Richly rendered characters and stories... Captivating ( )

Nobody’s Magic by Destiny O. Birdsong is a 2022 Grand Central Publication.

This book is a trilogy of stories centered around three black women born with albinism.

The first story features Suzette, a young woman of some privilege whose parents are alternately overprotective, manipulative, and controlling.

Suzette is now in her early twenties, but has never learned to drive, has never held a job or seriously considered her future. But she’s becoming restless, ready to break free from her parent’s restraints and live a normal life.

The second story involves Maple who is reeling from the aftermath of her mother’s murder. She leaves her grandmother’s home, finds a part-time job and a place to stay, then meets Chad, a man struggling with his own tremendous loss. Through the sharing of his grief and pain, Maple is able to come to terms with her own.

The third story is centered around Agnes, who appears to live in the shadow of her sister and harbors intense resentment towards her family. She’s struggled to find her niche, barely scraping by- but then she meets ‘Prime’ who could be the person she’s been longing to find. But she does something that propels her to finally return home to confront the family she’s avoided for so long.

All three stories are set in the deep south along the ARK/TX/LA area- primarily in Shreveport, Louisiana-which is key is setting the stage and creating the atmosphere and undertones.

Of the three stories, the second one is the strongest and Maple was the character I was most connected to. The third story is the weakest and felt out of place compared to the first two.

Overall, I rarely read short stories- but this was a well-written collection, despite some unnecessary content and inconsistencies, and touches on a variety of topics and emotions. It was an enlightening change of pace for me, and I will certainly be keeping an eye on this author. ( )