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Classic African American Literature

We read cultural classics and contemporary literature with a focus on books that tell the story of the African, African American, and Indigenous (Native) experience. Nothing is off-limits.

Willcott Book Club

The Willcott Boozy Bookclub

Take My Hand

Winner of the 2023 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Fiction

"Deeply empathetic yet unflinching in its gaze...an unforgettable exploration of responsibility and redemption."--Celeste Ng

Inspired by true events that rocked the nation, a searing and compassionate new novel about a Black nurse in post-segregation Alabama who blows the whistle on a terrible injustice done to her patients, from the New York Times bestselling author of Wench

Montgomery, Alabama, 1973. Fresh out of nursing school, Civil Townsend intends to make a difference, especially in her African American community. At the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic, she hopes to help women shape their destinies, to make their own choices for their lives and bodies.

But when her first week on the job takes her along a dusty country road to a worn-down one-room cabin, Civil is shocked to learn that her new patients, Erica and India, are children--just eleven and thirteen years old. Neither of the Williams sisters has even kissed a boy, but they are poor and Black, and for those handling the family's welfare benefits, that's reason enough to have the girls on birth control. As Civil grapples with her role, she takes India, Erica, and their family into her heart. Until one day she arrives at their door to learn the unthinkable has happened, and nothing will ever be the same for any of them.

Decades later, with her daughter grown and a long career in her wake, Dr. Civil Townsend is ready to retire, to find her peace, and to leave the past behind. But there are people and stories that refuse to be forgotten. That must not be forgotten.

Because history repeats what we don't remember.

Inspired by true events and brimming with hope, Take My Hand is a stirring exploration of accountability and redemption.

"Highlights the horrific discrepancies in our healthcare system and illustrates their heartbreaking consequences."--Essence

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384 pages

Average rating: 8.22

704 RATINGS

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25 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

SKALDSWE
Nov 21, 2024
Everyone liked
J♡reading
Oct 10, 2024
4/10 stars
This book started as a page-turner. I felt many emotions. The author is very descriptive, which made me feel an experience as if I was right there. Unfortunately, I was dissatisfied with the ending. I won't go any further. I don't want to be a spoiler.
MMRG
Sep 09, 2024
10/10 stars
This book rattled me.
thebeigecurtain
Sep 05, 2024
9/10 stars
Even knowing the damage done in the name of medicine / public health at the expense of black and brown bodies, it never ceases to shock me how awful things really were This book takes you right to the middle of what a mess the reality was for those involved. Civil, the protagonist, sheds light on how easy it is to get caught between what others think best and what we know is right. I wish the ending was fleshed out more - it felt like it was wrapped up poorly, but otherwise very good
MQ Gémeaux
Aug 26, 2024
10/10 stars
Really good read, sad what done to people of color.

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