In 'New People', Danzy Senna explores the complexities of identity, race, and belonging through the eyes of a biracial woman named Maria. Set against the backdrop of a changing America, Maria navigates her relationships, grappling with her own sense of self amid societal pressures. As she becomes entangled in a whirlwind romance with a charismatic man, the story delves into the intersections of love, desire, and cultural expectations. Senna's lyrical prose invites readers to reflect on personal and collective histories that define who we are. This poignant narrative will leave you questioning the essence of identity and the connections we forge.
By Danzy Senna
Published: 2018
"We live in a world that asks us to define ourselves in a way that feels both necessary and impossible."
Named a BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, VOGUE, TIME MAGAZINE, NPR and THE ROOT "[A] cutting take on race and class...part dark comedy, part surreal morality tale. Disturbing and delicious." —People "You’ll gulp Senna’s novel in a single sitting—but then mull over it for days.” –Entertainment Weekly From the bestselling author of Caucasia, a subversive and engrossing novel of race, class and manners in contemporary America. As the twentieth century draws to a close, Maria is at the start of a life she never thought possible. She and Khalil, her college sweetheart, are planning their wedding. They are the perfect couple, "King and Queen of the Racially Nebulous Prom." Their skin is the same shade of beige. They live together in a black bohemian enclave in Brooklyn, where Khalil is riding the wave of the first dot-com boom and Maria is plugging away at her dissertation, on the Jonestown massacre. They've even landed a starring role in a documentary about "new people" like them, who are blurring the old boundaries as a brave new era dawns. Everything Maria knows she should want lies before her—yet she can't stop daydreaming about another man, a poet she barely knows. As fantasy escalates to fixation, it dredges up secrets from the past and threatens to unravel not only Maria's perfect new life but her very persona. Heartbreaking and darkly comic, New People is a bold and unfettered page-turner that challenges our every assumption about how we define one another, and ourselves.
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“We live in a world that asks us to define ourselves in a way that feels both necessary and impossible.”
New People
By Danzy Senna
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Danzy Senna is an acclaimed American author best known for her exploration of race, identity, and family dynamics in contemporary society. Born in 1970, Senna gained prominence with her debut novel, "Caucasia" (1998), a coming-of-age story that delves into the complexities of biracial identity in a racially divided America. Other significant works include "Symptomatic" (2002), which examines the intersection of race and class, and her memoir, "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" (2021), reflecting on personal and collective histories. Her writing style is characterized by lyrical prose, vivid imagery, and a deep psychological insight that invites readers to engage with the nuanced realities of race and identity.
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