If Beale Street Could Talk

by James Baldwin

First published 2006

Nineteen-year-old Tish Rivers discovers she's pregnant with her fiancé Fonny's child—just as he's been falsely imprisoned for a rape he didn't commit. With her family's unwavering support, Tish battles a racist legal system that threatens to tear apart their future. Her love for Fonny becomes a defiant act of resistance, challenging the brutal machinery of institutional racism that seeks to destroy their dreams. As evidence mounts and hope dwindles, Tish must fight for Fonny's freedom and their unborn child's future.

Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, family-drama, african-american-historical-fiction

Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking

Tropes: found-family, social-commentary

Setting: Harlem

Period: 1950s

197 pages · Paperback · Vintage

Content warnings: racism, violence

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