reading your series this series was remarkable."
"As I was reading parts 1 & 2 all I can think about was that Rakia is soooo weak, gullible, dumb, stupid but in book 3 my girl bossed up on they ass and I’m glad she did I felt like a proud mama when she killed her wack ass cousin."
"Rakia went through so much it seemed like she couldn't catch a break all she wanted was to be loved and then she met Marco and the rest was history he showed her how to love and never be afraid."
"I know it was supposed to be cute that she was naive and forgiving.......but by the beginning of the 2nd book I was convinced that she was fed lead chip tacos. At least be stupid and strong or read a book about how to bob, weave and duck punches since she's a 'genius'."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best African American Women's Fiction

Use Your Heart and Not Your Eyes
With her beautiful face, full hips and round backside, nothing stands in the way of her confidence. He often wonders if Pita is good enough to settle down with or should he forgive the woman who caused him heartache and pain. Tyshae Owens, is a beautiful and smart nail technician at Luxury Tea. The saying is true, “what glitters isn’t gold.” Will she stay or will she move on to someone who can offer her the love she deserves?
Reviews
"Natavia did an exceptional job of developing the characters."
"Natavia, this book was awesome!"
"I absolutely love Natavia’s books."
"First I love this was a stand-alone and secondly the issues you touched on."
"This book was very good!!"
"I read this book in one day."
"This is another most read book..women a gross the globe could identify with either one of these character..the issues of today was depicted gracefully and Out was amazing."
"I loved seeing true love prevail and the truth that people stay in relationships for an image or fearful of the opinions of others."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best African American Poetry

Whiskey Words & a Shovel II
Relationships, love, pain, and fortitude are powerfully rendered in his poetry, and his message of perseverance in the face of emotional turmoil cuts to the heart of modern-day life. After returning to the northeast and moving to New York in pursuit of love, the young modern poet found that and much more.
Reviews
"There's really nothing that I can say here that won't just be me repeating myself in my reviews of other work by this poet."
"Love it!!"
"I been feeling down and your words make me realize that there's better out there."
"Very well written."
"ugh."
";) I keep the book in backpack and read a couple pages on my breaks at work."
"My favorite book to read at night!"
"Absolutely amazing book !!"
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best African American Dramas & Plays

Fences
Denzel Washington’s film adaptation received nominations for awards from the Academy Awards, African-American Film Critics Association, American Film Institute, Critics' Choice Movie Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and NAACP Image Awards, among others. His second play, Fences , won numerous awards for best play of the year, 1987, including the Tony Award, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, the Drama Desk Award, and the Pulitzer Prize.
Reviews
"I loved this book and also saw the movie."
"I purchased this used edition for my son."
"Didn't realize I purchased a script ... the story would be a super novel ... and I read that the movie is great!"
"August Wilson book Fences was a compelling read for me with the struggles of Troy in his daily life with his since of failure,rage and disappointed in what he wasn't able to achieve."
"Not warm and fuzzy but a good read."
"Big fan of Wilson's work."
"Good read no need to see the movie."
"Bought it for my granddaughter as she needed it for a class she is taking."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best African American Mystery, Thriller and Suspense

Bluebird, Bluebird
When his allegiance to his roots puts his job in jeopardy, he travels up Highway 59 to the small town of Lark, where two murders--a black lawyer from Chicago and a local white woman--have stirred up a hornet's nest of resentment. Darren must solve the crimes--and save himself in the process--before Lark's long-simmering racial fault lines erupt. A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice. Best book of the year from Vulture, The Strand Magazine, Southern Living, Bolo Books, Publisher's Weekly, Book Riot, The Guardian , Lit Hub , The Boston Globe , Dallas News , Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , Minnesota Public Radio, Texas Monthly, The Daily Beast , and the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "Locke writes in a blues-infused idiom that lends a strain of melancholy and a sense of loss to her lyrical style. "― Marilyn Stasio , New York Times Book Review. A rich sense of place and relentless feeling of dread permeate Attica Locke's heartbreakingly resonant new novel about race and justice in America. It rises above "left and right" and "black and white" and follows the threads that inevitably bind us together, even as we rip them apart. This is a layered portrait of a black man confronting his own racial ambivalence and ambition told with a pointed and poignant bluesy lyricism. a story told with Locke's crystal-clear vision and pleasurably elemental prose. Ranger Darren Mathews is tough, honor-bound, and profoundly alive in corrupt world. "Few contemporary writers have portrayed black Southern life with as much wit and heart-pounding drama as Attica Locke. A dazzling work of rural noir that throws into question whether justice can be equally served on both sides of the race line. "Locke pens a poignant love letter to the lazy red-dirt roads and Piney Woods that serve as a backdrop to a noir thriller as murky as the bayous and bloodlines that thread through the region. She is adept at crafting characters who don't easily fit the archetypes of good and evil, but exist in the thick grayness of humanness, the knotty demands of loyalties and the baseness of survival. Locke holds up the mirror of the racial debate in America and shows us how the light bends and fractures what is right, wrong and what simply is the way it is--but perhaps not as it should be.
Reviews
"The protagonist is Darren Mathews, a black Texas Ranger under suspension for his possible role in the murder of a white drug dealer with ties to the Aryan Brotherhood. But when two bodies – a black lawyer from Chicago and a white local girl – turn up in the little town of Lark, Darren is asked to look into things – at first unofficially, and then with his Texas Ranger’s badge. He is proud of his position as a Texas Ranger, and prouder still of his efforts to protect disenfranchised black Texans and fight the Aryan Brotherhood. It quickly becomes clear that “justice was messier than [he] realized when he’d first pinned a badge to his chest.”. Another fascinating character is Geneva Sweet, who owns the only café in town where black people can feel comfortable eating. I could feel what it must be like to be in this little town, eating barbecue and fried pies at Geneva Sweet’s café, drinking whiskey at the all-white icehouse down the road, and always watching my words for political implications."
"Darren, a Texas Ranger, in trouble with his superiors is determined to find out."
"A bigger connection to music, specifically the blues, would've made for a better read and, perhaps, that element would be brought out on the big screen."
"Darren, a black Texas Ranger gets involved in solving two murders in a small town in Texas."
"Keeping track of the names was tedious and I just didn’t care about the characters enough."
"I enjoyed the book, and I am looking forward to another about Ranger Darren."
"First book that I have read by this author, and it was great."
"Race and all of its complexities are captured in this modern day story of a Texas Ranger navigating the difficult and complicated web of a gruesome crime in East Texas."
Find Best Price at Amazon
Home > Best Books > Best Literature & Fiction > Best African American Literature > Best African American Historical Fiction