Caucasia: A Novel

Danzy Senna

Feb 1999 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

From the author of New People and Colored Television, the extraordinary national bestseller that launched Danzy Senna’s literary career

“Superbly illustrates the emotional toll that politics and race take … Haunting.” —The New York Times Book Review

Birdie and Cole are the daughters of a black father and a white mother, intellectuals and activists in the Civil Rights Movement in 1970s Boston. The sisters are so close that they speak their own language, yet Birdie, with her light skin and straight hair, is often mistaken for white, while Cole is dark enough to fit in with the other kids at school. Despite their differences, Cole is Birdie’s confidant, her protector, the mirror by which she understands herself. Then their parents’ marriage collapses. One night Birdie watches her father and his new girlfriend drive away with Cole. Soon Birdie and her mother are on the road as well, drifting across the country in search of a new home. But for Birdie, home will always be Cole. Haunted by the loss of her sister, she sets out a desperate search for the family that left her behind.

A modern classic, Caucasia is at once a powerful coming of age story and a groundbreaking work on identity and race in America.

Ratings and reviews

I remember first reading this novel in high school back in 2004. To me, it details an internal journey of timeless relevance, and it seems only to become more relevant with time. The journey to identify oneself is often, if not always, a difficult and confusing one.

Amazing! Takes you on a journey that make you look within. I finished this book in a few days. Highly recommend, especially from someone who is biracial myself.

My mom always told me to read this book. When I did I was in middle school and understood what biracial children have to go through. Very passionate book.

About the author

Danzy Senna is the author of five previous books, including the bestselling Caucasia and, most recently, New People. The recipient of numerous awards and honors, she teaches writing at the University of Southern California.