Sistah Girls, it’s a new year and we are striving to recommend books that every Sistah Girl can read, enjoy, and receive something from.
The book that I’m recommending you jumpstart the new year with is Training School for Negro Girls by Camille Acker.
This debut short fiction novel shows the versatility of black girls and black women in a way that we are not often portrayed. I promise you, this is a book that you will cherish!
From “good cuss outs” to using your “white girl voice,” Camille writes raw and insightful stories that remind you of your favorite cousin from DC.
Training School for Negro Girls sensationalizes the everyday lives of the DC Girls from around the way. This book served as a mirror while reading all I could see was myself in the characters Acker introduced to me. Eleven chapters full of page-turning stories. I finished this book gaining a higher adornment for my Sistah’s and our all-around awesomeness.
My favorite character in this book was Bit and her story “Strong Men.” Though she was only 13, I enjoyed reading her naiveness when it came to the men in her life. Bit thought of life like most of us Sistahs did when we were in the 8th grade. Boys, Music, Best Friends, and Good Food, not fully understanding that life is deeper than that.
There is no subject Camille Acker avoided in this short collection. She vividly told relatable stories that your best friend, mama, auntie, cousin and even grandma could connect to. So Sis go check out this book, you will not be disappointed, and it’s a great book to kick off the new year with.