Black Star
Black Star by Kwame Alexander, published by Little, Brown in 2024, is the second installment in the Door of No Return trilogy. This edition, written in English and spanning 372 pages, follows 12-year-old Charley Cuffey as she aspires to become the first female pitcher in professional baseball. Set against the backdrop of a segregated town in the American South, Charley navigates her dreams while grappling with the realities of her environment and the stories of her ancestors.
Readers will find a narrative rich in themes of family, history, and resilience. As Charley confronts challenges both on and off the baseball field, the story delves into the complexities of growing up as a Black girl during the 20th century. The book explores the impact of segregation and the significance of knowing one’s history, as Charley’s choices lead to unforeseen consequences. Through Charley’s journey, Kwame Alexander presents a compelling tale of determination and the enduring spirit of an American family.
Official synopsis Publisher
A Coretta Scott King Honor Book
The thrilling second book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Door of No Return trilogy stars Kofi’s granddaughter, Charley, who’s set on becoming the first female pitcher to play professional ball but who soon has to contend with the tensions about to boil over in her segregated town.
You can’t protect her from knowing. The truth is all we have.
12-year old Charley Cuffey is many things: a granddaughter, a best friend, and probably the best pitcher in all of Lee’s Mill. Set on becoming the first female pitcher to play professional ball, Charley doesn’t need reminders from her best friend Cool Willie Green to know that she has lofty dreams for a Black girl in the American South.
Even so, Nana Kofi’s thrilling stories about courageous ancestors and epic journeys make it impossible not to dream big. She knows he has so many more to tell, but according to her parents, she isn’t old enough to know about certain things like what happened to Booker Preston that one night in Great Bridge and why she can never play on the brand-new real deal baseball field on the other side of town.
When Charley challenges a neighborhood bully to a game at the church picnic, she knows she can win, even with her ragtag team. But when the picnic spills over onto their ball field, she makes a fateful decision.
A child cannot protect herself if she does not know her history, and Charley’s choice brings consequences she never could have imagined.
In this riveting second book of the Door of No Return trilogy, set during the turbulent segregation era, and the beginning of The Great Migration, Kwame Alexander weaves a spellbinding story of struggle, determination, and the unflappable faith of an American family.
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