Check out these books by Black Nova Scotian authors
Black History Month is a perfect time to get to know these books by African Nova Scotian authors.
The library booklist provides readers with names of books and other material recommended by the staff of Western Counties Regional Library. All recommendations are posted at www.westerncounties.ca under Recommended Reading with links to the catalogue.
ANNAKA
BY ANDRE FENTON
Annaka has always hated her first name. That's why, when her mother packed her up at age seven and moved from Yarmouth to Halifax, she decided she would go by Anna. Now Anna is back in Yarmouth after the death of her beloved Grampy, and sorting through memories from her younger self. Anna learns the danger of dwelling in the past – especially when it forces her to confront some uncomfortable truths.
AND I ALONE
ESCAPED TO TELL YOU BY SYLVIA HAMILTON
The settlement of African people in Nova Scotia is a richly layered story encompassing many waves of settlement and diverse circumstances – from captives to 'freedom runners' who sailed north from the United States with hopes of establishing a new life. The poems in And I Alone Escaped to Tell You endeavour to give these historical events a human voice, blending documentary material, memory, experience, and imagination to evoke the lives of these early Black Nova Scotians and of the generations that followed.
AFRAID OF THE DARK BY GUYLEIGH JOHNSON
Through prose and poetry, Guyleigh Johnson tells the story of 16-year-old Kahlua Thomas. An absent father and an alcoholic mother leave Kahlua feeling neglected, but her real pain stems from being black. With a hard life at home, on the streets, and in school she finds an escape during her Grade 10 history class through writing poetry. Hiding in the back of the class, she writes, passionately expressing and releasing emotions about identity, home, community, culture, and forgiveness. This is an eBook.
THE WAY WE HOLD ON BY ABENA BELOVED GREEN
The Way We Hold On is Abena Beloved Green's debut book of poetry. Her poems address cultural, social, and environmental issues, relationships, and reflect on everyday life as a small-town raised, semi-nomadic, firstgeneration Canadian. Here are poems about holding on and letting go – of ideas, opinions, beliefs, people, places, and things. This is an eBook.
WOMAN TALKING WOMAN BY MAXINE TYNES
Woman Talking Woman is a new and varied collection of poetry and fiction by this vibrant voice from Atlantic Canada. Maxine Tynes is a woman, teacher and poet whose life is shaped by the pride and passion of her own strongly held beliefs and an absolute commitment to her personal politics.
ABIGAIL’S WISH BY GLORIA ANN WESLEY
The first children's picture book set in historic Birchtown, Nova Scotia, Abigail's Wish is a window into the life of a Black Loyalist family in the early years of the historic colony. Through the eyes of young Abigail, this stunning collaboration between poet and novelist Gloria Ann Wesley and award-winning illustrator Richard Rudnicki will teach readers about Black Loyalist life and the value of friendship and patience.