Author: Imani Perry
South to America by Imani Perry offers narrative nonfiction of the Southern US centering on Black perspectives.
This is the story of a Black woman and native Alabaman returning to the region she has always called home and considering it with fresh eyes.
Her journey is full of detours, deep dives, and surprising encounters with places and people.
Perry’s fusion of research with personal insights is in the style of Clint Smith’s “How the Word is Passed” or Michael Twitty’s “Cooking Gene,” which are both well-deserved bestsellers.
“Weaving together stories of immigrant communities, contemporary artists, exploitative opportunists, enslaved peoples, unsung heroes, her own ancestors, and her lived experiences, Perry crafts a tapestry unlike any other,” said a review on goodreads.com.
Perry calls for a reckoning with the traumatic parts of the South and its history while regaling
the reader with what remains excellent and specific to the South.
“It is a love letter to a tragically — and perhaps fatally — flawed place that calls for examination and change,” said the review.
