What We Lose

This one is tough. Clemmons has written this slim volume, almost a novella, telling the story of Thandi, raised in Pennsylvania by an African émigré mother and an American father. And while this sounds exotic, and completely different from my own upbringing, Thandi's experiences with love and loss; parents and coworkers; partner and child; feel familiar and achingly common. This debut novel is a promise of future terrific work.