A New York Times Editor’s Choice
Named Most Anticipated by Literary Hub, Book Riot, The Atlantic, Reactor Mag, Publishers Weekly, BiblioLifestyle, and Tribeza
“[Watkins] makes the novel shine with her ear for language and eye for memorable imagery . . . A poetic allegory for both generational trauma and generational healing . . . The narrative calls to mind Toni Morrison’s ‘Beloved,’ in which the author uses supernatural elements to explore a fundamentally human challenge: We may yearn for the acceptance of others while neglecting to spare enough respect for ourselves. The story of Chuck’s troubled family suggests there is room for that self-regard to blossom.”
—Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times Book Review
“With The Book of Chuck, Watkins cements her place as an essential storyteller of Black life in America and one of Toni Morrison’s heir apparents.”
—Who Even Reads
“A transcendent reading experience that reveals life’s darkest corners while transmitting a surprising amount of hope.”
—Kirkus (starred review)
“This astonishes.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Moving back and forth in time and among characters, Watkins portrays a family bound together by a curse that might also be a blessing. Her lyrical prose and empathetic exploration of generational trauma will appeal to readers of Jesmyn Ward, Ayana Mathis, and Zelda Lockhart.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“LaToya Watkins’s The Book of Chuck is a gorgeous meditation on time, family, regret and how we’re shaped by the people we love and those who loved us, even long after they’re gone. Watkins’s characters breathe and weep and laugh on the page—Baby, Lettie and of course Chuck himself—all came alive for me in a way that’s so rare and so precious.”
—Tara Conklin, New York Times bestselling author
“Tracing the story of a family burdened with the generational gift of clairvoyance—specifically with regards to the last moments of those they touch—The Book of Chuck is a magical intervention into the possibilities of history and memory. It sings with the pain of knowing that whether we confront, deny, or rail against destiny, our individual decisions are always made with imperfect knowledge, and how we choose to operate within those parameters is the axis on which this novel spins. Love weaves its way through questions of predetermination and agency, and Watkins has spun a cast of flawed characters whose longing to become versions of themselves they can live with will leave an indelible mark on any reader’s heart. I carried this book around with me for days.”
—Jemimah Wei, author of The Original Daughter
