In this column from King County Library System, Executive Director Heidi Daniel recommends books across a variety of themes and genres. Learn more at kcls.org.
With Black History Month beginning Feb. 1, I wanted to share a selection of books that have helped me learn more about Black history, culture and lived experience.
As a white woman leading a public library system, I come to these recommendations as a learner first, with respect for the voices and perspectives they represent. Working in libraries has broadened my capacity for understanding those with different lived experiences than me, and I am constantly grateful for this expanded perspective.
The books I’m recommending were written by Black authors who bring insight and honesty to their work. Together, they remind us that Black history is not confined to the past or a single month. It is ongoing, complex and essential to understanding the world we navigate today.
I hope readers will approach these books with curiosity and openness, ready to learn and reflect. Reading is one of the simplest — and most powerful — ways to expand our understanding, and these voices offer a meaningful place to start or continue a reader’s journey. They certainly did for me.
“When Trees Testify” by Beronda L. Montgomery entwines memoir with the Black American experience in this luminous nonfiction work.
As a young science student, the author initially scoffs at an assignment to talk to a tree. However, as she investigates the trees in her environment, she discovers deep connections with both her family’s story and the broader history of her ancestors.
Each chapter highlights a different tree, exploring the various ways in which trees have witnessed the Black experience in this country. The author’s expertise as a plant biologist adds an extra layer of insight into the wonder of trees.
“Happy Land” by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. Perkins-Valdez does a fantastic job of exploring history through compelling fiction, and “Happy Land” is no different.
After years of family estrangement, protagonist Nikki visits her maternal grandmother in the hills of North Carolina. There, she uncovers the reason behind a decades-long rift in her family that dates back to her ancestor Luella, who ruled over a community of free Black people called Happy Land Kingdom.
As readers trace Luella’s story to Nikki’s present, we witness what it means to own land and to feel as if one belongs. Based on true events, this book captivated me with its heartfelt nature and quick-moving narrative.
“The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett explores the complex emotions behind the American history of passing as another race through the eyes of the Vignes sisters — identical twins whose paths diverge as teenagers.
After growing up in the South and running away together at 16, one sister returns to their hometown and lives with her Black daughter, while the other secretly assumes the identity of a white woman. The result is a powerful, multigenerational story of family, choice and racial identity. I couldn’t put it down.
“All the Blues in the Sky” by Renée Watson gifts readers with a deeply thoughtful and heart-wrenching novel about grief. I always try to include an author from the Pacific Northwest each time I recommend books, and Watson is an easy choice because she is one of the most skilled writers in the business.
This book for young adults follows Sage, who must navigate the intense emotions that coincide with loss after her best friend is killed in a hit-and-run accident. In a story primarily told in verse with short sections of prose, Sage finds moments of light and comfort from her family, her counselor, a new crush and her fellow grief support group members.
The sections in verse are particularly affecting, showcasing Watson’s talent for choosing short, lyrical sentences that contain a wealth of emotion. While this book is written for a younger audience, I think the universal experience of grief will resonate with readers of all ages.
“The Girls Who Grew Big” lays bare the lives of three young women in this tender, honest book by Leila Mottley.
Four years after giving birth in the back of a pickup truck, Simone has created a small community of young, pregnant women. Simone grows close with two women in particular, Emory and Adela. In unstable circumstances, they cling fiercely to their children and to connection where they can find it.
This book had such an impact on me. The phrase “teen pregnancy” has been used so often we forget that there are full, interesting, flawed people behind it. The author holds these women up to the light, and readers can’t help but love them.
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