Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge
$32.99
$32.99
The critically acclaimed and Whiting Award–winning author of We Love You, Charlie Freeman returns with Libertie, an unforgettable story about one young Black girl’s attempt to find a place where she can be fully, and only, herself
Coming of age as a freeborn Black girl in Reconstruction-era Brooklyn, Libertie Sampson is all too aware that her purposeful mother, a practising physician, has a vision for their future together: Libertie is to go to medical school and practise alongside her. But Libertie, drawn more to music than science, feels stifled by her mother’s choices and is hungry for something else—is there really only one way to have an autonomous life? And she is constantly reminded that, unlike her mother, who can pass, Libertie has skin that is too dark.
When a young man from Haiti proposes marriage and promises Libertie she will be his equal on the island, she accepts, only to discover that she is still subordinate to him and to all men. As she tries to parse what freedom actually means for a Black woman, Libertie struggles with where she might find it—for herself and for generations to come.
Inspired by the life of one of the first Black female doctors in the United States and rich with historical detail, Kaitlyn Greenidge’s new and immersive novel will resonate with readers eager to understand our present through a deep, moving and lyrical dive into our complicated past.
Selected praise for Libertie:
“This is one of the most thoughtful and amazingly beautiful books I’ve read all year. Kaitlyn Greenidge is a master storyteller.” - Jacqueline Woodson, author of Red at the Bone
“Few novels have as strong a sense of place as this fascinating blend of magical realism and African American historical fiction . . . Greenidge succeeds beautifully at presenting the complexities of an intense mother-daughter bond . . . Greenidge creates a richly layered tapestry of Black communal life, notably Black female life, and the inevitable contradictions and compromises of 'freedom.'” - Booklist (starred review)
“Greenidge (We Love You, Charlie Freeman) delivers another genius work of radical historical fiction . . . This pièce de résistance is so immaculately orchestrated that each character, each setting, and each sentence sings.” - Publishers Weekly, starred and boxed review
“Stunning . . . This engaging novel immerses readers in a world rich with historical detail that brings to life lesser-known aspects of post–Civil War American history, such as Black women in medicine and the relationship between Haiti and the United States. This will appeal to teenage fans of adult authors like Toni Morrison, Brit Bennett, and Yaa Gyasi.” - School Library Journal, starred review
“Kaitlyn Greenidge’s historical fiction unites the African diaspora. Libertie is a feat of monumental thematic imagination… Greenidge both mines history and transcends time, centering her post-Civil-War New York story around an enduring quest for freedom… The sheer force of Greenidge’s vision for [Libertie], for us all, gives us hope that it won’t be long now.” - New York Times Book Review
“Greenidge explores issues that are still real today while also inviting readers into historical moments that will be new to many. Just as colorism shapes Libertie’s relationships with Black people, classism does, too. There are fine distinctions between those who stole themselves away to freedom and those who were born to it, those who work for themselves and those who work for others . . . [She] shows us aspects of history we seldom see in contemporary fiction.” - Kirkus Reviews
Coming of age as a freeborn Black girl in Reconstruction-era Brooklyn, Libertie Sampson is all too aware that her purposeful mother, a practising physician, has a vision for their future together: Libertie is to go to medical school and practise alongside her. But Libertie, drawn more to music than science, feels stifled by her mother’s choices and is hungry for something else—is there really only one way to have an autonomous life? And she is constantly reminded that, unlike her mother, who can pass, Libertie has skin that is too dark.
When a young man from Haiti proposes marriage and promises Libertie she will be his equal on the island, she accepts, only to discover that she is still subordinate to him and to all men. As she tries to parse what freedom actually means for a Black woman, Libertie struggles with where she might find it—for herself and for generations to come.
Inspired by the life of one of the first Black female doctors in the United States and rich with historical detail, Kaitlyn Greenidge’s new and immersive novel will resonate with readers eager to understand our present through a deep, moving and lyrical dive into our complicated past.
Selected praise for Libertie:
“This is one of the most thoughtful and amazingly beautiful books I’ve read all year. Kaitlyn Greenidge is a master storyteller.” - Jacqueline Woodson, author of Red at the Bone
“Few novels have as strong a sense of place as this fascinating blend of magical realism and African American historical fiction . . . Greenidge succeeds beautifully at presenting the complexities of an intense mother-daughter bond . . . Greenidge creates a richly layered tapestry of Black communal life, notably Black female life, and the inevitable contradictions and compromises of 'freedom.'” - Booklist (starred review)
“Greenidge (We Love You, Charlie Freeman) delivers another genius work of radical historical fiction . . . This pièce de résistance is so immaculately orchestrated that each character, each setting, and each sentence sings.” - Publishers Weekly, starred and boxed review
“Stunning . . . This engaging novel immerses readers in a world rich with historical detail that brings to life lesser-known aspects of post–Civil War American history, such as Black women in medicine and the relationship between Haiti and the United States. This will appeal to teenage fans of adult authors like Toni Morrison, Brit Bennett, and Yaa Gyasi.” - School Library Journal, starred review
“Kaitlyn Greenidge’s historical fiction unites the African diaspora. Libertie is a feat of monumental thematic imagination… Greenidge both mines history and transcends time, centering her post-Civil-War New York story around an enduring quest for freedom… The sheer force of Greenidge’s vision for [Libertie], for us all, gives us hope that it won’t be long now.” - New York Times Book Review
“Greenidge explores issues that are still real today while also inviting readers into historical moments that will be new to many. Just as colorism shapes Libertie’s relationships with Black people, classism does, too. There are fine distinctions between those who stole themselves away to freedom and those who were born to it, those who work for themselves and those who work for others . . . [She] shows us aspects of history we seldom see in contemporary fiction.” - Kirkus Reviews
