First published 2020
A father watches his biracial son Nigel's black birthmark grow larger each day. In this near-future Southern city, police violence stalks the fenced ghettos and residents flock to Dr. Nzinga's clinic for demelanization procedures. The clinic promises complete transformation through skin bleaching, lip thinning, and nose narrowing. Liberation from black skin comes at a steep price, but the father's fear grows as Nigel's skin darkens. He believes lighter skin will protect his son in their broken world. The father obsesses over this experimental medical solution while his family begins to fracture. His desperate love drives him toward a choice that could save Nigel or destroy everything they have. Ruffin crafts a biting satire that exposes how racism warps parental instincts and family bonds.
Genres: dystopia, satire, literary-fiction, african-american, political-thriller, family-drama
Vibes: dark, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-drama, social-commentary
Setting: Southern
Period: near-future
352 pages · Paperback · One World
Content warnings: racism, violence