Red at the Bone is the new novel by Jacqueline Woodson, author of Brown Girl Dreaming. Written in sparse, lyrical, poetic prose, Woodson tells the story of Melody, 16 years old at her coming of age party, as her family looks back on the same event that was meant to be celebrated for her mother 15 years earlier.

Told in different voices, moving back and forth through time, Woodson writes about issues of family, race, culture, identity, place. Masterfully written in a deceptively simple style, this slim novel packs an emotional punch as only Woodson’s writing can do.