Elsewhere, California

A Novel

Fiction & Literature, African American, Family Life, Literary
Cover of the book Elsewhere, California by Dana Johnson, Counterpoint Press
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Author: Dana Johnson ISBN: 9781619020832
Publisher: Counterpoint Press Publication: June 1, 2012
Imprint: Counterpoint Language: English
Author: Dana Johnson
ISBN: 9781619020832
Publisher: Counterpoint Press
Publication: June 1, 2012
Imprint: Counterpoint
Language: English

“Avery’s evolution—a black woman trying to claim her place—is as heartbreaking as it is humorous, powerful as it is poignant.” —Los Angeles Times

As a young girl, Avery escaped the violent streets of Los Angeles to a more gentrified existence in suburban West Covina. But this new life, filled with school, visits to 7–Eleven to gawk at Tiger Beat magazine, and outings to Dodger Stadium, is soon interrupted by a reminder of the past in the form of her violent cousin Keith.

When Keith moves in with her family, he triggers a series of events that will follow Avery throughout her life: to her studies at USC, to her burgeoning career as a painter and artist, and into her relationship with a wealthy Italian who sequesters her in his glass-walled house in the Hollywood Hills. The past will even intrude upon Avery’s first gallery show, proving her mother’s adage: Every goodbye ain’t gone.

“In this debut novel, Johnson brilliantly knits the dual narratives together, maintaining a dynamic balance between nimble language and rowdy, vulnerable characters. The real achievement is the honest, compassionate, and unflinching willingness to honor teenage struggles for identity, confidence, and love while listening to Led Zeppelin and rooting for the Dodgers.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“[An] extraordinary novel . . . Avery is about as complex and compelling a heroine as I’ve read recently . . . a luminous, funny, and poignant tale that speaks directly to a whole generation raised in a state of cultural confusion.” —Danzy Senna, author of You Are Free and Caucasia

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

“Avery’s evolution—a black woman trying to claim her place—is as heartbreaking as it is humorous, powerful as it is poignant.” —Los Angeles Times

As a young girl, Avery escaped the violent streets of Los Angeles to a more gentrified existence in suburban West Covina. But this new life, filled with school, visits to 7–Eleven to gawk at Tiger Beat magazine, and outings to Dodger Stadium, is soon interrupted by a reminder of the past in the form of her violent cousin Keith.

When Keith moves in with her family, he triggers a series of events that will follow Avery throughout her life: to her studies at USC, to her burgeoning career as a painter and artist, and into her relationship with a wealthy Italian who sequesters her in his glass-walled house in the Hollywood Hills. The past will even intrude upon Avery’s first gallery show, proving her mother’s adage: Every goodbye ain’t gone.

“In this debut novel, Johnson brilliantly knits the dual narratives together, maintaining a dynamic balance between nimble language and rowdy, vulnerable characters. The real achievement is the honest, compassionate, and unflinching willingness to honor teenage struggles for identity, confidence, and love while listening to Led Zeppelin and rooting for the Dodgers.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“[An] extraordinary novel . . . Avery is about as complex and compelling a heroine as I’ve read recently . . . a luminous, funny, and poignant tale that speaks directly to a whole generation raised in a state of cultural confusion.” —Danzy Senna, author of You Are Free and Caucasia

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