First published 2024
Onyx watches his mother forget things she used to remember perfectly. The signs of early-onset dementia grow stronger each day, but he keeps their struggle hidden. If Child Protective Services discovers the truth, they will separate him from her and place him in foster care. Outside their home, the Civil Rights Movement gains momentum around them. Violence and tension fill the streets where Onyx walks as a young Black boy in 1960s America. He finds refuge in his dreams of becoming an astronaut. Space represents the one place where racism and family troubles cannot reach him. While he works to get his mother the medical help she desperately needs, Onyx holds onto his vision of exploring the stars. McBride draws from her own father's childhood experiences, crafting a story about a boy caught between protecting his family and surviving in a dangerous world. The novel explores how dreams can sustain us when reality becomes too heavy to bear alone.
Genres: historical-fiction, african-american, coming-of-age, social-issues, family-drama, african-american-historical-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, protecting-family
Setting: America
Period: 1960s
204 pages · Kindle Edition · Feiwel & Friends
Content warnings: mental-illness