The Blackwoods by Brandy Colbert. Balzer + Bray, 2023. 9780063091597
Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4
Format : Hardcover fiction
Genre : Realistic fiction
What did you like about the book? Ardith and Hollis are great-granddaughters of Blossom Blackwood, a beloved Black Hollywood actress. The story starts when Blossom dies and her family comes together to grieve. In the alternating voices of Blossom (from 1945 and on), and cousins Ardith and Hollis, the story tells of the highs and lows of an elite family of Black entertainers, many of whom follow in Blossom’s acting footsteps. And they all have secrets. Intellectual Hollis and her best friend Dwayne must deal with the aftermath of compromising photos; Ardith is challenged to overcome the shadow of her deceased mother’s great fall from addiction; and Blossom herself has never told the world who the father of her child, Abe, is. Each of the women has to live their personal lives in the face of constant media attention to anything they do.
This is an immersive read and mirrors the lives of several of the author’s beloved favorite Black entertainers of mid-twentieth century Hollywood, such as Diahann Carroll and Cicely Tyson. It’s fun to get a front row seat to the lives of a glamorous family, and the gorgeous front and back book cover images are great cues to imagining their appearance. Fame, racism, and Los Angeles itself are themes throughout the book. And family: in the end, the love of family is a comforting and stirring feature. Any reader looking for a character driven novel with strong Black women characters will be completely satisfied with this epic family drama.
Anything you didn’t like about it? No
To whom would you recommend this book? Read alikes are The Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo and other books by Brandy Colbert. There’s romance but no sex, so the book would work for ages 14 and up.
Who should buy this book? High school and public libraries
Where would you shelve it? Teen fiction
Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Near the top
Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Stephanie Tournas, Robbins Library, Arlington, MA
Date of review: October 20, 2023
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