The UnsettledTwo bold, utopic communities are at the heart of Ayana Mathis's searing follow up to her bestselling debut, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie. Bonaparte, Alabama once 10,000 glorious Black owned acres is now a ghost town vanishing to depopulation, crooked developers, and an eerie mist closing in on its shoreline. Dutchess Carson, Bonaparte's fiery, tough talking protector, fights to keep its remaining one thousand acres in the hands of the last five

making it clear from the get-go who her endgame romance will be

She delves into some of the cornerstones of leading a first-class Black life

And despite a small but loyal following

Brown is his Gram's coffee and his Gramp's morning kiss

it's just one secret among others that her family is keeping

With Mami's determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church

Their closeness is tested when Layla's father

Using hip hop as a backdrop to explore norms that are harmful to Black women

Alexandre Duma

In her message

Maple connects with Chad

including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust