Synopses & Reviews
A "powerful song about what it means to survive as a woman in America" (Jesmyn Ward), this "fiercely astute" novel follows a sister determined to uncover the truth about her twin's disappearance (Tayari Jones).
On a cold December evening, Autumn Spencer's twin sister, Summer, walks to the roof of their shared Harlem brownstone and is never seen again. The door to the roof is locked, and the snow holds only one set of footprints. Faced with authorities indifferent to another missing Black woman, Autumn must pursue the search for her sister all on her own.
With her friends and neighbors, Autumn pretends to hold up through the crisis. But the loss becomes too great, the mystery too inexplicable, and Autumn starts to unravel, all the while becoming obsessed with the various murders of local women and the men who kill them, thinking their stories and society's complacency toward them might shed light on what really happened to her sister.
In Speaking of Summer, critically acclaimed author Kalisha Buckhanon has created a fast-paced story of urban peril and victim invisibility, and the fight to discover the complicated truths at the heart of every family.
Review
"[Buckhanon] captures Autumn's frustration at the undervaluing of Black women,
accompanied by the creeping gentrification of her Harlem neighborhood.
Not only are individual Black women disappearing, so are the communities
that keep them safe." Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"Speaking of Summer
is Autumn's story, Autumn's obsession and Autumn's keen desire to
understand a world that dismisses the humanity of Black women, and the
men who kill them." Shelf Awareness
Review
"Buckhanon understands
the complexities of trauma. Her portrait of Autumn's grief, fragmented
memories, and inner turmoil all synthesize current scientific research
on how people cope with traumatic experiences and might seek to heal." Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Kalisha Buckhanon is the author of the novels Solemn, Conception, and Upstate. Her honors include a Literary Fiction Audie Award, American Library Association ALEX Award, Friends of American Writers Award, Illinois Arts Council Fellowship, Pushcart Prize and Hurston-Wright Awards nominations, and special Young Author award from novelist Terry McMillan. She also appears on ID Channel, BET, and TV One as a true crime expert in cases involving women.