United States
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Libertie: A Novel
A New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2021 and Best Historical Fiction Pick
A Best Book of the Year: Washington Post, TIME, Los Angeles Times, and Christian Science Monitor
"A stunning look at what freedom really means." -The New York Times
Coming of age in a free Black community in Reconstruction-era Brooklyn, Libertie Sampson is all too aware that her mother, a physician, has a vision for their future together: Libertie is to go to medical school and practice alongside her. But Libertie is hungry for something else-is there really only one way to be independent? And she is constantly reminded that, unlike her light-skinned mother, she will not be able to pass for white. When a young man from Haiti proposes to Libertie and promises a better life on the island, she accepts, only to discover that she is still subordinate to him and all men. As she tries to parse what freedom actually means for a Black woman, Libertie struggles with where she might find it-for herself and for generations to come.
Inspired by the life of one of the first Black female doctors in the United States, critically acclaimed and Whiting Award–winning author Kaitlyn Greenidge returns with an unforgettable and immersive novel that will resonate with readers eager to understand our present through a deep, moving, and lyrical dive into our past.
A Best Book of the Year: Washington Post, TIME, Los Angeles Times, and Christian Science Monitor
"A stunning look at what freedom really means." -The New York Times
Coming of age in a free Black community in Reconstruction-era Brooklyn, Libertie Sampson is all too aware that her mother, a physician, has a vision for their future together: Libertie is to go to medical school and practice alongside her. But Libertie is hungry for something else-is there really only one way to be independent? And she is constantly reminded that, unlike her light-skinned mother, she will not be able to pass for white. When a young man from Haiti proposes to Libertie and promises a better life on the island, she accepts, only to discover that she is still subordinate to him and all men. As she tries to parse what freedom actually means for a Black woman, Libertie struggles with where she might find it-for herself and for generations to come.
Inspired by the life of one of the first Black female doctors in the United States, critically acclaimed and Whiting Award–winning author Kaitlyn Greenidge returns with an unforgettable and immersive novel that will resonate with readers eager to understand our present through a deep, moving, and lyrical dive into our past.
Editorial Reviews
#1 Indie Next Pick (April 2021)
A Roxane Gay Audacious Book Club Selection
A For Colored Girls Book Club Selection
A Well-Read Black Girl Book Club Selection
Winner of the New England Book Award and New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Award for Fiction
"Kaitlyn Greenidge's historical fiction unites the African diaspora. Libertie is a feat of monumental thematic imagination . . . Greenidge both mines history and transcends time, centering her post-Civil-War New York story around an enduring quest for freedom . . . The sheer force of Greenidge's vision for [Libertie], for us all, gives us hope that it won't be long now."
-Margaret Wilkerson Sexton, The New York Times Book Review
"Stunning."
-Adrienne Gaffney, The New York Times
"Both epic and intimate."
-Alexandra Alter, The New York Times
"Sweeping, engrossing."
-Oprah Daily
"Kaitlyn Greenidge weaves together an intricate narrative about colorism, classism and community."
-TIME.com
"Spectacular . . . A revelatory and enchanting piece of historical fiction."
-BuzzFeed
"This immersive story is a soaring exploration of what 'freedom' truly means. Libertie is an elegantly layered, beautifully rendered tour de force that is not to be missed."
-Roxane Gay
"Fiercely compelling, and told in a singular, lyrical voice, Libertie is a novel that lives in a specific historical time-the Reconstruction Era-but offers insight into the very modern struggles that still exist surrounding identity, family, love, and freedom . . . This is a novel of struggle and triumph, exhaustion and perseverance, rooted in history, but transcendent of it; another masterwork by Kaitlyn Greenidge."
-Refinery29
"Libertie is epic yet engaging, and gorgeously written."
-The Rumpus
"Motherhood offers [Libertie] the type of freedom that Toni Morrison spoke of-freedom from others' control over her and from the expectations of who she should become. With its connections to a history that's illuminated more and more each passing day, Libertie is a superb novel that informs the present and perhaps even the future."
-BookPage
"Greenidge's immersive story . . . heralds a blossoming literary career."
-Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times
"From the first page, Greenidge catapults us into a masterfully crafted story in which the possibilities, limitations and shifting contours of freedom for Black people take center stage. Inspired by the true story of Susan...
A Roxane Gay Audacious Book Club Selection
A For Colored Girls Book Club Selection
A Well-Read Black Girl Book Club Selection
Winner of the New England Book Award and New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Award for Fiction
"Kaitlyn Greenidge's historical fiction unites the African diaspora. Libertie is a feat of monumental thematic imagination . . . Greenidge both mines history and transcends time, centering her post-Civil-War New York story around an enduring quest for freedom . . . The sheer force of Greenidge's vision for [Libertie], for us all, gives us hope that it won't be long now."
-Margaret Wilkerson Sexton, The New York Times Book Review
"Stunning."
-Adrienne Gaffney, The New York Times
"Both epic and intimate."
-Alexandra Alter, The New York Times
"Sweeping, engrossing."
-Oprah Daily
"Kaitlyn Greenidge weaves together an intricate narrative about colorism, classism and community."
-TIME.com
"Spectacular . . . A revelatory and enchanting piece of historical fiction."
-BuzzFeed
"This immersive story is a soaring exploration of what 'freedom' truly means. Libertie is an elegantly layered, beautifully rendered tour de force that is not to be missed."
-Roxane Gay
"Fiercely compelling, and told in a singular, lyrical voice, Libertie is a novel that lives in a specific historical time-the Reconstruction Era-but offers insight into the very modern struggles that still exist surrounding identity, family, love, and freedom . . . This is a novel of struggle and triumph, exhaustion and perseverance, rooted in history, but transcendent of it; another masterwork by Kaitlyn Greenidge."
-Refinery29
"Libertie is epic yet engaging, and gorgeously written."
-The Rumpus
"Motherhood offers [Libertie] the type of freedom that Toni Morrison spoke of-freedom from others' control over her and from the expectations of who she should become. With its connections to a history that's illuminated more and more each passing day, Libertie is a superb novel that informs the present and perhaps even the future."
-BookPage
"Greenidge's immersive story . . . heralds a blossoming literary career."
-Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times
"From the first page, Greenidge catapults us into a masterfully crafted story in which the possibilities, limitations and shifting contours of freedom for Black people take center stage. Inspired by the true story of Susan...
Readers Top Reviews
once avid Reader,
I really appreciate the untold perspective Libertie offers, and the powerful female characters. I at times had trouble staying engaged but the probably reflects the challenges of a working mom reading the last 10 minutes before succumbing to exhaustion. T his book is rich and nuanced, and better digested fully present and ready for complexity and the pain of generational love.
Monaonce avid Rea
Greenledge’s words immerse you and carry you along Libertie’s journey… of wondering, of observing her world, of finding her own way. From being a small girl drawn to follow her mother’s way, to finding it was not her own way, to breaking free of her mother and traveling to a new world of Haiti with her husband, observing all around her and realizing love there but not destiny. To finding her way back, as a mother, to the world she had known, to her mother, but likely (and here I imagine) not to follow in her mother’s footsteps as she once envisioned.
AmjediMonaonce av
Great book based on a fictional account of a black female doctor post Civil War era and her daughter. While the story is fiction, it’s clear the author did her research of that period, so real life events occur in the story. Ultimately the book is about relationships, identity and what it really means to be free. Excellent read
JAMIA MomAmjediMo
Very shocked at this book since it has received such high acclaim from this young author. Kept looking for it! The theme started out as a good one but became a dud! Dragged so that it became no more fun to read! Sort of not expecting that! I would give it a B+.
