Mr. McCane
Wow, just wow! This book was fascinating and arrived right on time for me. There is so much history in these pages that I’m calling it a must-read for anyone interested in Black history. It’s incredibly thorough. I took my time reading it because it’s packed with knowledge. There are sticky notes on damn near every page of my hardcover.
We first learn about David Ruggles, who ran the country’s first known Black-owned bookstore in the 1800s, along with so many other pioneers. I mean, it’s loaded with nuggets.
I have always known about the government’s attempts to silence Black leaders, but I didn’t realize the extent of what was done to Black bookstores and their owners.
Author Char Adams did an amazing job; you can tell she likely spent years on research alone.
I am currently at war with my local Barnes & Noble over how they never have new releases from popular Black authors, or how they refuse to put up displays for Black History Month. Since February 6, 2026, I’ve only shopped at Black-owned bookstores and indie bookstores that support our authors.
One of the best things about this book is in the back. there’s a list of all active Black-owned bookstores.
My only critique is that the book felt a little dry at times. I listened to the audiobook while reading along with the physical copy. The narrator, Shayna Small, did an outstanding job, but at times it read more like a textbook.
Here’s a quote:
“Toni Morrison joined Random House as an editor in 1967 and immediately got to work. Random House published more than two dozen books by Black authors during Morrison’s sixteen years with the company. After she left, that number dwindled, with Random House publishing just two books by black authors between 1984 and 1990–one of which was Morrison’s own book Beloved.” 😡
Wow, just wow! This book was fascinating and arrived right on time for me. There is so much history in these pages that I’m calling it a must-read for anyone interested in Black history. It’s incredibly thorough. I took my time reading it because it’s packed with knowledge. There are sticky notes on damn near every page of my hardcover.
We first learn about David Ruggles, who ran the country’s first known Black-owned bookstore in the 1800s, along with so many other pioneers. I mean, it’s loaded with nuggets.
I have always known about the government’s attempts to silence Black leaders, but I didn’t realize the extent of what was done to Black bookstores and their owners.
Author Char Adams did an amazing job; you can tell she likely spent years on research alone.
I am currently at war with my local Barnes & Noble over how they never have new releases from popular Black authors, or how they refuse to put up displays for Black History Month. Since February 6, 2026, I’ve only shopped at Black-owned bookstores and indie bookstores that support our authors.
One of the best things about this book is in the back. there’s a list of all active Black-owned bookstores.
My only critique is that the book felt a little dry at times. I listened to the audiobook while reading along with the physical copy. The narrator, Shayna Small, did an outstanding job, but at times it read more like a textbook.
Here’s a quote:
“Toni Morrison joined Random House as an editor in 1967 and immediately got to work. Random House published more than two dozen books by Black authors during Morrison’s sixteen years with the company. After she left, that number dwindled, with Random House publishing just two books by black authors between 1984 and 1990–one of which was Morrison’s own book Beloved.” 😡