Homebodies

A Novel

By: Tembe Denton-Hurst

Narrated by: Marcella Cox

Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

"[A] sharp, charming and passionate debut."—New York Times Book Review

A Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by Elle, USA Today, Bustle, Ebony, Harper’s Bazaar, PopSugar, New York Post, The Skimm, and The Millions.

A Best Book of 2023 by Marie Claire, Esquire, Vogue, them, Autostraddle, Betches, Gay Times, and Cosmopolitan.

An insightful, propulsive, and deeply sexy debut novel about a young Black writer whose world is turned upside down when she loses her coveted job in media and pens a searing manifesto about racism in the industry.

Mickey Hayward dreams of writing stories that matter, but, for now, her days are filled with listicles about lip gloss and click-bait articles about celebrity haircare. Still, the job is flashy and her girlfriend is steady and supportive. The path may be long, but Mickey’s well on her way, and it’s far from the messy life she left behind in Maryland. Everything finally seems to be falling into place—until she finds out she’s being replaced.

Distraught and enraged, Mickey fires back with a detailed letter outlining the racism she’s endured as a Black woman in media, certain it will change the world for the better. But when her letter is met with overwhelming silence, even from her usually-encouraging girlfriend, Mickey is sent into a tailspin of self-doubt. Forced to reckon with just how fragile her life is, she flees to the last place she ever dreamed she would run: her hometown.

Back home, Mickey is seduced by the simplicity of her hometown—and the flirtation of a former flame—but she soon learns that you can’t outrun your past. In the newfound quiet, she is forced to reflect on the sacrifices she’d made for an industry that never loved her back and pick up the pieces of the life she thought she’d left behind for good. After all, when the walls of success you’ve carefully built around yourself come crumbling down, what—and who—are you left with?

A meditation on identity, self-worth and the toll of corporate racism, Homebodies is a portrait of modern Black womanhood with a protagonist you won’t soon forget.

©2023 Tembe Denton-Hurst (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Great story but left me wanting more

This story had me hooked. It was narrated well but I’m giving four starts for the story because I feel like Mickey never truly sorted herself out. There was no accountability for her actions and the ending left me with more questions than answers. I look forward more stories from this author.

Looking forward to reading more!

I think Mickey's professional experience is relatable to so many BW. The direction of the story took a different turn than what I expected but I still found the journey relatable.

The narrator was engaging although she mispronounced New Carrollton and Bowie, MD!

Loved it !

This book is so deeply needed. The authentic illustration of Mikki’s coming of age story and queer love was well done !

This novel is incredibly shapeless.

The prose is bearable, but the story has no flaps in which i can bury myself. solid 2/5.

In this house we love black queer romance

Important story about racism, and micro-aggressions in the workplace, and finding yourself in hard times.

Better than I expected

I loved this book.I related so much to the main character and trying to find herself when everything seems to fall apart.The writing was brilliant and I can’t recommend this book enough.

Great story want more!!!

I enjoyed the story, from start to finish, but I feel like I need more closure with Mickey and Lex. I have a some questions that went unanswered. Please tell me there’s gonna be another book.

More Stories Like This Are Needed

I felt seen and heard in this book. I really enjoyed the story and hope to find more like it. This is the first time I've come across a book that had a lesbian BLACK lead character. Our stories need to be told.

Very slow read

I appreciate the diversity used however the story line was so slow and drawn out. I hoped for the best down to the last 15 minutes and I am just as confused as when I began. I believe the author will continue to evolve.

Boring

A dragging slow burn. DNF with 3hrs left. It never grabbed my attention and I so wanted it to. I don’t always stumble across queer & black novels and I wanted to love this,but it is a no. The narration is solid but the storyline itself could use more .