NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY • Two estranged siblings delve into their mother’s hidden past—and how it all connects to her traditional Caribbean black cake—in this immersive family saga, “a character-driven, multigenerational story that’s meant to be savored” (Time). “Wilkerson transports you across the decades and around the globe accompanied by complex, wonderfully drawn characters.”—Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones & The Six, and Malibu Rising In development as a Hulu original series produced by Marissa Jo Cerar, Oprah Winfrey (Harpo Films), and Kapital Entertainment ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Oprah Daily, NPR, BuzzFeed, Glamour, PopSugar, Book Riot, She Reads We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become? In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves. Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever? Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.

“Craig wields powerful and vivid prose to illuminate a country and a family trapped not only by war and revolution, but also by desire and loss.” —Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Miss Burma tells the story of modern-day Burma through the eyes of Benny and Khin, husband and wife, and their daughter Louisa. After attending school in Calcutta, Benny settles in Rangoon, then part of the British Empire, and falls in love with Khin, a woman who is part of a long-persecuted ethnic minority group, the Karen. World War II comes to Southeast Asia, and Benny and Khin must go into hiding in the eastern part of the country during the Japanese occupation, beginning a journey that will lead them to change the country’s history. Years later, Benny and Khin’s eldest child, Louisa, has a danger-filled, tempestuous childhood and reaches prominence as Burma’s first beauty queen soon before the country falls to dictatorship. As Louisa navigates her newfound fame, she is forced to reckon with her family’s past, the West’s ongoing covert dealings in her country, and her own loyalty to the cause of the Karen people. Based on the story of the author’s mother and grandparents, Miss Burma is a captivating portrait of how modern Burma came to be and of the ordinary people swept up in the struggle for self-determination and freedom. “At once beautiful and heartbreaking . . . An incredible family saga.” —Refinery29 “Miss Burma charts both a political history and a deeply personal one—and of those incendiary moments when private and public motivations overlap.” —Los Angeles Times

In fourteenth-century France, a young woman from the mountain village of Montaillou was tried for heresy by the Catholic inquisition. Her name was Grazida Lizier and, by her own confession, her “joy was shared” with the wrong man: the village rector.

Charmaine is over all the secrets and heartache. She knew she should have left the past in the past, but no matter what she does, she can’t get him out of her head. Terrell knows he messed up. Now all he can do is try to prove how much Charmaine means to him, but his dysfunctional marriage and the pain he caused the one who got away is wreaking havoc on his dream to win her back. Rekindling an old love can’t happen until Charmaine can learn to trust Terrell, and both can let go of everything and everyone that’s holding them back. Will they ever see eye-to-eye again or is history doomed to repeat itself? keywords: side chick, side chick romance,african american romance, urban books, urban books free, urban, urban fiction, urban street fiction, urban african american, free book, freebie, free book, free ebook, free, urban books black authors free, african american books free

Charmaine has found a good man in Andre, but wonders if he’s too good to be true. Life has taught her that too much of a good thing almost always leads to trouble. Andre enjoys spending time with the vivacious Charmaine, but senses she isn’t giving him 100% yet. No matter how hard he tries, she keeps a safe distance between the two of them. Trina wants her cousin to find everlasting love, but her suggestions to help ease Charmaine into a good relationship backfire when an old flame decides it’s time to touch base again. Will temptation ruin Charmaine’s opportunity for true love?

A love triangle wasn’t what Charmaine had in mind when she went searching for love, but that’s what happened. Now, she has a difficult decision to make. Trust the one who has proven he truly cares or go back to her old ways and let her ex come back into her life. With no guarantees, will she take a leap of faith and let love lead her or will the mistakes of her past come back to repeat themselves? Find out what happens in part three of His Dirty Secret: Charmaine's Story! keywords: side chick, side chick romance,african american romance, urban books, urban books free, urban, urban fiction, urban street fiction, urban african american, free book, freebie, free book, free ebook, free, urban books black authors free, african american books free

Charmaine Wilson seems to have it all together: a good job, good friends, and an active social life. But for all the good in her life, she can’t seem to get her relationship status in order. Finding the right man is impossible in her world. With late night parties, people to see, and a penchant for men with money, how is Charmaine ever going to find the man of her dreams? Jayla loves her friend, but she knows Charmaine’s partying ways aren’t doing her any favors. When she tries to convince her to think about settling down and getting herself right for a relationship, Charmaine runs into a whole new set of problems! Find out what happens in part one of His Dirty Secrets: Charmaine’s story!