3 EXCELLENT READS TO CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH

The Yellow Wife
By Sadeqa Johnson

Pheby Delores Brown was born on a plantation in Charles City, Virginia. As the daughter of a slave and her white master, Pheby is chosen to be educated and later promised freedom when she turns 18 years old. Despondent after her mother’s death, Pheby finds herself turned over to the auction block by her master’s evil wife. At the infamous Devil’s Half-Acre prison, notorious jailer Rubin Lapier quickly notices Pheby’s beauty and demands her ownership. She must now figure out how to survive as mistress of the jail, a brutal and horrible center where slaves are viciously beaten and sold to the highest bidder. Sacrificing everything she once dreamed of, Pheby will do what she must to guarantee the protection of her children and their precarious futures. Amid the filth and dehumanization she is forced to witness on a daily basis, Pheby finds the strength to play along in her newfound position, never forgetting the ultimate goal. This fast-paced and heartbreaking novel is loosely based on the true story of Mary Lumpkin and her life at the actual Devil’s Half-Acre. An important and beautifully written novel that is an absolute must read.

Becoming
By Michelle Obama

Growing up in the south side of Chicago, Michelle Obama did not have many luxuries, but she was rich with enormous love and support from her strong parents, older brother and memorable extended family. Fastidious in her work, Michelle strove from a young age to excel in school. Achieving student accolades and entrance to Princeton University followed by Harvard Law School, she returned to Chicago to work in a prominent corporate law firm. Michelle quickly realized that although her bank account enjoyed this new status, her heart was not fulfilled. One day she was asked to become a mentor for the summer, and the young associate was annoyingly late. But when Barack finally arrived, he was as charming and handsome as the rumors claimed. Friends at first, it didn’t take long for the young couple to begin their beautiful romance. Through tumultuous political campaigns and growing their family, Barack remained her steady anchor while Michelle reinvented her career more than once. Between his eternal optimism and her fastidiousness there was nothing this dynamic duo could not accomplish. A thoroughly engaging and candid ride through the Obama presidency, these pages are generously filled with love, family and hope.

Black Buck
By Mateo Askaripour

Twenty-two-year-old Darren is hands down the best Starbucks manager in midtown Manhattan. After four years, he never forgets a face or a drink. Content living at home with his mother in Bed-Stuy and down the street from his sweetheart Soraya, this valedictorian from Bronx Science is in no rush to figure out what he wants to do with his life. One day an opportunity stands in line. On a whim, Darren convinces a self-absorbed demanding executive to try a different drink and Rhett Daniels, CEO of Sumwun, one of the hottest startups in New York, is simply mesmerized. Rhett will stop at nothing until Darren accepts his invitation to join his team. Renamed “Buck,” he looks around to find he is the only black person in the company and uneasily enters into sales training hell week. As Buck quickly outperforms the company’s wildest dreams, he must navigate this unfamiliar territory without losing every person and ethical value he’s ever had. A fast-moving satire of the startup technology craze, racism in corporate America and one young man’s longing to change the world — and a witty, clever and controversial comedy — this is some powerful storytelling.

Karen Newfield is first and foremost a reader, she has reviewed hundreds of books on her blog www.readingandeating.com. And, more recently, this new Keys resident has also begun writing.