The Water DancerYoung Hiram Walker was born into bondage. When his mother was sold away, Hiram was robbed of all memory of her but was gifted with a mysterious power. Years later, when Hiram almost drowns in a river, that same power saves his life. This brush with death births an urgency in Hiram and a daring scheme: to escape from the only home he's ever known. So begins an unexpected journey that takes Hiram from the corrupt grandeur of Virginia's proud plantations

and creators

spanning from the publication of The Fire Next Time in 1963 to that of No Name in the Street in 1972

and transgender--to ever get his own happily-ever-after

LGBTQ+ positive

The days leading up to the funeral are chaotic

and the tenacity of women who choose to tell their stories despite those who wish to silence them

but we can't dismiss all anger

and fervently religious mother--his teammate

He begins by taking to task the perception of urban youth of color as unteachable

but Eva's not sure how she can trust the man who broke her heart

The R-word

there's no more time for hesitation: There are lost girls out there somewhere