Brass Ankle Blues - by Rachel M Harper (Paperback)

About the Book

A young woman of mixed race navigates the twists and turns of first love and shifting family loyalties. Moving towards a definition of self that encompasses all the aspects of American, diversity, she wonders if her newfound identity requires her to distance herself from those she loves.

Book Synopsis

"When I was seven I told my father that I wanted to grow up to be invisible."

As a young woman of mixed race, Nellie Kincaid is about to encounter the strange, unsettling summer of her fifteenth year. Reeling from the recent separation of her parents, Nellie finds herself traveling to the family's lake house with only her father and her estranged cousin, leaving behind the life and the mother she is trying to forget.

As the summer progresses, Nellie will have to define herself, navigating the twists and turns of first love. At the same time, her family is becoming more and more divided by the day. Does her newfound identity require her to distance herself from those she loves, or will it draw her closer?

Review Quotes

"Brass Ankle Blues is a beautiful debut...full of humanity and elusive shocks of recognition. It gracefully explores the fissures and possibilities that all young selves experience. This is a marvelous novel."
-- The Providence Journal

"A mature, intelligent, eloquent, lyrical, insightful work. All the elements of fine writing."
-- Gayl Jones, author of The Healing and Corregidora

"Rachel Harper's fierce debut is a tender, passionate, and moving read. A clear window onto a world rarely seen in contemporary fiction."
-- Shay Youngblood, author of Soul Kiss

About the Author

Rachel M. Harper, a graduate of Brown University, has been published in Chicago Review, African American Review, and the anthology Mending the World: Stories of Family by Contemporary Black Writers. She lives in Californi