The Good Negress

“Haunting . . . this novel has all the dimension and beauty of song. To read The Good Negress is to fall under a spell, to open a window, to fly.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review

Winner of the Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters

Black Caucus of the American Library Association Literary Awards Honor Book in Fiction

Whiting Award for Fiction

Finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction

Twenty years after its initial publication, The Good Negress continues to be an important part of the literary canon, as relevant and necessary as ever. Set in 1960s Detroit, the novel centers around Denise Palms, who leaves her grandmother’s home in rural Virginia to reunite with her mother, stepfather, and older brothers. As a black teenage girl, Denise is given scarce opportunity beyond cooking, cleaning, and raising her mother’s baby. But an idealistic, demanding teacher opens Denise’s eyes to a future she has never considered, and soon she begins to question the limits of the life prescribed to her.With lyrical, evocative prose, A. J. Verdelle captures Denise’s journey from adolescence to womanhood as she navigates the tension between loyalty and independence, and between circumstance and desire. The Good Negress is an unforgettable debut—simultaneously the portrait of a family and a glimpse into an era of twentieth-century America.“Truly extraordinary.” —Toni Morrison

“A. J. Verdelle weaves jolts into this strong, plain story until it teeters on extraordinary . . . A. J. Verdelle shatters perceptions quietly and Denise stays with us, as she should.” —The Boston Globe

“In this fascinating debut novel, language becomes both a cause of oppression—and a metaphor for it.” —The Seattle Times