Monday, June 1, 2020

Seven novels that show the range & depth of gentrification fiction

Lisa Braxton is an essayist, short story writer, and novelist. She earned her MFA in creative writing from Southern New Hampshire University, her Master of Science in Journalism Broadcasting from Northwestern University and her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media from Hampton University.

Her debut novel is The Talking Drum.

At CrimeReads, Braxton tagged "seven books [that] tackle the theme of gentrification through different lenses: eerie plots, a whodunnit-mystery, family drama, and reimagining of a classic tale." One title on the list:
Halsey Steet, by Naima Coster

Gentrification is a metaphor for a family in crisis. Penelope Grand, an artist living in Pittsburgh, is called home to care for her ailing father, Ralph. She discovers that her Brooklyn neighborhood is not the same. In fact, it’s been completely transformed. Gentrification has cost Ralph everything—his record store, his passion, and his marriage. How do you repair relationships that are in so much disarray? And will “helping” actually fray things more?
Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue