Redwood Court"Mika, you sit at our feet all these hours and days, hearing us tell our tales. You have all these stories inside you: all the stories everyone in our family knows and all the stories everyone in our family tells. You write 'em in your books and show everyone who we are." So begins award winning poet DLana R. A. Dameron's debut novel, Redwood Court. The baby of the family, Mika Tabor spends much of her time in the care of loved ones, listening to

From the bustling port cities of the West Indies to the forbidding drawing rooms of London's elite

Her words explore the erasure of African women while highlighting their beauty and limitless magic

will be turned upside down

Perfect for shared reading in and out of the classroom

and Mabel used to long to soar through the heavens

the loved ones

a gaggle of lifelong friends

Vivi and her classmates go on a field trip to the ocean to investigate tide pools

And while Black hands in Fayette were free to work in the nearby fields as sharecroppers

But without work to occupy her

But when devastating secrets are revealed and the reckless actions of their past bring new challenges

compassionate and wise