Betty meets Queenie in this courageous coming-of-age story about a Black girl fighting for recognition in a South Carolina Cherokee community that refuses to accept her ancestry as legitimate.
Ophelia Blue Rivers is a descendent of Cherokee Freedmen: Blacks formerly enslaved by rich southern Cherokee. She is ‘Black’ but doesn’t understand why that makes her different. She is ‘Cherokee’ but struggles to know what that means.
Their town of Etsi—once a reservation—still lives with the wounds of its disbanding. When the town, and the river that sustains it, are put in mortal danger personal rivalries threaten their very survival. Against this backdrop Ophelia begins her spirited, at times harrowing, search for place and family. She must discover: what does it mean to belong when belonging comes at such a high price?
With dazzling language, keen insight, and an unforgettable voice, Black Cherokee is an astonishing novel from an emerging literary talent.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Ophelia Blue Rivers is a descendent of Cherokee Freedmen: Blacks formerly enslaved by rich southern Cherokee. She is ‘Black’ but doesn’t understand why that makes her different. She is ‘Cherokee’ but struggles to know what that means.
Their town of Etsi—once a reservation—still lives with the wounds of its disbanding. When the town, and the river that sustains it, are put in mortal danger personal rivalries threaten their very survival. Against this backdrop Ophelia begins her spirited, at times harrowing, search for place and family. She must discover: what does it mean to belong when belonging comes at such a high price?
With dazzling language, keen insight, and an unforgettable voice, Black Cherokee is an astonishing novel from an emerging literary talent.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Praise for this book
"Black Cherokee flows like a river: steady, urgent, steadfast. With glowing prose, Downing offers an unapologetic look at identity, family, and memory. With unforgettable characters, Downing captures something deeply timely and timeless all at once." - Chelene Knight
"Downing's prose is both lyrical and controlled and weaves together a story that is, at once expansive and intimate, expertly blending the personal with the sweeping nature of the historical. A true and passionate storyteller." - Zalika Reid-Benta
"A courageous story with Toni Morrison vibes featuring five queens and countless devils. Written in prose as sharp as diamonds, it explores hollow dreams - like melons hollowed of their heart - and the shells we grow to protect ourselves. Like a mother's arms, the shells of its characters toughen to hold what they cherish, only to be shed when they summon the strength to break free. Bold, uplifting, and moving, this fresh take rushes toward its truths." - Yasuko Thanh
"Downing's prose is both lyrical and controlled and weaves together a story that is, at once expansive and intimate, expertly blending the personal with the sweeping nature of the historical. A true and passionate storyteller." - Zalika Reid-Benta
"A courageous story with Toni Morrison vibes featuring five queens and countless devils. Written in prose as sharp as diamonds, it explores hollow dreams - like melons hollowed of their heart - and the shells we grow to protect ourselves. Like a mother's arms, the shells of its characters toughen to hold what they cherish, only to be shed when they summon the strength to break free. Bold, uplifting, and moving, this fresh take rushes toward its truths." - Yasuko Thanh
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