Libertie

A Novel

by Kaitlyn Greenidge

On Sale: 04/06/2021

Libertie

Enlarge Book Cover

Libertie

A Novel

by Kaitlyn Greenidge

On Sale: 04/06/2021

Format:

Washington Post Best Book

TIME Magazine’s 100 Must-Read Books

About the Book

The critically acclaimed and Whiting Award–winning author of We Love You, Charlie Freeman returns with Libertie, an unforgettable story about one young Black girl’s attempt to find a place where she can be fully, and only, herself

Coming of age as a freeborn Black girl in Reconstruction-era Brooklyn, Libertie Sampson is all too aware that her purposeful mother, a practising physician, has a vision for their future together: Libertie is to go to medical school and practise alongside her. But Libertie, drawn more to music than science, feels stifled by her mother’s choices and is hungry for something else—is there really only one way to have an autonomous life? And she is constantly reminded that, unlike her mother, who can pass, Libertie has skin that is too dark.

When a young man from Haiti proposes marriage and promises Libertie she will be his equal on the island, she accepts, only to discover that she is still subordinate to him and to all men. As she tries to parse what freedom actually means for a Black woman, Libertie struggles with where she might find it—for herself and for generations to come.

Inspired by the life of one of the first Black female doctors in the United States and rich with historical detail, Kaitlyn Greenidge’s new and immersive novel will resonate with readers eager to understand our present through a deep, moving and lyrical dive into our complicated past.

Critical Praise

“This is one of the most thoughtful and amazingly beautiful books I’ve read all year. Kaitlyn Greenidge is a master storyteller.” — Jacqueline Woodson, author of Red at the Bone

“Pure brilliance. So much will be written about Kaitlyn Greenidge’s Libertie—how it blends history and magic into a new kind of telling, how it spins the past to draw deft circles around our present—but none of it will measure up to the singular joy of reading this book.” — Mira Jacob, author of Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations 

“Wielding both her knowledge of our history and her incredible sense of story, Kaitlyn Greenidge further establishes herself as one of the sharpest minds working today. Libertie is a novel of epic power and endless grace.” — Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, author of Friday Black

“In this singular novel, Kaitlyn Greenidge confronts the anonymizing forces of history with her formidable gifts. Libertie is a glorious, piercing song for the ages—fierce, brilliant, and utterly free.” — Brandon Taylor, author of Real Life

"I want to say that Kaitlyn Greenidge's Libertie is a glorious diasporic literary song, but the novel is so much more than that. A book so deeply invested in the politics and place of silence is one of the most melodious books I've read in decades. The ambition in Libertie is only exceeded by Greenidge's skill. This is it." — Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy

“Kaitlyn Greenidge has built a lush, imaginative novel, as dark and beautiful as its namesake yet as relevant today as during its 19th-century setting. I didn’t want it to end, and I fear that any attempt to render its complexity with brevity equals a failure to capture the book’s vast depth and its conversation with so many other important historical and literary works. A page turner and a gorgeous winner.” — Nafissa Thompson-Spires, author of Heads of the Colored People 

“The voice that fuels this novel is rooted in the body and rises toward myth, forged of history, ocean salt, iron, and hope. With Libertie, Kaitlyn Greenidge adds an indelible new sound to American literature, and confirms her status as one of our most gifted young writers.” — Garth Greenwell, author of What Belongs to You and Cleanness

“Few novels have as strong a sense of place as this fascinating blend of magical realism and African American historical fiction . . . Greenidge succeeds beautifully at presenting the complexities of an intense mother-daughter bond . . . Greenidge creates a richly layered tapestry of Black communal life, notably Black female life, and the inevitable contradictions and compromises of 'freedom.'” — Booklist (starred review)

“Greenidge (We Love You, Charlie Freeman) delivers another genius work of radical historical fiction . . . This pièce de résistance is so immaculately orchestrated that each character, each setting, and each sentence sings.”  — Publishers Weekly, starred and boxed review

“Stunning . . . This engaging novel immerses readers in a world rich with historical detail that brings to life lesser-known aspects of post–Civil War American history, such as Black women in medicine and the relationship between Haiti and the United States. This will appeal to teenage fans of adult authors like Toni Morrison, Brit Bennett, and Yaa Gyasi.” — School Library Journal, starred review 

“This is a historical novel, a magical novel, a familial novel, a Bildungsroman—a work that defies simple categorization. The complexities herein signify an important writer throwing all her talents and brilliance on the page, offering us more than we deserve. Reading Libertie can feel like reading Toni Morrison. Such a comparison, however, is a disservice to Kaitlyn Greenidge, who is an original light, a writer to emulate, a master of the craft, and a mind we’re fortunate to have living among us.” — Gabriel Bump, author of Everywhere You Don’t Belong

Libertie is a bildungsroman for America in the 21st century, providing us with a spiritual education we sorely need. What is care and what is poison? Where does life end? Where does liberty begin? By creating Libertie—a 19th century “black gal,” a modern existential heroine—Greenidge has resurrected more than an ancestor—she has revived the anger and the love, the grief and the pride, and, above all, the fierce need for freedom that still drive our nation today.” — C. Morgan Babst, author of The Floating World

“Kaitlyn Greenidge’s historical fiction unites the African diaspora. Libertie is a feat of monumental thematic imagination… Greenidge both mines history and transcends time, centering her post-Civil-War New York story around an enduring quest for freedom… The sheer force of Greenidge’s vision for [Libertie], for us all, gives us hope that it won’t be long now.” — New York Times Book Review

“Greenidge explores issues that are still real today while also inviting readers into historical moments that will be new to many. Just as colorism shapes Libertie’s relationships with Black people, classism does, too. There are fine distinctions between those who stole themselves away to freedom and those who were born to it, those who work for themselves and those who work for others . . . [She] shows us aspects of history we seldom see in contemporary fiction.”
Kirkus Reviews

“Sweeping, engrossing.”  — Oprahmag.com

"Exquisite historical fiction that lovingly reminds us to reassess our own present-day commitments to fighting for, and practicing, freedom." — Ms. magazine

“Greenidge’s immersive story … heralds a blossoming literary career.” — Los Angeles Times

“Greenidge weaves together an intricate narrative about colorism, classism and community.” — Time

“Fiercely compelling, and told in a singular, lyrical voice, Libertie is a novel that lives in a specific historical time —the Reconstruction Era — but offers insight into the very modern struggles that still exist surrounding identity, family, love, and freedom. … This is a novel of struggle and triumph, exhaustion and perseverance, rooted in history, but transcendent of it; another masterwork by Kaitlyn Greenidge.” — Refinery 29

“Powerful . . . Themes of colorism, identity, communities among women, and wrestling over life decisions result in an engaging portrait of growing up. In the memorable historical novel Libertie, a young woman struggles with her mother and questions what freedom means to her.” — Foreword Review (starred review) 

“A must-read for everyone who adored Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half.” — BookPage

“Through the trials and tribulations of its young Black woman protagonist, [Libertie] reveals a commitment to Libertie’s coming-of-age journey that mirrors that of Zora Neale Hurston’s treatment of Janie Crawford in Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937). By bearing witness to Libertie’s efforts to make a world for herself and for future generations, readers are left to consider the nature of freedom itself and the cost of making space for yourself in a world intent on restricting you.” — Bitch Media

“Every bit of Libertie is rich and vibrant, offering the best of what historical fiction can do.” — Vulture.com, "Best Books of the Year (So Far)"

“A gorgeously affecting story.”  — Shelf Awareness

Libertie is epic yet engaging, and gorgeously written.” — The Rumpus.com

-

Product Details

  • ISBN: 9781443465809
  • ISBN 10: 1443465801
  • Imprint: HarperCollins Publishers
  • On Sale: 04/06/2021
  • Pages: 336
  • List Price:32.99 CAD
  • BISAC1 : FICTION / Coming of Age
  • BISAC2 : FICTION / African American / Historical
  • BISAC3 : FICTION / African American / Contemporary Women

Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge

The broadest selection of online bookstores. The links will take you to the web site's home page.

Other Booksellers

The broadest selection of online bookstores. The links will take you to the Web site's home page.

SELECT:

Specialty Booksellers

Interest-specific online venues and gift accounts that offer books for purchase. The links will take you to the store’s home page.

International Customers

If you are located outside Canada, the best way to order online is to choose from the following bookstores listed by region and country.