A Blackboard Bestseller An Essence Bestseller Campbell and Donovan -- raised in the same neighborhood, from families marked by faithlessness and anger --live with the histories that have shaped their lives. What they discover forms the basis of this compelling, sensual, and surprising novel.

Loving Donovan

Literature & Fiction

Bernice L. McFadden

United States

Thorndike Press

An Essence Bestselling Author Camilla's Roses presents a life haunted by the past. Camilla's childhood was immersed in chaos and love, steeped in the myth of perfection. As an adult she never looked back, refusing to acknowledge the people and places that had scarred her so many years ago. But a legacy of cancer proves inescapable, forcing Camilla to embrace the past - no matter how painful it may be.

Camilla's Roses

Sherry has struggled all her life to understand who she is, where she comes from, and, most importantly, why her mother slapped her cheek one summer afternoon. The incident has haunted Sherry and it causes her to dig into her family's past. Like many family histories, it is fractured and reluctant to reveal its secrets; hut Sherry remains determined. In just a few days' time, her extended family will gather for a reunion, and Sherry sets off across the country with her mother, Dumpling, to join them. What Sherry and Dumpling find on their trip is nothing less than the assorted pieces of their family's past. Pulled together, they reveal a history of amazing survival and abundant joy.

Nowhere Is a Place

BBC Audiobooks

Sugar

Penguin USA, Inc.

"Bernice L. McFadden is one of the best contemporary literary writers out there today...Her brilliance, her talent as a novelist, is the very life she breathes into all of her characters." --Terry McMillan, from the Introduction "Bernice L. McFadden was one of the best writers to emerge in the post-Waiting to Exhale explosion that introduced at least a dozen Black female novelists. Loving Donovan has generated near-cult status among readers. After more than a decade since it appeared, Donovan is being reissued. How fitting that Terry McMillan has written a new introduction. If you've read Donovan before, you will fall in love all over again. And if this is your first time, prepare yourself for an intense romance between an enigmatic antihero and a heroine who will feel like your homegirl." --Essence Magazine "Loving Donovan is brilliant. By exploring the depth of her characters, the novel transforms what, on the surface, may appear to be the run-of-the-mill, paperback sentimental, tear-jerking coupling, into an understanding, unflinching, expertly told tale of human nature." --AALBC One of Library Journal's 25 Key Indie Fiction Titles for Fall 2014-Winter 2015! "A two-time Hurston/Wright Legacy Award finalist also twice honored by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, McFadden presents a love story starring Campbell and Donovan--both from shattered homes, both still hopeful, and both shaped more by history than they can imagine. Don't miss." --Library Journal Prepub Alert "Loving Donovan firmly establishes McFadden among the ranks of those few writers of whom you constantly beg for more." --Black Issues Book Review "McFadden is clearly adept in keeping the reader entertained, captivated, and on our toes to try to figure out what's going to happen next. The rich characters, life situations, and language all wrapped up in such a small book and saying so much is a feat." --Brown Girl Reading Praise for Bernice L. McFadden: "McFadden works a kind of miracle--not only do her characters retain their appealing humanity; their story eclipses the bonds of history to offer continuous surprises." --New York Times, on Gathering of Waters "Searing and expertly imagined." --Toni Morrison, on The Warmest December With a new introduction by Terry McMillan. The first section of McFadden's unconventional love story belongs to Campbell. Despite being born to a brokenhearted mother and a faithless father, Campbell still believes in the power of love...if she can ever find it. Living in the same neighborhood, but unknown to Campbell until a chance meeting brings them together, is Donovan, the "little man" of a shattered home--a family torn apart by anger and bitterness. In the face of daunting obstacles, Donovan dreams of someday marrying, raising a family, and playing in the NBA. But deep inside, Campbell and Donovan live with the histories that have shaped their lives. What they discover--together and apart--forms the basis of this compelling, sensual, and surprising novel.

Akashic Books Ltd

Abeo Kata lives a comfortable, happy life in West Africa as the privileged nine-year-old daughter of a government employee and stay-at-home mother. But when the Katas' idyllic lifestyle takes a turn for the worse, Abeo's father, following his mother's advice, places the girl in a religious shrine, hoping that the sacrifice of his daughter will serve as atonement for the crimes of his ancestors. Unspeakable acts befall Abeo for the 15 years she is held in the shrine. When she is finally rescued, broken and battered, she must struggle to overcome her past, endure the revelation of family secrets, and learn to trust and love again.In the tradition of Chris Cleave's Little Bee, this novel is a contemporary story that offers an eye-opening account of the practice of ritual servitude in West Africa. Spanning decades and two continents, Praise Song for the Butterflies will break your heart and then heal it. "An engrossing novel that truly is a praise song for survivors everywhere." (Kirkus Reviews)"A tale set in West Africa], where a girl is given up by her family, endures a very hard life, and, once set free, must find a way to heal and live forward." (Philadelphia Inquirer, included in Must-Read Books for Summer 2018)"Recent favorites at Mahogany Books in Washington, DC] include...award-winning novelist Bernice L. McFadden's forthcoming Praise Song for the Butterflies, about a nine-year-old West African girl sacrificed into religious servitude." (Vanity Fair, included in a feature on Mahogany Books)

Praise Song for the Butterflies

Audible Studios on Brilliance Audio

Vintage Classics

The Book of Harlan

Jacaranda Books Art Music Ltd

Abebe Tsikata lives a comfortable, happy life in West Africa as the privileged nine- year-old daughter of a government employee and stay-at-home mother. But when the Tsikatas idyllic lifestyle takes a turn for the worse, Abebe s father, following his mother s advice, places her in a religious shrine, hoping that the sacrifice of his daughter will serve as religious atonement for the crimes of his ancestors.  Unspeakable acts befall Abebe for the fifteen years she is enslaved within the shrine. When she is finally rescued, broken and battered, she must struggle to overcome her past, endure the revelation of family secrets, and learn to trust and love again.  In the tradition of Chris Cleave s The Other Hand, Praise Song for the Butterflies is a contemporary story that offers an educational, eye-opening account of the practice of ritual servitude in West Africa. Spanning decades and two continents, Praise Song for the Butterflies will break and heal your heart.

Jacaranda

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Bernice L. McFadden. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Bernice L. McFadden

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Bernice L. McFadden. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Loving Donovan

Camilla's Roses

Nowhere Is a Place

Sugar

Loving Donovan

Praise Song for the Butterflies

Sugar

The Book of Harlan

Praise Song for the Butterflies