Nowhere is a Place

McFadden weaves together a terrific multigenerational family tale that, like Alex Hailey’s Roots, will inspire readers to research their family history. Writing in a mystical style similar to that of Gloria Naylor’s Bailey’s Cafe, McFadden is an imaginative storyteller who mesmerizes readers with her words.” – Library Journal

From Bernice L. McFadden, whom the novelist Adriana Trigiani calls “a master story teller,” comes a touching new novel about a young woman uncovering a surprising family history filled in measure with dark secrets and life-affirming wisdom

Her spectacular debut novel Sugar established Bernice L. McFadden as a writer to watch in African-American literary fiction. In Nowhere is a Place, she limns a fully realized and memorable portrait of a young woman on a journey of self-discovery.

Sherry has struggled all her life to understand who she is, where she comes from, and, most importantly, why her mother slapped her cheek one summer afternoon. The incident has haunted Sherry and it causes her to dig into her family’s past. Like many family histories, it is fractured and stubbornly reluctant to reveal its secrets, but Sherry is determined to know the full story. In just a few days’ time her extended family will gather for a reunion and Sherry sets off across the country with her mother, Dumpling to join them. What Sherry and Dumpling find on their trip is far more important than a scenic site here and there-it is the assorted pieces of their family’s past. Pulled together, they reveal a history of amazing survival and abundant joy.

Nowhere is a Place is a graceful, richly imagined work by McFadden; it promises to bring a new audience of admirers.

Film student: Danielle Russell requested permission to adopt a scene from my novel: Nowhere is a Place for a final thesis project. This is the result. And it is powerful and beautiful.