Welcome to the Book Club Corner! This series is intended to share fiction and non-fiction book recommendations that have a diversity, equity, and inclusion focus. These books have been read by United Way of Clallam County staff and we believe they are informative, inspiring, and useful. Each month, we'll share a book intended to support your diversity, equity, and inclusion journey. Happy reading!
The Davenports
This month's book is The Davenports by Krystal Marquis. This book is available as an e-book through the North Olympic Library System and on the shelves at the Port Angeles branch. You can also find it at local bookstores or your preferred online bookseller.
As an avid reader, I'm always looking to have new reading experiences. In thinking about what I've read over the past few years, I realized that the majority of authors I've read are white people (aka people who look like me). When I've read PGM (People of the Global Majority, another word for BIPOC) authors, most of those books have been nonfiction books about anti-racism work. However, and I know this goes without saying, PGM authors write all kinds of things! My personal challenge this year is to read as many PGM and LGBTQ+ authors as I can across all kinds of genres. The Davenports was a perfect fit for me.
The Davenports tells the story of the Davenport family, a wealthy Black family in 1910's Chicago. The story surrounds the Davenport daughters, Olivia and Helen, Olivia's best friend, Ruby, and their childhood friend, Amy-Rose, and their attempts to find husbands, particularly husbands that befit their high stations in life. All of this husband-seeking is overlaid with the realities of racism and being a Black person in the early 1900's, no matter your class. The Davenports offers a glimpse into a period of African American history often overlooked, and was inspired by the real-life story of C.R. Patterson and his family.
About the Author
Krystal Marquis happily spends most of her time in libraries and used bookstores. She studied biology at Boston College and University of Connecticut and now works as an environmental, health, and safety manager for an online retailer. A lifelong reader, Krystal began researching and writing on a dare to complete the NaNoWriMo (National November Writing Month) Challenge, resulting in the first partial draft of The Davenports. When not writing or planning trips to the Book Barn to discover her next favorite romance, Krystal enjoys hiking, expanding her shoe collection, and plotting ways to create her own Jurassic Park.
Bio from goodreads.org
Suggestion for an upcoming book?
If you would like to see a book highlighted in a future newsletter, please reach out to Community Impact Director Mary Beth Gregory at mary.beth@unitedwayclallam.org