The Days of Afrekete: A Novel [B2055]

2021 HCDJ in gift-worthy condition. A tender, surprising novel of two women at midlife who rediscover themselves-and perhaps each other. Liselle Belmont is having a dinner party. It seems a strange occasion-her husband, Winn, has lost his bid for the state legislature-but what better way to thank key supporters than a feast? Liselle was never sure about her husband becoming a politician, never sure about the limelight, never sure about the life of fundraising and stump speeches. Then an FBI agent calls to warn her that Winn might be facing corruption charges. An avalanche of questions tumbles around her: Is it possible he's guilty? Who are they to each other; who have they become? How much of herself has she lost-and was it worth it? And just this minute, how will she make it through this dinner party? Across town, Selena Octave is making her way through the same day, the same way she always does-one foot in front of the other, keeping quiet and focused, trying not to see the terrors all around her. Homelessness, starving children, the very living horrors of history that made America possible: these and other thoughts have made it difficult for her to live an easy life. The only time she was ever really happy was with Liselle, back in college. But they've lost touch, so much so that when they ran into each other at a drugstore just after Obama was elected president, they barely spoke. But as the day wears on, memories of Liselle begin to shift Selena's path.

The Days of Afrekete is a deft, expertly layered, naturally funny, and deeply human examination of two women coming back to themselves at midlife. It is a watchful celebration of our choices and where they take us, the people who change us, and how we can reimagine ourselves even when our lives seem set.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Loved this strange tale of friendship. Rich characters."; "Wow, so good, I just wanted more!! Beautiful, immersive, moving and tragic. Broadly, it is a love story that perfectly captures how the shortest relationships can be the most impactful, the intensity and fragility of love, and how we mourn and are haunted by what could have been. Yet at the same time, so poignantly it is the specific story of lesbianism in the world of compulsory heterosexuality and it also explicitly and honestly explores the influences of class and race on queerness. Asali Soloman shows how the supposedly feminist and queer-friendly spaces of an all-women's college can be hostile to queer women who are black, non-white, or from low or middle class backgrounds."; "Powerful and engaging character study of two women who were in a relationship in college and then things came between them. The chapters switch perspectives between them, walking them through their day and reflecting on their histories. Such a beautiful story."