Discover Your Next Diverse Read
Diverse Spines® is a book community dedicated to expanding awareness through diverse literature.
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Expanding awareness through diverse literature
Our mission is to help you Discover Your Next Diverse Read! Diverse Spines® highlights books by Black Women and Women of Color. We are dedicated to amplifying marginalized stories that will help readers diversify their reading lists and discover new voices. We are a champion for expanding awareness and uplifting human experiences that are often underrepresented in the literary world!
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Spine of the Month
MARCH 2025 - Firstborn Girls by Bernice L. McFadden
From award-winning author and creative writing professor at Tulane University comes an intimate and powerful memoir exploring inherited trauma, family secrets, and the enduring bonds of love between mothers and daughters.
On her second birthday in 1967, Bernice McFadden died in a car crash near Detroit, only to be resuscitated after her mother pulled her from the flaming wreckage. Firstborn Girls traces her remarkable life from that moment up to the publication of her first novel, Sugar.
Growing up in 1980s Brooklyn, Bernice finds solace in books, summer trips to Barbados, and boarding school to escape her alcoholic father. Discovering the works of Alice Walker and Toni Morrison, she finally sees herself and her loved ones reflected in their stories of “messy, beautiful, joyful Black people.”
Interwoven with Bernice's personal journey is her family's history, beginning with her four-times enslaved great-grandmother Louisa Vicey Wilson in 1822 Hancock County, Georgia. Her descendants survived Reconstruction and Jim Crow, joined the Great Migration, and mourned Dr. King’s assassination during the Civil Rights Movement. These women's wisdom, secrets, and fierce love are passed down like Louisa's handmade quilt.
A memoir of many threads, Firstborn Girls is an extraordinarily moving portrait of a life shaped by family, history, and the drive to be something more.
INSTAGRAM LIVE BOOK CHAT with the author on Saturday 3/29 at 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT
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You'll receive information on our current and upcoming Spine of the Month selections, diverse book recommendations, reading tips, exclusive author features, and things we think you'll enjoy!
It’s time to diversify your reading list
Bibliophile: Diverse Spines
by Jamise Harper & Jane Mount
This richly illustrated and vastly inclusive collection uplifts the works of authors who are often underrepresented in the literary world. Using their keen knowledge and deep love for all things literary, coauthors Jamise Harper (founder of the Diverse Spines book community) and Jane Mount (author of Bibliophile) collaborated to create an essential volume filled with treasures for every reader:
Dozens of themed illustrated book stacks—like Classics, Contemporary Fiction, Mysteries, Cookbooks, and more—all with an emphasis on authors from diverse cultural backgrounds.
A look inside beloved bookstores owned by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
Reading recommendations from leading BIPOC literary influencers
1.
EASY TO GIFT
This portable guide is packed with more than 150 colorful illustrations and is a perfect gift for any booklover. The textured paper cover, gold foil, and ribbon marker make this book a special gift or self-purchase.
2.
DISCOVER UNSUNG LITERARY HEROES
The authors dive deep into a wide variety of genres, such as Contemporary Fiction, Classics, Young Adult, Sci-Fi, and more to bring the works of authors of color to the fore.
3.
ENDLESS READING INSPIRATION
Themed book stacks and reading suggestions from luminaries of the literary world provide curated book recommendations. Your to-read list will thank you.
What to read
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The year ahead is filled with exciting releases.
Diverse spines® presents
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Author Workshops
Diverse Spines® presents author workshops hosted by Jamise Harper. The workshops feature a robust book discussion, information on the authors’ writing process, publishing journey and advice to aspiring writers.
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