Before the Ever After
Description
In this stirring novel-in-verse, a young boy named ZJ watches his family’s world shift as the hero of his childhood—his father, once a celebrated pro football star—begins to lose his memory and his temper. As ZJ learns that the damage from a lifetime of hits has a lasting cost, he must navigate the ache of watching the past fade while trying to protect the traditions and stories that once made their home feel whole. With lyrical immediacy, the book explores what it means to love someone who can’t fully remember you, and what “glory” becomes when it’s measured against Black bodies and their burdens. Jacqueline Woodson’s acclaimed, emotionally precise style turns personal history into a resonant meditation on family, identity, and the difficult work of moving forward without erasing what came before.
Available Editions
paperback
Penguin
Published Sep 1, 2020
178 pages
ISBN: 9780399545436
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Details
First Published
2020
Language
eng
Content Warnings
Content and trigger warnings for Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson.