Black Cherokee

By: Antonio Michael Downing

Narrated by: Kamali Minter

Betty meets Queenie in this courageous coming-of-age story about a Black girl fighting for recognition in a South Carolina Cherokee community that refuses to accept her ancestry as legitimate.

Ophelia Blue Rivers is a descendent of Cherokee Freedmen: Blacks formerly enslaved by rich southern Cherokee. She is “Black” but doesn’t understand why that makes her different. She is “Cherokee” but struggles to know what that means.

Their town of Etsi—once a reservation—still lives with the wounds of its disbanding. When the town, and the river that sustains it, are put in mortal danger personal rivalries threaten their very survival. Against this backdrop Ophelia begins her spirited, at times harrowing, search for place and family. She must discover: what does it mean to belong when belonging comes at such a high price?

With dazzling language, keen insight, and an unforgettable voice, Black Cherokee is an astonishing novel from an emerging literary talent.

Critic reviews

"Kamali Minter's performance here is consistently stellar. Identifying both as Black and Native American, Ophelia Blue Rivers grows up learning how her mixed heritage uniquely informs her life experience. When pollution in her local river makes life unlivable, Ophelia is sent to live with her aunt. This new life includes a fraught relationship with the son of a politically powerful white family. Meanwhile, Ophelia's family wages a legal battle against the corporations responsible for deliberately destroying their environment. Minter is skilled at providing voices for the multigenerational characters. Listeners are given a compelling narrative about the nature of these engaging, often complicated, ultimately compelling stories. A richly detailed performance of a young woman with dual identities finding her voice."

Beauty of words

Loved the story and characters and themes. Reading was dramatic and thoughtful. Would easily recommend to others