Caucasia: A NovelFrom the author of New People and Colored Television, the extraordinary national bestseller that launched Danzy Senna’s literary career “Superbly illustrates the emotional toll that politics and race take … Haunting.” —The New York Times Book Review Birdie and Cole are the daughters of a black father and a white mother, intellectuals and activists in the Civil Rights Movement in 1970s Boston. The sisters are so close that they speak their own language, yet Birdie, with her light skin and straight hair, is often mistaken for white, while Cole is dark enough to fit in with the other kids at school. Despite their differences, Cole is Birdie’s confidant, her protector, the mirror by which she understands herself. Then their parents’ marriage collapses. One night Birdie watches her father and his new girlfriend drive away with Cole. Soon Birdie and her mother are on the road as well, drifting across the country in search of a new home. But for Birdie, home will always be Cole. Haunted by the loss of her sister, she sets out a desperate search for the family that left her behind. A modern classic, Caucasia is at once a powerful coming of age story and a groundbreaking work on identity and race in America. |
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afro Aku-Aku arms asked baby beside Birdie blue body Boston Brazil breath Cap'n Crunch Carmen Caucasia Cole Cole's color cornrows Dairy Queen Danzy Senna dark door Dorothy Lee Dot's Elemeno eyes face father feel felt fingers friends front fucking girl glanced glass Golliwog gonna grandmother hair Hampshire hand head hear heard inside Jesse Jewfro kids kitchen knew laughed leaned lips listening looked Maria Mona Mona's mother Nella Larsen never Nicholas night Nkrumah nodded okay Papa paused played pulled Redbone remember Roberta Flack Ronnie Roxbury Samantha seemed shit shook shrugged sister skin smell smile sound spoke Star of David stared stay stood street sure talk tell thing thought told tried trying turned voice waiting walked Walter Marsh wanted watched whispered window woman wondered words wore Yeah