Bernice L. McFadden

"The seeming inevitability of cruel fate juxtaposes the triumph of the spirit in this remarkably rich and powerful novel, Glorious. Bernice McFadden's fully realized characters are complicated, imperfect beings, but if ever a character were worthy of love and honor, it is her Easter Bartlett. This very American story is fascinating; it is also heartbreaking, thought-provoking, and beautifully written."—Binnie Kirshenbaum, author of The Scenic Route"Riveting. . . . I am as...

15,000-copy paperback printing, along with 5,000-copy hardcover run Bernice L. McFadden remains one of our best-selling novelists Her previous novel won the prestigious NAACP Image Award (other finalists in her category included: Jacqueline Woodson, Colson Whitehead, Yvvette Edwards, and Lawrence Hill) Her previous novels have received glowing reviews in the New York Times, Washington Post, O, the Oprah Magazine, on NPR, and have been praised by both Toni Morrison and Terry McMillan, among...

15,000-copy paperback printing, along with 5,000-copy hardcover run. Akashic has had great success with McFadden's two most recent novels, Glorious and Gathering of Waters, as well as reissues. Bernice is considered one of Akashic's top fiction authors, in the same camp as Joe Meno and Nina Revoyr. This is Bernice's most ambitious novel to date, tackling the rarely explored but very real historical topic of African Americans imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps. The novel is...

"McFadden works a kind of miracle–not only do her characters retain their appealing humanity; their story eclipses the bonds of history to offer continuous surprises."–New York Times, on Gathering of Waters"Riveting…so nicely avoids the sentimentality that swirls around the subject matter. I am as impressed by its structural strength as by the searing and expertly imagined scenes."–Toni Morrison, on The Warmest December"McFadden's lively and loving rendering of New York hews closely to...

McFadden's last novel was a hit with book clubs, and this new novel should have an even stronger reception. McFadden has a strong appeal to African American women, while also appealing to a broader literary audience. Prominent reviews expected.

"Bernice L. McFadden is one of the best contemporary literary writers out there today…Her brilliance, her talent as a novelist, is the very life she breathes into all of her characters."–Terry McMillan, from the Introduction"Bernice L. McFadden was one of the best writers to emerge in the post-Waiting to Exhale explosion that introduced at least a dozen Black female novelists. Loving Donovan has generated near-cult status among readers. After more than a decade since it appeared, Donovan is...

"McFadden's reissued second novel takes an unflinching look at the corrosive nature of alcoholism . . . This is not a story of easy redemption . . . McFadden writes candidly about the treacherous hold of addiction."–Publishers Weekly"Riveting. . . . So nicely avoids the sentimentality that swirls around the subject matter. I am as impressed by its structural strength as by the searing and expertly imagined scenes."–Toni Morrison, author of Beloved"The sharpness of the prose and power...

“Nowhere Is a Place is a powerful portrait of family secrets, damage, and healing, probing deep below the surface of an African American family’s history to mend present day relationships . . . Ms. McFadden has a beautiful writing style that is simultaneously lyrical and transparent. In parts of the narrative, time seems to stand still as she describes an event in riveting minute to minute detail. Other times she employs a kind of poetic shorthand that condenses long periods...