Black Girl Irl - by Gail Hamilton Azodo (Paperback)

About the Book

"Whatever happened to the regular Black girl? The one who works a 9 to 5 or maybe owns her own business or is completing her master's. Or how about the one who is figuring out how to be a good mom or wife or daughter? Or the one that's doing all of the above? Hi, that's a lot of us. Black women are doing it all, and it's not just the Oprahs and Beyonces. There's an entire group of us that are just, well, regular. We're handling things like figuring out if this is the right time to speak up in that work meeting and risk our opinion now being the "voice" for all Black women at our job or if this is the right night to introduce our silk hair bonnet to our nighttime routine in the relationship that is just getting serious. These experiences range from impactful to trivial life decisions, but they shape who we are. So where is our place for this type of girl-talk and unfiltered sharing? Gail Hamilton Azodo is your thirty-something, corporate-ladder-climber turned entrepreneur, mom, wife, and Black Girl IRL. In her dinners, happy hours, and group texts with Black women they shared everything from motivational quotes to the latest on Black girl advice on how to cut ties with friends who no longer aligned with our purpose. In short, providing each other with a how-to on successfully navigating life as everyday Black women. Gail is here to share these authentic stories of being everyday Black women--with a fair number of frills but mostly regular life. It's going to be long, soul-nourishing evening."--Amazon.com.

Book Synopsis

Ebony Get Lit! March 2024 Pick

Whatever happened to the regular Black girl?
The one who works a nine-to-five or maybe owns her own business or is completing her master's. Or how about the one figuring out how to be a good mom or wife or daughter? Or the one that's doing all the above?
Hi, that's a lot of us. Black women are doing it all, and it's not just the Oprahs and Beyoncés. There's an entire group of us that are just, well, regular. We're handling things, like determining if we should speak up in that work meeting and risk becoming the "voice" for all Black women, or considering whether tonight is the night to introduce our silk hair bonnet in the relationship that is just getting serious. These decisions range from impactful to trivial, but they shape who we are.
So where is our place for this type of girl talk and unfiltered sharing? Gail Hamilton Azodo is your thirtysomething corporate ladder climber turned entrepreneur, mom, wife, and Black Girl IRL. In her dinners, happy hours, and group texts with Black women, they shared everything from motivational quotes to the latest in Black girl advice. Whether it's how to cut ties with friends who no longer align with our purpose or how to talk about money and embrace Black women's wealth, Gail is here to share these authentic stories of everyday Black women--with a fair number of frills.

Review Quotes

"A fascinating and thought-provoking read from start to finish, Black Girl IRL: Life Between the Mess and the Magic will prove to be of particularly special and relevant value to
readers with an interest in African-American Women's biographies and memoirs. . . . highly recommended for community and college/university library collections." --Midwest Book Review

"So accurate and entertaining at times. I felt like I was in the room with her reliving experiences." --Literary Marie

"A fascinating and thought-provoking read from start to finish, Black Girl IRL: Life Between the Mess and the Magic will prove to be of particularly special and relevant value to readers with an interest in African-American Women's biographies and memoirs. While highly recommended for community and college/university library collections."
--Midwest Book Review

About the Author

Gail Hamilton Azodo is a writer, professor, entrepreneur, mom, wife, and Black Girl in Real Life. With over three decades of life as a Black woman, Gail has spent the last couple of years writing her story to record the experiences of everyday Black women. When she's not writing, she is a professor at the Chapman School of Hospitality and Honors College at Florida International University and the co-owner of Sips Coffee Roasters. A proud Miami native, Gail enjoys BBQing with her family in front of her pool she's never been in and drinking margaritas and old fashioneds with her girlfriends in her free time.