Fires to Come by Asha Lemmie

Fires to Come by Asha Lemmie packs a lot in a few pages. A story of belonging, family, and power that feels like it's going one direction and then pivots in a way that is both surprising and makes perfect sense. Lemmie creates complex but real characters that are both likeable and unlikeable, often at the same time. Fires to Come explores the life of Carlotta, a Black baby adopted by an Italian family in the early twentieth century who never quite feels like she fits in even when she goes to Harlem trying to figure out her place in the world. As Carlotta seeks to fit in, she makes choices to protect herself that sometimes feel misguided but understandable. Fires to Come is a well-written, intriguing story about choices made and the consequences of those choices.


Currently Reading:


Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Larger Than Life by Jodi Picoult

The Bad Friend by Carolline Kepne

Harlem by Eric Jerome Dickey

Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions: The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights  by Omar Barghouti

The Butterfly's Burden by Mahmoud Darwish

Verseweavers: The Oregon Poetry Association Anthology of Prize-winning Poems Number 28/2023


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