Training School for Negro Girls
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
“The lives of the girls and women featured in these stories are rendered with tremendous warmth, humor, and care . . . a wonderful debut.” —Jamel Brinkley, author of A Lucky Man
In her debut short story collection, Camille Acker unleashes the irony and tragic comedy of respectability onto a wide-ranging cast of characters, all of whom call Washington, DC, home. A “woke” millennial tries to fight gentrification, only to learn she’s part of the problem; a grade school teacher dreams of a better DC, only to take out her frustrations on her students; and a young piano player wins a competition, only to learn the prize is worthless.
Ultimately, they are confronted with the fact that respectability does not equal freedom. Instead, they must learn to trust their own conflicted judgment and fight to create their own sense of space and self.
“An exciting literary achievement by a significant emerging talent. This flawlessly executed work reinvigorates the short fiction genre.” —BUST
“Equal parts funny, poignant, stirring and heartbreaking . . . This book is our collective coming-of-age story—and it’s about time. The variety of characters and experiences makes Training School required reading for your favorite Black girl.” —Essence
“Acker navigates her characters’ lives with humor, heart, and grace. I loved these stories.” —Lisa Ko, award-winning author of The Leavers
“A timely, welcome book.” —The Millions
“It’s hard to believe this brilliant collection of stories is a debut, so beautifully does Camille Acker navigate difficult fictional terrain and complicated themes, including issues like gentrification, race, and ‘respectability’ politics.” —Nylon
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This sharp and sensitive collection, Acker's debut, traces the lives of black women and girls in Washington, D.C., across different neighborhoods, socioeconomic statuses, and decades. In "Cicada," young Ellery impresses the crowd and emerges victorious at her piano recital, only to be brought back down to reality afterward, noticing the differences between her family and those of the players around her. "All the Things You'll Never Do" follows a power-obsessed TSA agent who has never been on an airplane from her work shift to the bar, where she attempts to feel superior to everyone around her. The heartrending "Now, This" chronicles the daily drudgery of Rae, nearing menopause and haunted by failed relationships, as she decides whether or not to lower her standards for a new romantic possibility. Acker's eye for simple details illuminates: A young girl notices how " always knew how much things cost without looking at price tags," and a game of double Dutch threatens a teacher as she watches "The ropes would savage you. It was hard to see the escape route and how to land unscathed." Grappling with ideas like gentrification and social-climbing through the fine-tuned eyes of her characters, Acker never oversimplifies or neatens the complexities that make up life.
