First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

 It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.

 

Today I'm featuring a recent read, The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris. The excerpt shared is from an advance reader copy (eBook format) I received from the publisher at a librarian preview event.

First Chapter:  July 23, 2018

Wagner Books

Midtown, Manhattan

The first sign was the smell of cocoa butter.

When it initially crept around the wall of her cubicle, Nella was too busy filing a stack of pages at her desk, aligning each and every one so that the manuscript was perfectly flush. She was so intent on completing this task--Vera Parini needed everything to be flush, always--that she had the nerve to ignore the smell. Only when it crept up her nostrils and latched onto a deep part of her brain did she stop what she was doing and lift her head in sudden interest.

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

Here are my thoughts about the book: Nella Rogers is a hard-working editorial assistant who can't seem to secure a promotion despite her dedication and determination. And as the only Black woman on the editorial staff at Wagner Books, she is continually subjected to slights and subtle forms of hostility. When Wagner hires new staff member Hazel-May McCall, Nella dares to hope that her work environment is about to take a progressive step forward . . .

Yet as Nella gets to know Hazel, it's uncertain whether her new co-worker is the ally she had hoped for. As Hazel scores several coveted assignments, she begins to outshine Nella and achieve favored employee status. And when Nella begins to receive threatening notes at work, her career appears to be hopelessly unravelling.

Can Nella successfully navigate the unexpected and dangerous obstacles she faces? Is there a chance that she and Hazel can move forward as friends and colleagues?

The Other Black Girl offers a fictional account of the world of publishing from the unique voice of an insider. Ms. Harris weaves together an account of day-to-day race relations in the workplace with a subplot of strange and mysterious goings-on that give the story a sinister twist. This is a notable debut novel from a talented writer.

 

This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog. © 2021, Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post is being used without permission.