Black Cherokee

Betty meets Queenie in this courageous coming-of-age story about a Black girl fighting for recognition in a South Carolina Cherokee community that refuses to accept her ancestry as legitimate.

Ophelia Blue Rivers is a descendent of Cherokee Freedmen: Blacks formerly enslaved by rich southern Cherokee. She is ＂Black＂ but doesn’t understand why that makes her different. She is ＂Cherokee＂ but struggles to know what that means.

Their town of Etsi--once a reservation--still lives with the wounds of its disbanding. When the town, and the river that sustains it, are put in mortal danger personal rivalries threaten their very survival. Against this backdrop Ophelia begins her spirited, at times harrowing, search for place and family. She must discover: what does it mean to belong when belonging comes at such a high price?

With dazzling language, keen insight, and an unforgettable voice, Black Cherokee is an astonishing novel from an emerging literary talent.

Antonio Michael Downing is the author of Saga Boy. He has been shortlisted for several awards including as emerging author at the 2019 Taylor Prize and the 2021 Speaker’s Book Award. He is also the author of the children’s book Stars in My Crown (Tundra Books) and writes and performs music as John Orpheus. Black Cherokee is his debut novel.