Stevie Stevenson Series by April Sinclair

Set on Chicago's Southside in the mid-to-late 60s, Coffee Will Make You Black is the moving and entertaining tale of Jean "Stevie" Stevenson, a young black woman growing up through the Civil Rights and Black Power movements.The novel opens at a time when, for black families, seeing a black person on television was an event; when expressions like "I don't want nothing black but a Cadillac" and "Coffee will make you black" were handed down from one generation to the next without comment... moreSet on Chicago's Southside in the mid-to-late 60s, Coffee Will Make You Black is the moving and entertaining tale of Jean "Stevie" Stevenson, a young black woman growing up through the Civil Rights and Black Power movements.The novel opens at a time when, for black families, seeing a black person on television was an event; when expressions like "I don't want nothing black but a Cadillac" and "Coffee will make you black" were handed down from one generation to the next without comment. Stevie is a bookworm, yet she longs to fit in with the cool crowd. Fighting her mother every step of the way, she begins to experiment with talkin' trash, "kicking butt," and boys.With the assassination of Dr. King she gains a new political awareness, which makes her decide to wear her hair in a 'fro instead of straightened, to refuse to use skin bleach, and to confront the prejudice she observes in blacks as well as whites. April Sinclair writes frankly about a young black woman's sexuality, and about the confusion Stevie faces when she realizes she's more attracted to the school nurse—who is white—than her teenage boyfriend. As readers follow Stevie's at times harrowing, at times hilarious story, they will learn what it was like to be black before black was beautiful. less

A successful female DJ refuses to let a few romantic catastrophes keep her down in award-winning author April Sinclair’s dazzlingly soulful novel that was hailed as “a Bridget Jones’s Diary for black women” by the New York Times Book Review Daphne “Dee Dee” Dupree has arrived at age 41 with a career she loves, but a romantic life she doesn’t... moreA successful female DJ refuses to let a few romantic catastrophes keep her down in award-winning author April Sinclair’s dazzlingly soulful novel that was hailed as “a Bridget Jones’s Diary for black women” by the New York Times Book Review Daphne “Dee Dee” Dupree has arrived at age 41 with a career she loves, but a romantic life she doesn’t. Insecure about her weight and protective of her often-broken heart, Dee Dee is an expert at hiding her inward struggles from the thousands of Chicago residents who hear her on the radio every night. A successful, charismatic DJ for the local blues station, Dee Dee is still looking for the type of love she’s missed since her divorce. After a traumatic event at work, Dee Dee meets Skylar, a union mediator who could be just what she’s looking for—if only there weren’t so many obstacles in their way.   Meanwhile, Dee Dee’s coworker Jade is nearing her own divorce; her best friend, Sharon, has come out of the closet; and Sharon’s teenage daughter is dangerously close to a breakdown. As Dee Dee works to ease the problems of her friends, she finally faces her own troubles—both old and new—in this uplifting, thought-provoking novel. less