ACHUKA Book of the Day 30 Jul 2021
“Placing biracial boyhood and the struggles of colorism at its center, the novel challenges readers to pursue their own self-definition.” KIRKUS
“Black Brother, Black Brother – the title taken from the jeers which Donte has had to bear at school – is an intelligent, informed book: one family’s achievement shot through with the history of previous generations. It hits hard and true.” BfK 5-star review
From NYT bestselling author Jewell Parker Rhodes, another poignant and gripping story about how children and families face the complexities of race and racism in today’s world.
Donte wishes he were invisible. As one of the few black boys at his school, he feels as if he is constantly swimming in whiteness. Most of the students don’t look like him. They don’t like him either. Dubbed the ‘Black Brother’, Donte’s teachers and classmates make it clear they wish he were more like his lighter skinned brother, Trey. When an incident with a white student leads to Donte’s arrest and suspension, he’s sure the only way to get even is to beat the student at the school’s most valued game: fencing. With the help of a former Olympic fencer, Donte embarks on a journey to carve out a spot on the school’s fencing team and to find a way to make people at school see past the colour of his skin to who he really is.
