Notes
This sharp-witted, timely novel explores cancel culture, anger, and grief, and challenges the romanticization of America's racist past with humor and heartfor readers ofDear Martinby Nic Stone andGrownby Tiffany D. Jackson. Harriet Douglass lives with her historian father on an old plantation in Louisiana, which theyve transformed into one of the South's few enslaved peoples museums. Together, while grieving the recent loss of Harriets mother, they run tours that help keep the memory of the past alive. Harriet's world is turned upside down by the arrival of mother and daughter Claudia and Layla Hartwellwho plan to turn the property next door into a wedding venue, and host the offensively antebellum-themed wedding of two Hollywood stars. Harriets fully prepared to hate Layla Hartwell, but it seems that Layla might not be so bad after allunlike many people, this California influencer is actually interested in Harriet's point of view. Harriet's sure she can change the hearts of Layla and her mother, but she underestimates the scale of the challengeand when her school announces that prom will be held on the plantation, Harriets just about had it with this whole racist timeline! Overwhelmed by grief and anger, its fair to say she snaps. Can Harriet use the power of social media to cancel the celebrity wedding and the plantation prom? Will she accept that shes falling in love with her childhood best friend, whos unexpectedly returned after years away? Can she deal with the frustrating reality that Americans seem to live in two completely different countries? And through it all, can she and Layla build a bridge between them?
