First published 2022
Jules receives old binoculars before heading to Central Park for birdwatching. The Black teenager quickly realizes these aren't ordinary binoculars. They show him far more than the birds he came to observe, and they might even protect him from danger. Meanwhile, Jesse Holland stands at a crossroads on his family's Mississippi farm. The land has belonged to his family since their ancestor gained freedom from slavery. His grandfather worked this soil, then his father. Now Jesse must decide if farming the Piney Woods represents his true calling or if destiny holds something different. Elsewhere, Lanice pursues her culinary dreams despite her father's concerns. He worries about his daughter working in kitchens like so many Black Americans throughout history. These interconnected stories explore how individuals navigate personal growth while confronting societal expectations. Each character grapples with family legacy, personal ambition, and the weight of history as they forge their own paths forward.
Genres: family-life, american-fiction, african-american, contemporary
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, personal-growth
Setting: Central Park, Mississippi, Piney Woods
Period: 21st-century
168 pages · Hardcover · DC Comics