PENPOINT Reading List

By Anika Shah

1. Good Dirt
By Charmaine Wilkerson

1. Why we like this book:
2. Charmaine Wilkerson, author of Black Cake, returns with a deeply moving novel about family, legacy, and the stories we inherit. In Good Dirt, ten-year-old Ebby Freeman’s world is shattered when her brother is killed during a home invasion that also destroys a centuries-old clay jar tied to their family’s past. Years later, after being left at the altar, Ebby retreats to the French countryside, trying to make sense of her personal heartbreak and long-standing family trauma. As she reflects on the history of the jar and the ancestors who carried it north, she begins to uncover truths that may shape her future. With rich characters, emotional depth, and a beautifully woven narrative, Good Dirt is a powerful exploration of identity, grief, and healing.

2. Issac’s Song
By Daniel Black

Daniel Black’s Isaac’s Song is a powerful and poetic novel about identity, memory, and the search for truth. Isaac, a young Black man raised in Missouri by a demanding father, has spent much of his life hiding parts of himself to fit a narrow idea of masculinity. Now living in late 1980s Chicago, he is beginning to create a life that reflects who he truly is. Just as he finds that sense of freedom, the realities of the AIDS crisis and the violent beating of Rodney King begin to unravel his hard-won peace. With the help of a therapist, Isaac turns to writing and begins to trace the story of his life, exploring his family’s roots in Arkansas, long-held pain, and the influence of Black literary giants. What unfolds is a moving journey of self-discovery, shaped by grief, love, and the lasting power of language. Isaac’s Song is a deeply felt novel that speaks to the strength it takes to heal and the clarity that comes from telling your own story.

3. Sọmadịna
By Akwaeke Emezi

Akwaeke Emezi’s Sọmadịna is a beautifully crafted YA fantasy set in a magical precolonial Igbo world. The story follows 15-year-old twins Somadina and Jayaike, whose dangerous and powerful gifts set them apart from their peers. When Jayaike is kidnapped by a dark force seeking their magic, Somadina embarks on a perilous journey into the Sacred Forest to save him. Emezi explores themes of family, identity, and the fine line between vengeance and justice with lush, lyrical prose that draws readers deep into this extraordinary world. This novel is both a gripping adventure and a thoughtful exploration of power and self-discovery.

4. Happy Land
By Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Dolen Perkins-Valdez’s Happy Land is a richly detailed multi-generational novel about family, history, and legacy. Nikki, a struggling realtor, reconnects with her estranged grandmother in western North Carolina and learns about the Kingdom of the Happy Land, a community founded by former slaves seeking refuge. Told through Nikki’s present-day journey and the eyes of her ancestor Luella, the story explores the challenges Black families face in keeping property across generations and the impact of heirs’ property laws. Perkins-Valdez creates complex characters with realistic flaws, showing a nuanced family dynamic. Nikki’s growth and her quest to understand her heritage highlight the power of the past and the courage it takes to protect one’s legacy. This compelling story is a moving tribute to resilience, memory, and reclaiming history.

5. The Summer I Ate the Rich
By Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite

The Summer I Ate the Rich by Maika and Maritza Moulite is a sharp, magic realist satire that explores socioeconomic and racial inequality through the eyes of Brielle Petitfour, a Haitian-American teen with a unique secret-her culinary creations contain human flesh. Brielle’s wit and resilience shine as she navigates her chronically ill mother’s struggles and her own ambitions, all while cleverly turning the tables on the wealthy elite who hire her. The novel’s greatest strength lies in Brielle’s vibrant voice and her deeply emotional relationship with her mother, drawn from the authors’ own experiences. While the sections featuring Brielle’s sisters as Greek muses can feel somewhat disjointed and unclear, they do not overshadow the novel’s emotional core, which is Brielle’s complex relationship with her mother and her sharp, inventive way of challenging the wealthy. This blend of Haitian folklore, family dynamics, and social critique makes The Summer I Ate the Rich a compelling and original read that offers more than just supernatural thrills.

6. Zeal
By Morgan Jenkins

Morgan Jerkins’s Zeal is a sweeping multi-generational novel that explores love, legacy, and Black resilience across more than 150 years. The story begins in 2019 Harlem with Ardelia and Oliver whose engagement connects them to an unanswered love letter from 1865 Mississippi written by Harrison to his lost love Tirzah. The narrative shifts between eras from post-Civil War Reconstruction to the Great Migration and modern times offering rich and immersive voices for each period. Jerkins’s lyrical prose captures the struggles and strength of her characters while delving into themes of inherited love and trauma, family secrets, and Black womanhood. The novel is meticulously researched with vivid historical settings that feel alive without overwhelming detail. Although its nonlinear structure and introspective moments sometimes slow the pace, Zeal remains a powerful and essential work. Fans of Homegoing and The Vanishing Half will find it a profound and moving read.

7. Whispers of the Lake
By Shanora Williams 

Whispers of the Lake by Shanora Williams is a tense psychological thriller that unravels the complicated past between investigative reporter Rose Howard and her former best friend Eve Castillo, a travel vlogger whose betrayal ended Rose’s marriage. When Eve disappears from a remote North Carolina lake cottage without her essentials, Rose’s search uncovers unsettling secrets about Eve and the seemingly friendly townspeople of Sage Hill. Williams’s sharp characterization draws readers into Rose’s conflicted emotions and growing mistrust, while Eve’s scattered digital journal entries reveal a darker, more reckless side. The atmospheric setting enhances the suspense, evoking the isolation and mystery of small-town life. Though Rose’s inner reflections occasionally slow the pace, the novel maintains a gripping momentum throughout. With a blend of personal drama and psychological twists, Whispers of the Lake is an engaging introduction to Williams’s suspenseful storytelling.

8. Junie
By Erin Crosby Eckstine

Erin Crosby Eckstine’s Junie is a richly atmospheric historical novel that follows a sixteen-year-old enslaved girl on an Alabama plantation as she confronts grief, long-buried secrets, and the ghost of her sister. The writing is vividly sensory, evoking the oppressive heat and emotional weight of life on Bellereine Plantation with haunting clarity. While Junie’s access to education and her position within the household create a unique perspective, her striking naiveté in the face of systemic cruelty occasionally strains believability. The novel blends historical fiction with supernatural elements, though the ghostly appearances of her sister Minnie sometimes feel more distracting than cohesive. Still, Junie shines in its final chapters, delivering an intense and emotionally charged conclusion. The character dynamics are compelling, offering moments of tenderness, resilience, and shared struggle. Though the pacing and magical realism may not work for every reader, Junie is a thought-provoking, emotionally layered debut that will appeal to fans of Southern historical fiction with a spiritual twist.

9. A Mastery of Monsters
By Liselle Sambury

Liselle Sambury’s A Mastery of Monsters introduces Augie Black, a bold and self-reliant teen whose life is thrown into chaos when her brother Jules disappears shortly after their mother goes missing. Augie knows Jules would never leave her without a reason, and her suspicions deepen after she is attacked by a towering creature with fur and claws. This encounter leads her to Virgil Hawthorne, a quiet boy who reveals that monsters are real and that he is one of them. To help find her brother, Augie agrees to train for a secret society that pairs monsters with human partners to keep their instincts in check. The trials are brutal, and society’s history is complex, but the true heart of the story lies in Augie’s personal journey. She begins to reclaim her identity after years of living under pressure to shrink herself and conform. Sambury blends supernatural suspense with emotional honesty in a story that explores love, control, and finding strength in unexpected places.

10. The Sable Cloak
By Gail Milissa Grant

Gail Milissa Grant’s The Sable Cloak is a rich and layered portrait of an African American family navigating power, legacy, and resilience in 20th-century St. Louis. Spanning from 1911 to 1964, the novel centers on Jordan Sable, a former undertaker turned political boss, and his wife Sara, a business-savvy matriarch who takes charge when tragedy strikes. Inspired by Grant’s own family history, the story weaves personal and communal struggles with historical weight. From Big Will Anderson’s haunting introduction to Jordan’s rise through political deal-making, Grant explores the lesser-told lives of Black Americans who built success and community amid racial oppression. The novel honors everyday people who shaped history from the ground up. With Sara’s leadership and strength serving as a powerful focal point, the novel highlights Black women’s often unseen labor and perseverance. Though the narrative occasionally wanders, its quiet ambition and grounded storytelling offer a moving tribute to overlooked Black lives and enduring legacy.

Anika Shah is a rising senior at The Hockaday School and is excited to intern at Texas Metro News through the UNT Scripps Howard Program this summer. She loves playing golf, drinking iced lattes, and spending time with her friends. When not writing for Texas Metro News, you can find her curating her Spotify, reading, or on the golf course.