Conception by Kalisha Buckhannon
Conception by Kalisha Buckhannon, graduate, the MFA in Creative Writing at The New School
St. Martin’s, 2008
Barnes & Noble: In the same vein as her critically acclaimed debut novel, Upstate, Kalisha Buckhannon again shares an emotionally beautiful story about today’s youth that magnifies the unforgettable power of hope and the human spirit.
Buckhannon takes us to Chicago, 1992, and into the life of fifteen-year-old Shivana Golding, who believes most black women wind up the same: single and raising children alone, like her mother. Until the sudden visit of her charismatic and free-spirited Aunt Jewel, Shivana spends her days desperately struggling to understand life and confront the challenges she faces growing up in a tough environment. When she accidentally becomes pregnant by an older man and must decide what to do, she begins a journey toward adulthood with only a mysterious voice inside to guide her. Then, when she falls in love with Rasul, a teenager with problems of his own, together they fight to rise above their circumstances and move toward a more positive future.
Through a narrative that sweeps from slavery onward, Buckhannon unveils Shivana’s connection to a past filled with tragedy, courage, and wisdom.