HEAR OUR VOICES BOOK CLUB

Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill is thrilled to partner with like-minded Bookclubs for our Hear Our Voices Book Club. Each month, we will feature one of these powerful paperbacks, strong stories from and about underrepresented voices. From beloved and bestselling authors like Julía Alvarez, Tayari Jones, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and undeniable debut talents like Jaquira Díaz, Lisa Ko, and Mesha Maren, these stunning books will make you think, feel, and talk talk talk in your book club discussions!

QuoteWe need women’s voices now, in these times, more than ever.

—TAYARI JONES, winner of the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction

Made in China: A Prisoner, an SOS Letter, and the Hidden Cost of America’s Cheap Goods

by Amelia Pang

In this investigative expose, author Amelia Pang pulls back the curtain on the human cost behind the cheap consumer goods we purchase.

His Only Wife

by Peace Adzo Medie

When Afi agrees to an arranged marriage with a wealthy man she has never met, she thinks she understands the rules she must play by in her home of Ghana. But she just might break them all in this must-read, captivating tale that questions issues of independence and identity. A Reese’s Book Club pick.

Silence is a Sense: ‘Lyrical, moving, revealing’ - Tracy Chevalier

by Layla AlAmmar

A transfixing and beautifully rendered novel about a refugee’s escape from civil war—and the healing power of community.

Libertie: A Novel

by Kaitlyn Greenidge

Set during and after the Civil War, Kaitlyn Greenidge’s masterful second novel follows Libertie Sampson, the daughter of a Black female physician, and explores what “freedom” actually means for Black women. Beautifully written and rich with historical detail, Libertie is an immersive, revelatory read, perfect for fans of Yaa Gyasi and Brit Bennett.

Hot Stew

by Fiona Mozley

A brilliant novel about a building, a brothel, and a swirl of characters in London’s red-light district. From the author of the Booker Prize finalist Elmet, Hot Stew confronts questions about class, gender, and power, all through an entertaining, cinematic story.

Nowhere Girl

by Cheryl Diamond

By the age of nine, I will have lived in more than a dozen countries, on five continents, under six assumed identities. I’ll know how a document is forged, how to withstand an interrogation, and most important, how to disappear . . .

The Archer

by Shruti Swamy

“In Bombay, motherless Vidya discovers Kathak; the lyrical dance form brings meaning to her life as she wrestles with expectations that she become a certain kind of wife and mother herself.” —Vanity Fair

The Last Nomad: Coming of Age in the Somali Desert

by Shugri Said Salh

Shugri Said Salh, now a nurse in California, tells her unforgettable true story: When she was six years old, Shugri was sent to live with her nomadic grandmother in the Eastern African desert, becoming the last of her family to learn a once-common way of life.

Flesh & Blood: Reflections on Infertility, Family, and Creating a Bountiful Life: A Memoir

by N. West Moss

Honest, warm, and witty, this memoir reads like a chat with a dear friend sharing her insight and her vulnerabilities and taking us along as she heals. Complete with family stories over cocktails and a new friend named Claude, who happens to be a praying mantis.

Carry the Dog

by Stephanie Gangi

Stephanie Gangi’s novel, Carry the Dog, sweeps readers into Bea Seger’s Manhattan life in a story that pulses with rock ‘n’ roll, insight, and wit. After years of avoiding her past and her artist mother’s infamous, nude photos of Bea and her brothers, Bea must make a choice of whether to let the world in—and be compensated for the trauma of her childhood—or leave it all locked away in a storage unit forever.

An American Marriage (Oprah's Book Club): A Novel

by Tayari Jones

Roy and Celestial are newlyweds when Roy is arrested for a crime he didn’t commit and given a lengthy prison sentence. As Celestial faces a life alone and Roy faces a life in prison, they discover the power of love, and its limits.

Honor

by Thrity Umrigar

In this riveting and immersive novel, bestselling author Thrity Umrigar tells the story of two couples and the sometimes dangerous and heartbreaking challenges of love across a cultural divide.

Big Girl, Small Town

by Michelle Gallen

Meet Majella O’Neill, a heroine like no other. Growing up in Northern Ireland just after the Troubles, Majella lives a quiet life caring for her alcoholic mother and working in the local chip shop, but when her predictable existence is upended, she realizes there might just be whole big world outside her small town. Don’t miss this unforgettable debut from the author of the hot new novel Factory Girls.

Amelia Pang

Peace Adzo Medie

Layla AlAmmar

Kaitlyn Greenidge

Fiona Mozley

Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

Shruti Swamy

Shugri Said Salh

N. West Moss

Stephanie Gangi

Tayari Jones