Imani All Mine » (1ST MARINE)

Connie Porter is the author of ALL BRIGHT COURT, IMANI ALL MINE, and the Addy books in the Pleasant Company's American Girls series, which has sold more than 3 million copies. Porter was a fellow at Bread Loaf and was named a regional winner in Granta's Best Young American Novelist contest. She currently lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Connie Porter's first novel, All Bright Court, was greeted nationwide by the highest critical acclaim. "Porter has mapped a rich fictional world...This is a powerful and affecting debut," declared The New York Times. In her new novel, Porter returns to the ghettoized world of Buffalo, New York, with the wonderfully affecting story of Tasha, 15 years old and the unwed mother of a baby girl.

Tasha is a remarkable character, a child mothering a child--spunky, sassy, brimming with the hopefulness and frank wisdom of youth despite her circumstances. The name she gives her daughter, Imani, is a sign of her determination and fundamental trust: Imani means faith. "Mama say I'm grown now because I got Imani. She say Imani all mine. I know she all mine, and I like it just like that, not having to share my baby with no one."

Narrated in Tasha's street-smart and lyrical voice, Imani All Mine tracks Tasha's progress as she navigates her journey to adulthood in an increasingly violent world. Like A. J. Verdelle's The Good Negress, Porter's new novel transcends harsh reality to uncover joy and humor against all odds.

The New York Times Book Review - Andrea Higbie

...[T]he story of great promise shining through monstrous obstacles....The devastation of that promise is expertly depicted...