There’s no question about the fact that we are living in tumultuous times. Despite the remarkable progress made for equality in the last century, everyone has felt the recent shift that has left many clamoring to hold on to their hard-earned rights. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the recent rise of anti-LGBTQ sentiment, and the ever-present racism and ableism in America, a major part of the population is negatively affected. The day-to-day challenges are particularly difficult for people who are members of multiple marginalized groups.
In the face of injustice and adversity in modern-day America, the characters in these six novels don’t lose hope. Their remarkable resilience leads them to learn more about themselves and their overlapping identities, heal from hardship, and ultimately find belonging and peace in the chaos. These stories serve as reminders that alongside community, family and friends, we are strong enough to move through anything that seems impossible to overcome.
I Will Greet the Sun Again by Khashayar J. Khabushani
What is it like to be queer and Muslim in America? K grows up in the San Fernando Valley, and soon realizes that his feelings for his closest friend — a boy — make him different, and he must keep them a secret. As the son of Iranian immigrants who struggle to fit in and make a life in the US, K must remain dutiful. In the midst of attending prayers at the mosque with his violent father, K grapples with his own masculinity, religion and LGBTQ identity, all of which seem to conflict. When K is taken to Iran by his father, his eventual return to the Valley becomes complicated.
“A stunning, tender novel of identity and belonging, I Will Greet the Sun Again tells the story of a young man lost in his own family, his own country, and his own skin.” Diving into the intricacies of youth and self-discovery Khashayar J. Khabushani conflates the personal with the universal, navigating the ways in which America can be both freeing and limiting.
If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery
The bestselling, highly-regarded If I Survive You is a collection of interwoven short stories that reads like a novel, exploring the triumphs and tragedies of a Jamaican family that immigrates to Miami in a bid to escape increasing violence in their native country.
The narrative details the lives of the young parents before they left their native country and follows them into their new home of Miami as they face discrimination, prejudice, economic hardship, and hurricanes. Jumping into the lives of their adult sons years later, we see the men struggle with minimum-wage jobs, face homelessness and suffer heartbreak. The desperation of these stories is relatable for a modern audience: We all need just a few more dollars, we have to hold on just a little longer, and we just have to survive until we get our big break. Throughout each section, a glimpse of hope keeps the story moving and characters are motivated by the expectation that things might just turn out okay in the end.
Read the review on BookTrib.
Refuge by Bill VanPatten
Set against the backdrop of post-Roe v. Wade America and rising anti-LGBTQ sentiments, Refuge explores the complexities of family, prejudice, and resilience in the face of adversity, all while fearlessly delving into the intricacies of a woman’s right to choose.
Jesse Pérez is still grappling with the loss of his husband and trying to come to grips with the complexities of single parenthood when he finds himself thrust into a tumultuous situation. Gloria, his teenage niece, seeks refuge from her own family following a harrowing experience that left her pregnant. As Jesse confronts his painful past and challenges the prejudices that tore his family apart, he embarks on a journey of redemption and self-discovery, determined to protect Gloria at all costs. Refuge is a call to compassion and understanding in an increasingly divided world, and focuses on the ways family and community forge a path through adversity.
(Read the review on BookTrib)
True Biz by Sara Novic
In telling a story about students at a residential school for the Deaf, Sara Novic tackles themes of bodily autonomy, discrimination, and the fight for equality. Charlie, a new student in the school, has hearing parents and has never met another Deaf person. She has cochlear implants that do not work efficiently and does not know sign language. Austin comes from generations of Deaf people and grapples with his feelings about his baby sister, who is born hearing. Their headmistress is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) who knows ASL, and is struggling to keep the school open amidst personal challenges at home.
For these characters, adversity comes from all directions — internal struggles, disagreement among the Deaf community, and of course, external discrimination, emphasizing that a “one-size-fits-all” mentality doesn’t apply to such a diverse population. “This is a story of sign language and lip-reading, disability and civil rights, isolation and injustice, first love and loss, and, above all, great persistence, daring, and joy … This is an unforgettable journey into the Deaf community and a universal celebration of human connection.”
(Check out BookNationbyJen’s interview with the author here.)
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Such a Fun Age follows the story of two women in modern America from different races and socio-economic levels. Alix Chamberlain is a successful white businesswoman struggling with a move from New York City to an affluent suburb of Philadelphia. With a deadline looming, Alix hires a young Black woman, Emira Tucker, to babysit her two small children.
One night, Emira takes Alix’s toddler to the grocery store. There, Emira is confronted by a security guard, who is suspicious of a Black woman out late with a young white child, and accuses her of kidnapping. An attempt to make things right turns Alix from well-intentioned to obsessive. The novel tackles heavily charged topics of race and privilege in modern America, white saviorism, transactional relationships and what it means to make someone family.
(Read the review on BookTrib.)
A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler
This novel explores class, race, and environmental concerns, while asking what it means to be a good neighbor. Can we live alongside people who hold contrasting views to our own? A wealthy, charming and successful couple and their daughters move in next door to single parent and ecologist Valerie, and her biracial teen son. The new family’s home has been under construction, chopping down trees and turning the house into the most prestigious custom home on the street.
Valerie, a professor of forestry and ecology, is disturbed when differing opinions over a historic oak tree near her property line lead to conflict. On top of that, her neighbors do not approve of the budding relationship between their daughter and her son. Kirkus’ starred review says the author “offers an opportunity for catharsis as well as a heartfelt, hopeful call to action. Traversing topics of love, race, and class, this emotionally complex novel speaks to ― and may reverberate beyond ― our troubled times.”
(Read BookNationByJen’s review on BookTrib)
