Sometimes the Girl - by Jennifer Mason-Black (Hardcover)

About the Book

"When eighteen-year-old Holiday, an aspiring writer, gets a short-term job sorting through the attic of an acclaimed ninety-something author, the author's secrets change how Holi views art and life"--

Book Synopsis

Eighteen-year-old Holiday needs to sort her life out.

She's still shaken from her brother's recent suicide attempt; still pining over her ex, Maya; and still struggling to write again after a long dry spell. To earn enough money for a rebalancing trip with Maya, Holi gets a short-term job: organizing the attic of acclaimed author Elsie McAllister. It's an unglamorous gig with a difficult boss. Elsie--whose fame rests on a single novel published decades ago--is in her nineties, in failing health, and fiercely protective of her privacy. But as Holi sorts through the attic's surprising contents, she realizes there's much more to Elsie than the novel that made her a legend.

Unearthing Elsie's secrets will change how Holi sees art, life, and the way they intertwine, as she grapples with choices that will redefine her own path.

Review Quotes

"A powerful, lyrical story that honors creativity, queerness, healing and intergenerational relationships."--Ms. Magazine

-- (5/5/2025 12:00:00 AM)

"Mason-Black's writing, expressed through Holi's first-person narration, is original and striking in its depth, putting a thoughtful spotlight on Holi and the people around her. An appealing and engrossing work."--Booklist

-- (3/12/2025 12:00:00 AM)

"A touching coming-of-age novel about healing and connection. Holi's story models radical empathy, and its conclusion acknowledges that language is the only tool that may bridge the gap between people who seek to understand each other."--starred, Foreword Reviews

-- (3/26/2025 12:00:00 AM)

"Mason-Black's prose sparkles with poetic beauty as Holi engages in introspective musings about collective mourning and how individual healing is possible only in community. . . This striking work shows the power of intergenerational relationships to fortify queer artists against erasure . . . Beautifully written and powerfully uplifting."--starred, Kirkus Reviews

-- (1/13/2025 12:00:00 AM)