The Blackwoods
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3.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
From Boston Globe/Horn Book Award–winning author Brandy Colbert comes the story of four generations of a Hollywood family—an unforgettable tale of ambition, fame, struggle, loss, and love in America.
The Blackwoods. Everyone knows their name.
Blossom Blackwood burst onto the silver screen in 1962, and in the decades that followed, she would become one of the most celebrated actors of our time—and the matriarch of the most famous Black family in Hollywood. To her great-granddaughters, Hollis and Ardith, she has always just been Bebe. And when she passes away, it changes everything.
Hollis Blackwood was never interested in fame. Still, she’s surrounded by it, whether at home with her family or at the prestigious Dupree Academy among Los Angeles’ elite. When private photos of Hollis are leaked in the wake of Blossom’s death, she is thrust into the spotlight she’s long avoided—and finds that trust may be a luxury even she can’t afford.
Ardith Blackwood has always lived in the public eye. A television star since childhood, she was perhaps closer with Blossom than anyone—especially after Ardith’s mother died in a drug overdose. Ever since, she has worked to be everything her family, her church, and the public want her to be. But as a family secret comes to light and the pressures from all sides begin to mount, she wonders what is left beneath the face she shows the world.
Weaving together the narratives of Hollis, Ardith, and Blossom, award-winning author Brandy Colbert tells an unforgettable story set in an America where everything is personal, and nothing is private.
For Hollis and Ardith, family legacy is everything. But what happens when that legacy is built on a lie?
Sisters and Cousins: Hollis wants to hide from the spotlight. Ardith has never known a life without it. When their great-grandmother dies, the two cousins must lean on each other as their family’s perfect image begins to crack.Fame and Celebrity: A sharp and emotional look at the price of fame, the pressure of a Hollywood dynasty, and the struggle to find your own identity when your last name is a legacy.A Poignant Historical Timeline: Travel back in time to the golden age of Hollywood and discover the secrets of matriarch Blossom Blackwood, a trailblazing actress who made impossible choices for her family and her career.Powerful Coming of Age: A compelling story perfect for fans of complex family dramas that explore the power of sisterhood and the challenge of growing up in the public eye.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Via three alternating perspectives, Colbert weaves an absorbing intergenerational tale about a famous Black Hollywood family, their relationship with notoriety, and the ramifications that come with it. In present-day Los Angeles, after the death of film star Blossom Blackwood, tabloids chronicle the family's grieving process and Hollywood searches for its next big star. Despite having grown up benefiting from her great-grandmother Blossom's influence, Hollis has never wanted to be in the public eye. Hollis's cousin Ardith, meanwhile, reveled in the limelight; as a child actor, Ardith yearns to follow in her great-grandmother's footsteps. But when the teens' personal secrets and private pasts begin leaking to the press, they must each reckon with the consequences of being in the spotlight. Periodic chapters beginning in 1942 follow 15-year-old Blossom's rise to fame. Colbert expertly juggles each protagonist's POV, rendering them with distinct tones and rhythmic prose that complements the characters' individual situations. In tackling serious themes surrounding sexual harassment, sexism, and addiction, the author presents a textured look into the highs and lows of fame and the ways in which it impacts a family and its legacy. Ages 14–up.
