By Alexa Martin, New York: Jove, 2020 penguinrandomhouse.com
Dubbed a “witty rom-com” with lots of drama and some interesting insights into what it means to be a bi-racial woman raised by her white father. And what it means to be the black quarterback of a professional football team whose father is a retired pro. He, Quinton, takes a knee after Colin Kaepernick did and for his own reasons. The team owner assigns her, Elliott, to manage his publicity. Her friends warn her. At their first meeting Quinton says, “You really don’t think he’s using you? So that when the press comes sniffing around, he can parade you in front of them and say that I’m misguided in calling out racism in his organization because look at you. You’re Black and a woman.” This does not go over well with her. And we’re off to the races. The way women married to football players support each other is an interesting thread of the story. It reminds me of army wives.
I recommend this to fill in some understanding of how people come to recognize racism at the individual level and the corporate level. The story does get there, though the language is a bit salty and adult, from my point of view. The author is herself biracial and her husband was a pro football player, so she knows whereof she speaks.
Submitted by Beth Bartholomew