- Book Topics
- Milwaukee
- George Floyd
- Emmett Till
- Langston Hughes
- Franklin Heights
- Haiti
- Port Au Prince
- Rastafarianism
- Wisconsin
- college football
- Eric Garner
Milwaukee Blues
A Recipient of this year’s inaugural Albertine Publishers Grant and Shortlisted to the US Prix Goncourt in 2022.
The deaths of unarmed Black male citizens at the hands of police from Eric Garner’s in New York City in 2014 to George Floyd’s in Minneapolis in May 2020 provide the impetus behind Louis-Philippe Dalembert’s latest novel, a re-imagining of events leading up to and after these tragedies.
In this moving tribute set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the composite, fictionalized main character Emmett and victim of police violence is seen through the eyes of several individuals who were all touched by his life: the Pakistani shopkeeper who dialed 911; Emmett’s former girlfriend; a teacher; a neighborhood friend, and his college football coach all recall Emmett and describe how his love and generous spirit touched their lives. The novel then takes a wider point of view in the second half to focus on the march and memorial service with a resounding and spiritual message of peace. This is a powerful testament to the ongoing struggles for justice, and a moving and hopeful tribute to the many victims of racist violence.
- Book Topics
- Milwaukee
- George Floyd
- Emmett Till
- Langston Hughes
- Franklin Heights
- Haiti
- Port Au Prince
- Rastafarianism
- Wisconsin
- college football
- Eric Garner
Reviews and Comments
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This eloquently translated work will engender conversation and engage readers of both literary and popular fiction.
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The death of unarmed black men across the country at the hands of law
enforcement forms the heart of this beautiful and heartbreaking novel.
Drawing from news headlines and stories, this book is a fictional 360 degree
look at the step-by-step events leading up to a tragedy in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, where Emmett (named for Emmett Till) is a victim of police
brutality. Told from the perspective of the shopkeeper who dials 911, the
victim’s former girlfriend, his teacher, football coach and a friend, this is a
moving look at the ongoing struggles of racism and the inexplicable pain
connected to being a Black man in America.