The Other Black Girl: A Novel

Zakiya Dalila Harris

Jun 2021 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

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“Riveting, fearless, and vividly original” (Emily St. John Mandel, New York Times bestselling author), this instant New York Times bestseller explores the tension that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of New York City book publishing.

Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and microaggressions, she’s thrilled when Harlem-born and bred Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. They’ve only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events elevates Hazel to Office Darling, and Nella is left in the dust.

Then the notes begin to appear on Nella’s desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW.

It’s hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. But as Nella starts to spiral and obsess over the sinister forces at play, she soon realizes that there’s a lot more at stake than just her career. Having joined Wagner Books to honor the legacy of Burning Heart, a novel written and edited by two Black women, she had thought that this animosity was a relic of the past. Is Nella ready to take on the fight of a new generation?

“Poignant, daring, and darkly funny, The Other Black Girl will have you stressed and exhilarated in equal measure through the very last twist” (Vulture). The perfect read for anyone who has ever felt manipulated, threatened, or overlooked in the workplace.

Ratings and reviews

For her debut novel, The Other Black Girl, Zakiya Delila Harris uses her insider knowledge of the publishing world to introduce the reader to that unique environment. She also provides the perspective of a “token black woman” in an industry that struggles to reconcile entrenched racism with the goal of “purposeful diversification.” The book opens with a prologue that will leave readers scratching their head in more ways than one. The main character here is Nella, an ambitious assistant editor at the highly esteemed Wagner Books. She hopes that all her efforts will put her in line for a promotion, but they are dashed by the entrance of another black women who is hired as her peer. Hazel is a confident, magnetic woman who quickly becomes Nella’s opponent in office politics. Nella seems to be overly gracious in her tolerance of Hazel’s manipulation and mercurial attitudes. As Hazel rises meteorically in the opinions of her bosses and coworkers, Nella becomes more bogged down with self-doubts about her own competence. She bolsters her efforts by working harder, hoping to be recognized. She no longer has time to devote to the important causes and activities she used to value, and she becomes increasingly paranoid and erratic. Nella suspects that Hazel is hiding something from her past that may be potentially dangerous, and she enlists her best friend to help ferret out the truth. This when The Other Black Girl takes a remarkably unexpected turn. No spoilers here, but readers will benefit if they go back and re-read that puzzling prologue again. Harris has drawn the reader down a clue-strewn path that are only becomes resolved by the last few chapters. Excellent writing and characterization make this novel a fantastic summer read for those looking for a different kind of suspense mystery by a talented new author.

I wish I could recommend this book, but it's very poorly written and all over the place. It reads as if no editing was involved.

Sisters let the world know of your srength, marie turner did not die in vain.

About the author

Zakiya Dalila Harris received her MFA in creative writing from The New School. Her debut novel, The Other Black Girl, was an instant New York Times bestseller. Her essays and book reviews have appeared in Cosmopolitan, The Guardian, The New York Times, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband.