The Perishing A Novel
The Perishing A Novel by Natashia Deón, published by Catapult on November 1, 2022, is a 320-page work that explores the life of a young Black woman named Lou in 1930s Los Angeles. Awakening in an alley with no memory of her past, Lou is taken in by a supportive foster family and becomes the first Black female journalist at the Los Angeles Times. As she navigates her new life, she begins to experience unexplainable memories and dreams that suggest a deeper connection to her origins, leading her to question her identity and purpose.
Readers will find a narrative that intertwines elements of historical fiction and science fiction, focusing on themes of memory, identity, and the search for belonging. As Lou investigates her mysterious past, she encounters significant historical events such as Prohibition and the creation of Route 66, all while grappling with the implications of her potential immortality. The Perishing presents a rich tapestry of love and justice through Lou’s journey, inviting readers to reflect on the complexities of her existence and the forces that shape her life in a transformative era.
Official synopsis Publisher
A Black immortal in 1930’s Los Angeles must recover the memory of her past in order to discover who she truly is in this extraordinarily affecting novel for readers of N. K. Jemisin and Octavia E. Butler.
Lou, a young Black woman, wakes up in an alley in 1930s Los Angeles with no memory of how she got there or where she’s from. Taken in by a caring foster family, Lou dedicates herself to her education while trying to put her mysterious origins behind her. She’ll go on to become the first Black female journalist at the Los Angeles Times, but Lou’s extraordinary life is about to take an even more remarkable turn. When she befriends a firefighter at a downtown boxing gym, Lou is shocked to realize that though she has no memory of meeting him, she’s been drawing his face for years.
Increasingly certain that their paths previously crossed—and beset by unexplainable flashes from different eras haunting her dreams—Lou begins to believe she may be an immortal sent here for a very important reason, one that only others like her can explain. Setting out to investigate the mystery of her existence, Lou must make sense of the jumble of lifetimes calling to her, just as new forces threaten the existence of those around her.
Immersed in the rich historical tapestry of Los Angeles—Prohibition, the creation of Route 66, and the collapse of the St. Francis Dam—The Perishing is a stunning examination of love and justice through the eyes of one miraculous woman whose fate seems linked to the city she comes to call home.
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