Dennard Dayle’s How to Dodge a Cannonball: A Novel is a satire of the Civil War that follows Anders, a teenage idealist whose shifting roles – from Union flag twirler to Confederate soldier to member of a Black Union regiment – force him to question identity, loyalty, and belonging. Through doomed charges, draft riots, and shifting allegiances, Dayle explores what it meant to be American during the war. In Rickey Fayne’s The Devil Three Times: A Novel, Yetunde awakens aboard a slave ship with only her dead sister’s spirit for company – until the Devil himself offers protection and power in exchange for an unthinkable sacrifice. Their bargain spans 175 years, as he visits Yetunde’s descendants in moments of crisis, offering salvation while questioning his own. Set in New Orleans, 1866, Nathan Harris’ Amity: A Novel tells the story of formerly enslaved siblings Coleman and June, who have yet to find the freedom they’ve been promised. June went to Mexico; Coleman stayed behind in Louisiana. Reuniting is full of perilous moments. Because freedom isn’t always given – sometimes, it must be taken by force. Moderated by award-winning author Marlon James.
Buy How to Dodge a Cannonball: A Novel – Dayle
Buy The Devil Three Times: A Novel – Fayne
Buy Amity: A Novel – Harris
