Title: The Color Of A Lie
Author: Kim Johnson
Genre: Historical
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: June 11, 2024
Rating: 💥💥💥💥💥
About the Book
In 1955, a Black family passes for white and moves to a “Whites Only” town in the suburbs. Caught between two worlds, a teen boy puts his family at risk as he uncovers racist secrets about his suburb. A new social justice thriller from the acclaimed author of This Is My America!
Calvin knows how to pass for white. He's done it plenty of times before. For his friends in Chicago, when they wanted food but weren't allowed in a restaurant. For work, when he and his dad would travel for the Green Book.
This is different.
After a tragedy in Chicago forces the family to flee, they resettle in an idyllic all-white suburban town in search of a better life. Calvin's father wants everyone to embrace their new white lifestyles, but it's easier said than done. Hiding your true self is exhausting—which leads Calvin across town where he can make friends who know all of him...and spend more time with his new crush, Lily. But when Calvin starts unraveling dark secrets about the white town and its inhabitants, passing starts to feel even more suffocating—and dangerous—than he could have imagined.
Expertly weaving together real historical events with important reflections on being Black in America, acclaimed author Kim Johnson powerfully connects listeners to the experience of being forced to live a life-threatening lie or embrace an equally deadly truth.
My Thoughts
Wow. This was such an emotionally charged and powerful book. It was emotional and many times heart shattering. This is the type of stories, our history that a certain colonizer demographic is trying to keep from being told. I have the author's first book, and after this, i really need to get that one read sooner rather than later (hopefully). It was the right mix of a fictional story with many facts woven in. Although I was sent a digital copy, I ended up purchasing the audiobook, and I'm so glad I did. It's geared towards youth, but every adult interested in social justice needs to purchase and read this book. There are so many lessons that are in this story as well. This book has earned it's spot in one of my top reads for the year. It also deserves to be on every best seller's list.
About the Author:
KIM JOHNSON held leadership positions in social justice organizations as a teen and in college. She’s now a college administrator who maintains civic engagement throughout the community. This Is My America was her debut novel and explores racial injustice against innocent black men who are criminally sentenced and the families left behind to pick up the pieces. She holds degrees from the University of Oregon and the University of Maryland, College Park.
You can find her @kcjohnsonwrites on Twitter,TikTok, and Instagram and her website www.kcjohnsonwrites.com
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