Jen and Riley have been best friends since kindergarten. They consider each other family even though their lives have gone in different directions. Riley is poised to become the first Black female news anchor in Philadelphia, and Jen is finally pregnant after years of trying.
Riley and Jen’s friendship is thrust into turmoil when Jen’s husband, a white police officer, shoots an unarmed Black teenager. Riley is tasked with reporting the details, putting her in a painful position between her friendship and her career. How much can she rely on private knowledge from their relationship while reconciling the truth of the present and her position reporting on the shooting? Is Riley’s husband innocent or part of a larger and deadly systemic problem?
The incident forces lifelong friends to talk deeply about race for the first time. It sheds new light on their upbringings and pushes readers to acknowledge the luxury inherent in not thinking about race every day.
I couldn’t put this book down because the characters are so real and impactful. Co-authors Christine Pride and Jo Piazza strengthened and tested their own interracial friendship during the writing process, which undeniably elevated this powerful novel. I recommend this book if you’re willing to face some hard topics and examine your own biases.
Margaret Gardner is the senior library manager at the R.H. Stafford Library in Woodbury. Find more to read at washcolib.org.
