Description

By (author) Williams, Nikesha Elise

Short /annotation:

From the two-time Emmy Award–winning producer and host of the
Black & Published
podcast comes a sweeping multi-generational epic following seven generations of Dupree women as they navigate love, loss, and the unyielding ties of family in the tradition of
Homegoing
and
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
.

It’s 1995, and fourteen-year-old Tati is determined to uncover the identity of her father. But her mother, Nadia, keeps her secrets close, while her grandmother Gladys remains silent about the family’s past, including why she left Land’s End, Alabama, in 1953. As Tati digs deeper, she uncovers a legacy of family secrets, where every generation of Dupree women has posed more questions than answers.

From Jubi in 1917, whose attempt to pass for white ends when she gives birth to Ruby; to Ruby’s fiery lust for Sampson in 1934 that leads to a baby of her own; to the night in 1980 that changed Nadia’s future forever, the Dupree women carry the weight of their heritage. Bound by a mysterious malediction that means they will only give birth to daughters, the Dupree women confront a legacy of pain, resilience, and survival that began with an enslaved ancestor who risked everything for freedom.

The Seven Daughters of Dupree masterfully weaves together themes of generational trauma, Black women’s resilience, and unbreakable familial bonds. Nikesha Elise Williams delivers a feminist literary fiction that explores the ripple effects of actions, secrets, and love through seven generations of Black women.

”Transcendent”
ELIZABETH GILBERT, author of
City of Girls

Review quote:
”The Seven Daughters of Dupree
made me reflect on the true impact of slavery and the enduring generational trauma and passed-down knowledge that continues to haunt families today. It’s a compelling exploration of matriarchal history. Don’t miss it.”

Review quote:
”The Seven Daughters of Dupree
made me reflect on the true impact of slavery and the enduring generational trauma and passed-down knowledge that continues to haunt families today. It’s a compelling exploration of matriarchal history. Don’t miss it.”

Biographical note:
Nikesha Elise Williams is a two-time Emmy Award-winning producer, an award-winning author, and producer and host of the Black and Published podcast. A narrative strategist by day and journalist always, her work has appeared in The Washington Post, Essence and Vox. Nikesha is a Kimbilio Fiction Fellow and a DeGroot Foundation Writer of Note grantee. A Chicago native, she lives in Florida with her family.