*From the Viral Clark Atlanta University Commencement Speaker*
*From the Georgia Author of the Year Award Winner*
The beloved author of Donât Cry for Me and Perfect Peace returns with a poignant, emotionally exuberant novel about a young queer Black man finding his voice in 1980s Chicagoâa novel of family, forgiveness and perseverance, for fans of The Great Believers and On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
Isaac is at a crossroads in his young life. Growing up in Missouri, the son of a caustic, hard-driving father, he was conditioned to suppress his artistic pursuits and physical desires, notions that didnât align with a traditional view of masculinity. But now, in late â80s Chicago, Isaac has finally carved out a life of his own. He is sensitive and tenderhearted and has built up the courage to seek out a community. Yet just as he begins to embrace who he is, two social catalystsâthe AIDS crisis and Rodney Kingâs attackâcollectively extinguish his hard-earned joy.
At a therapistâs encouragement, Isaac begins to write down his story. In the process, he taps into a creative energy that will send him on a journey back to his family, his ancestral home in Arkansas and the inherited trauma of the nationâs dark past. But a surprise discovery will either unlock the truths heâs seeking or threaten to derail the life heâs fought so hard to claim.
Poignant, sweeping and luminously told, Isaac's Song is a return to the beloved characters of Donât Cry for Me and a high-water mark in the career of an award-winning author.