Love in Color
Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold
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4.5 • 50 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
"Love stories by and about marginalized women . . . The heroines are strong and sure . . . Babalola’s writing shines.” — New York Times Book Review
"Absolutely intoxicating." — Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author of Red, White, and Royal Blue and One Last Stop
A vibrant debut collection of love stories from the bestselling author of Honey and Spice, retelling myths, folktales, and histories from around the world.
A high-born Nigerian goddess, who has been beaten down and unappreciated by her gregarious lover, longs to be truly seen. A young businesswoman attempts a great leap in her company, and an even greater one in her love life. A powerful Ghanaian spokeswoman is forced to decide whether she should uphold her family’s politics or be true to her heart.
In her debut collection, internationally acclaimed writer Bolu Babalola retells the most beautiful love stories from history and mythology with incredible new detail and vivacity. Focusing on the magical folktales of West Africa, Babalola also reimagines Greek myths, ancient legends from the Middle East, and stories from long-erased places.
With an eye towards decolonizing tropes inherent in our favorite tales of love, Babalola has created captivating stories that traverse across perspectives, continents, and genres. Love in Color is a celebration of romance in all its many splendid forms.
“I am in love with every single word Bolu Babalola has written. So rarely is love expressed this richly, this vividly, or this artfully.” —Candice Carty-Williams, international bestselling author of Queenie
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Babalola revives the romance of folktales and myths in her lovely debut collection, drafting figures largely drawn from African legends and romance tropes into 13 Black-centered love stories. "Naleli" follows a teenage girl who struggles to love herself because she suffers from a condition that causes skin discoloration, distancing herself from her childhood crush—until a magical night brings them back together. "Nefertiti" reimagines the Egyptian queen as a vigilante protecting women from patriarchal violence and oppression. In "Thisbe," a woman knows too much about the boy next door's sex life because of the crack in the wall separating their apartments. The title character of "Orin" is on the worst date ever when she meets Deji—also suffering through a terrible date—and their easy banter brings them solace on their almost-ruined nights. Though none of these tales is quite a standout, there aren't any duds, either. The result is effortlessly readable, and the chemistry between characters and the focus on Black female empowerment will surely win over many romance fans.
Customer Reviews
Love, Lives
Great stories of one’s journey to being love and finding love regardless of one’s debacles through life.
The most beautiful writing
Bolu Babalola, you have the most beautiful poetic way of writing about true love. The kind of love where people know how to communicate and apologize. Your books make me believe that love truly exists in the world and I know we also have your parents to thank. Their story is so sweet and beautiful. You have shared their legacy with the world in your books. Not everyone will appreciate the subtly beauty of your writing or the intricate softness and warmness that feels like true love wrapped up in a cozy blanket. I don’t even know how to describe the joy your books have brought me. I feel more affectionate toward my spouse. I feel more hope for the world we live in. You brought us such a beautiful, dimensional depiction of Black joy, Black softness, Black strength. And of course the layers of beauty and strength and joy and softness to these women! AND the depth and softness of the men!
You have a beautiful mind and I love you.
Confused about all the extremely good reviews
Confused and disappointed by this book. Initially I thought this book would be a collection of anecdotal love stories and that was very much not the case (which is my fault and not the authors). It is a collection of love stories, however they are all written by the author and you can tell that by how they are written (the cultural differences in each story feel forced and not natural— which makes sense because you can’t write what you don’t know). I got about 60 pages in and stopped reading which was more than I thought I would get to. Most of the tales are run on sentences, there is no explanation of the mythology behind each tale and you can sense the lack of connection between the author and the source material. 2/5 would not recommend.