‘Red at the Bone’ by Jacqueline Woodson

She nursed the child because she was supposed to feel some deep electric connectedness to her and she didn’t. So she gave her what she had—her body.

‘Red at the Bone’ by Jacqueline Woodson begins with Melody’s formal introduction to society in 2001. The story is told through nonlinear narratives from multiple points of view, including flashbacks on the day of her introduction. However, the last few chapters tell the story of what happens afterward.

Sixteen-year-old Melody also remembers her past, but her flashbacks mainly illustrate how her life began as the daughter of teenagers Iris and Aubrey and the granddaughter of Sade and Po’boy. Iris fought to keep Melody, but after she was born, Iris couldn’t wait to go to college. Melody therefore grew up mostly with her father and grandparents.

And, towards the end, there's a surprising queer plot twist!

CW: difficult parent-child relationships, grief and loss, classism and racism, historical trauma, homophobia