Books & Books and the Coral Gables Congregational Church are excited to present an evening with Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to Be an Antiracist and Antiracist Baby. The event is celebrating Magnolia Flower (HarperCollins, $19.99) and follows a young Afro Indigenous girl who longs for freedom. Kendi retains Zora Neale Hurston’s distinct voice while also adapting the folktale so that it appeals to young readers. Magnolia Flower will appeal to bookworms, educators, parents, and other Hurston enthusiasts.

***Please note: This event will take place at Coral Gables Congregational Church. Tickets include a copy of Magnolia Flower, which will be handed out upon entry to the event.

The book will be pre-signed with no book signing to follow. Please anticipate a bag check.

About the Book:

From beloved African American folklorist Zora Neale Hurston comes a moving adaptation by National Book Award winner and #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist and Antiracist Baby, Ibram X. Kendi. Magnolia Flower follows a young Afro Indigenous girl who longs for freedom and is gorgeously illustrated by Loveis Wise (The People Remember, Ablaze with Color).

Born to parents who fled slavery and the Trail of Tears, Magnolia Flower is a girl with a vibrant spirit. Not to be deterred by rigid ways of the world, she longs to connect with others, who too long for freedom. She finds this in a young man of letters who her father disapproves of. In her quest to be free, Magnolia must make a choice and set off on a journey that will prove just how brave one can be when leading with one’s heart.

The acclaimed writer of several American classics, Zora Neale Hurston wrote this stirring folktale brimming with poetic prose, culture, and history. It was first published as a short story in The Spokesman in 1925 and later in her collection Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick (2020).

Tenderly retold by #1 New York Times bestselling and National Book Award-winning author Ibram X. Kendi, Magnolia Flower is a story of a transformative and radical devotion between generations of Indigenous and Black people in America. With breathtaking illustrations by Loveis Wise, this picture book reminds us that there is no force strong enough to stop love.

Ticket Guidelines:

• GENERAL ADMISSION TIER 1 (Includes one copy of Magnolia Flower): Registration for this ticket option admits (1) one person into the event.

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About the Author:

Ibram X. Kendi is an award-winning American author, professor, anti-racist activist, and historian of race and discriminatory policy in America. In July 2020, he assumed the position of director of the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University. Kendi was included in Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2020.