GMA Buzz Pick

New York Times Book Section

Book Review by Carole V. Bell Flaws and All (August 22, 2021)

NYT Editors' Choice (August 29, 2021)

New York Times Book Review-- "Island Queen provides an incisive interior view of some of the thorniest aspects of West Indian colonial culture: the roots of color and class privilege, the implications of concubinage and common-law marriages, and the participation of some free people of African ancestry in slavery. Evocative and immersive, Riley's narrative bears that weight with grace; discovering Dorothy's story is a singular pleasure."

Indie-Next Selection

Island Queen was selected for July 2021 Indie-Next title by American Booksellers Association. Here is the list at Indie Bound.

Atlanta Journal Constitution

Island Queen the paperback is coming in June 2022.

Another one is Atlanta author Vanessa Riley. The New York Times called her historical novel “Island Queen” (Harper Collins, $27.99) “a powerful story” about a woman born into slavery who buys her freedom and that of her mother and sister from her father, and goes on to build a glamorous life of wealth and power in a story set in the Caribbean and South America. The paperback comes out June 14. Riley is nominated in the category of Literary Fiction.

Contact Vanessa

View her Current Tour/ Event Schedule