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You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism
In this New York Times bestseller and Indie Next Pick from writer and performer Amber Ruffin and her older sister Lacey Lamar, the sisters banter with humor and heart as they share absurd anecdotes about everyday experiences of racism.
Now a writer and performer on Late Night with Seth Meyers and host of The Amber Ruffin Show, Amber Ruffin lives in New York, where she is no one's First Black Friend and everyone is, as she puts it, "stark raving normal." But Amber's sister Lacey? She's still living in their home state of Nebraska, and trust us, you'll never believe what happened to Lacey.
From racist donut shops to strangers putting their whole hand in her hair, from being mistaken for a prostitute to being mistaken for Harriet Tubman, Lacey is a lightning rod for hilariously ridiculous yet all-too-real anecdotes. She's the perfect mix of polite, beautiful, petite, and Black that apparently makes people think "I can say whatever I want to this woman." And now, Amber and Lacey share these entertainingly horrifying stories through their laugh-out-loud sisterly banter. Painfully relatable or shockingly eye-opening (depending on how often you have personally been followed by security at department stores), this book tackles modern-day racism with the perfect balance of levity and gravity.
Now a writer and performer on Late Night with Seth Meyers and host of The Amber Ruffin Show, Amber Ruffin lives in New York, where she is no one's First Black Friend and everyone is, as she puts it, "stark raving normal." But Amber's sister Lacey? She's still living in their home state of Nebraska, and trust us, you'll never believe what happened to Lacey.
From racist donut shops to strangers putting their whole hand in her hair, from being mistaken for a prostitute to being mistaken for Harriet Tubman, Lacey is a lightning rod for hilariously ridiculous yet all-too-real anecdotes. She's the perfect mix of polite, beautiful, petite, and Black that apparently makes people think "I can say whatever I want to this woman." And now, Amber and Lacey share these entertainingly horrifying stories through their laugh-out-loud sisterly banter. Painfully relatable or shockingly eye-opening (depending on how often you have personally been followed by security at department stores), this book tackles modern-day racism with the perfect balance of levity and gravity.
Editorial Reviews
"The book is a portrait of one person's struggle to maintain dignity, strength and self-respect when faced with injustices small and large-all told with Ruffin's irreverent, sardonic style."―People
"This timely and timeless book is hilarious, insightful, aggravating and comforting in equal measure."―Salon
"I dare you to read this hilarious and eye-opening book and not become obsessed with Amber Ruffin."―Mindy Kaling
"If you laugh half as hard as I did at the FIRST story in this book, let alone the rest of the book, you will have gotten your money's worth. The stories made me laugh and they made me sad. I know I'm not the only one to experience these kinds of moments but it helps to know that someone else-poor little Black Lacey taking on the lion's share of Nebraska's white ignorance all by her lonesome- experiences it too. From the mental gymnastics needed to call a black store dirty then drive out of state in order to avoid said dirt only to wind up shopping in a sty operating in a white neighborhood to having the gall to try and holluh at black women on a dating app when your profile pics have the confederate flag in them, Amber & Lacey point out how white folks are apparently doing the most in them parts."―Retta, comedian and actress (Parks & Recreation, Good Girls)
"The message of this book is for ALL of us and no matter why YOU'RE here -- perhaps you're a fan of Amber Ruffin's comedy, or a Seth Meyers' fan, or a personal friend of Lacey's, or maybe you're just a person browsing for a book that will help you understand the Black experience in America and the other ones seem too much like school -- I urge you to BUY THIS BOOK. The stories are delivered with the humor and horror they deserve. You will laugh, you will be enraged, and if you are a white person, you will understand more than you did before about the truth of being Black in America -- even if you thought you understood a lot already because you read the hard school books."―Busy Philipps, author, actor, white lady
"Amber and Lacey have the gift of making you comfortable enough to laugh at events that will also make you cringe. This book is an opportunity for black people to know you're not alone in how you've experienced the world. And for everyone this book is a chance to see a layer of this world that you might have been blind to. You'll leave both with a laugh and a little more knowledge."―Roy Wood, Jr., correspondent, The Daily Sho...
"This timely and timeless book is hilarious, insightful, aggravating and comforting in equal measure."―Salon
"I dare you to read this hilarious and eye-opening book and not become obsessed with Amber Ruffin."―Mindy Kaling
"If you laugh half as hard as I did at the FIRST story in this book, let alone the rest of the book, you will have gotten your money's worth. The stories made me laugh and they made me sad. I know I'm not the only one to experience these kinds of moments but it helps to know that someone else-poor little Black Lacey taking on the lion's share of Nebraska's white ignorance all by her lonesome- experiences it too. From the mental gymnastics needed to call a black store dirty then drive out of state in order to avoid said dirt only to wind up shopping in a sty operating in a white neighborhood to having the gall to try and holluh at black women on a dating app when your profile pics have the confederate flag in them, Amber & Lacey point out how white folks are apparently doing the most in them parts."―Retta, comedian and actress (Parks & Recreation, Good Girls)
"The message of this book is for ALL of us and no matter why YOU'RE here -- perhaps you're a fan of Amber Ruffin's comedy, or a Seth Meyers' fan, or a personal friend of Lacey's, or maybe you're just a person browsing for a book that will help you understand the Black experience in America and the other ones seem too much like school -- I urge you to BUY THIS BOOK. The stories are delivered with the humor and horror they deserve. You will laugh, you will be enraged, and if you are a white person, you will understand more than you did before about the truth of being Black in America -- even if you thought you understood a lot already because you read the hard school books."―Busy Philipps, author, actor, white lady
"Amber and Lacey have the gift of making you comfortable enough to laugh at events that will also make you cringe. This book is an opportunity for black people to know you're not alone in how you've experienced the world. And for everyone this book is a chance to see a layer of this world that you might have been blind to. You'll leave both with a laugh and a little more knowledge."―Roy Wood, Jr., correspondent, The Daily Sho...
Readers Top Reviews
Cheryl Neely,
Are you in HR? Read his book and then figure out who on your team you need to recommend it to. Buy them a copy.
MickieDFO Chery
I wish every hotel had a copy of this book, right next to the Bible! I can't think of anyone who *doesn't* need to read it, whther it's for laughs, enlightenment, encouragement, or all three! I seriously need a daily Amber and Lacey podcast, y'all!
Katherine Stivers
This book made me laugh but also feel sadness, horror, disgust as a white American. How people could be so horrible to people because of their skin color. It made me think of how many times I’ve stood by while people said racist comments and didn’t call them on it. It made me think of how many times I must have said racist things that I didn’t realize were racist, or thought I was joking but wasn’t really, or just said stereotypes. How I must have mistreated my black students or I inadvertently favored white students. I can’t go back in time but I can do the right thing going forward.
rayKatherine Stiv
This book is wonderful and touching. Lacey and Amber bring intelligence and humor to some truly terrible situations. I loved this book so much I bought it twice—both the kindle and the audiobook versions are awesome and I highly recommend both.
Sarah L.rayKather
This book was excellent. Definitely an eye opener about some of the asinine ways that people can display their racism. One of my favorite reads so far this year!
