Virgin Soul
Hardcover edition
Paperback edition
“Funny and wise . . . a captivating tale about self-love told through the eyes of an unforgettable heroine”
— Essence
BuzzFeed Choice: 16 Books to Read If You Love San Francisco
From a lauded poet and playwright, a novel of a young woman's life with the Black Panthers in 1960s San Francisco.
At first glance, Geniece’s story sounds like that of a typical young woman: she goes to college, has romantic entanglements, builds meaningful friendships, and juggles her schedule with a part-time job. However, she does all of these things in 1960s San Francisco while becoming a militant member of the Black Panther movement. When Huey Newton is jailed in October 1967 and the Panthers explode nationwide, Geniece enters the organization’s dark and dangerous world of guns, FBI agents, freewheeling sex, police repression, and fatal shoot-outs—all while balancing her other life as a college student.
A moving tale of one young woman’s life spinning out of the typical and into the extraordinary during one of the most politically and racially charged eras in America, Virgin Soul will resonate with readers of Monica Ali and Ntozake Shange.
for adult readers
Praise for Virgin Soul
“Witty and deeply engaging . . . about ideas and the passions generated by revolution and romantic love.” —Los Angeles Times
“Electrifying . . . Virgin Soul yields an engaging coming-of-age story, one that recalls a turbulent era in captivating prose.” —San Jose Mercury News
“Juanita’s prose immediately immerses the reader in the time and place of its lead character. . . [who] progresses from middle-class “good girl” to member of the Black Panthers, witnessing and experiencing the poverty, violence, excesses and rhetoric of the time, a transition handled by Juanita with assured matter-of-factness . . . The unique perspective she offers on a volatile period of American history gives the narrative immediacy and authenticity.” —Publishers Weekly
"Virgin Soul is first class awesome, every page a crackling hungry flame. This novel about a young studious woman immersed in the black revolutionary experience of 60's Berkeley has a freshness and bright ardor that is rare in this lazy climate of American fiction.” —Joy Williams, author of State of Grace
“Intense, riveting, spellbinding, this tour de force places the reader on the frontlines of the 1960’s counter culture and the Black Power movement, one of the most turbulent times in American history. More than a coming of age novel, Virgin Soul is ultimately a meditation on love. It’s about the love of Geniece’s biological family and the family of radicals who adopt her. A must read.” —Robert Alexander, author of Servant of the People
Hardcover, 320 pages
Viking, 2013
ISBN-13: 978-0670026586
Paperback, 374 pages
EquiDistance, 2017
ISBN-13: 9780971635241