Some Things I Never Thought I'd Do - Rilegato

“Pearl Cleage croons a tale of politics-for-hire, community action, and strong men coming on with a voice as smooth and mellow as a jazz standard.”
—BEBE MOORE CAMPBELL
Author of Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine and Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry

“Pearl Cleage is one of America’s finest young writers. We fall in love with her characters—but maybe ‘friends’ is a better description—all over again. We laugh and cry [and do] all the things we do when you realize that these may be characters on a page or . . . they could be you. Another triumph for the true black Pearl.”
—NIKKI GIOVANNI

“Some Things I Never Thought I’d Do is not only smart, sexy, magical, romantic, funny, nuanced, otherworldly, surprising, scary, and right on time, it’s also political. And did I say a fabulous read? Pearl Cleage is historian, archaeologist, realist, lover, and a magnificent storyteller. Instead of offering escape from life, Cleage’s words summon the possibility of life’s wonders. You will know the women and men who populate her novel—or want to.”
—JILL NELSON

“Pearl Cleage is a modern-day Scheherazade. In this novel she weaves gorgeous fantasies of what our lives could be if we all were to provide equal measures of faith and commitment Some Things I Never Thought I’d Do is a tale stitched with magic and embroidered with hope.”
—TAYARI JONES
Author of Leaving Atlanta

“Nobody writes human drama better than Pearl Cleage. Witty, engaging, tender, and bittersweet, Ms. Cleage writes tales that illuminate the generosity and power of women’s souls. In this glorious novel, a good woman rescues herself, rekindles her passion for life and love, and heals a family torn apart by betrayal and secrets. There’s no better ‘praise song’ to love, living, and the wondrous imperfection of humanity than Some Things I Never Thought I’d Do. Laugh, cry, nod your head in recognition, for Ms. Cleage has captured life on the page.”
—JEWELL PARKER RHODES

“With the publication of Some Things I Never Thought I’d Do, Pearl Cleage further solidifies her position as one of America’s most engaging and accessible writers. Cleage’s work has always been about life, truth-telling, and that spiritual bedrock we call love. Here, as she has done elsewhere, these elements are present, as is Cleage’s gift for creating female characters who are complex, whole beings in search of the power within themselves.”
—KEVIN POWELL
Author of Who’s Gonna Take the Weight:
Manhood, Race, and Power in America

Pearl Cleage is the author of Mad at Miles: A Black Woman’s Guide to Truth, Deals with the Devil and Other Reasons to Riot, and her bestselling debut novel, What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day.... An accomplished dramatist, her plays include Flyin’ West and Blues for an Alabama Sky. Ms. Cleage lives in Atlanta with her husband.
From the Trade Paperback edition.