My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson

A city under siege from terrorists, the power grid down and residents forced to run to safety

– it sounds like a postapocalyptic nightmare. And yet My Monticello is loosely inspired by true events: when white nationalists descended on Charlottesville in 2017. The fictional Da’Naisha has to flee with her grandma, boyfriend and neighbours, ending up in Thomas Jefferson’s old house – Monticello. It’s also part of Da’Naisha’s heritage, as a descendant of Jefferson and his relationship with a slave. Much of the symbolism can be quite heavy-handed – particularly as Da’Naisha is pregnant and doesn’t know who the father is: her white college boyfriend or an old black flame.