🌸🌸🌸🌸
Black Girls Must Die Exhausted
Jayne Allen
352 pages
Harper Perennial
Narrator: Marcella Cox
8 hours 7 minutes
“When you strip away the divides, barriers, categories and all of the various ways we’ve learned to separate ourselves, one from another,… at our foundation, love is a language we all speak and the very life blood of our existence.” -Author’s Note
Tabitha Walker’s life was right on track… a job she loved with promotion potential, a drop-dead-gorgeous boyfriend, the deposit for a house in savings, and a band of girlfriends that always had her back. But life is full of challenges that test the strongest of footings even in the best of times.
I love slice of life books….getting to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, struggles, community, and culture. In Black Girls Must Die Exhausted, I enjoyed putting on Tabitha’s stilettos, seeing life from her perspective and being a part of her girlfriends and community. My life is very different from hers in many ways. But when we boil it down to the core, our foundation and desires are very much the same.
Allen’s writing drew me in, and I finished this gem in one sitting. Each character is dynamic and multifaceted. But it was Granny Tab and Mrs. Gretchen that really shined. I’d love to spend a Saturday afternoon with them enjoying their spunk and wisdom.
Tabby’s struggles are both common among women and unique to the black girl experience. Allen masterfully touches on important societal issues within the context of Tabby’s life in a way that is understandable and eye opening.
Black Girls is exceptional as an audiobook. Narrated by Marcella Cox, I heard Tabby’s distinct voice and felt as though she was sharing her story with me alone. The nuance that Cox uses gives a depth to text as Tabby’s voice takes center stage.
This is the first book in the series, and I already have the next book on tap, eager to get to it. Black Girls Must Be Magic releases on February 1!
Leave a Reply