"This book is haunted–by haints, yes, but also by grief and trauma both individual and intergenerational. Its unforgettable protagonist is Magnolia, a young Black woman living in the beautiful, brutal Appalachian South. Desolate after her grandmother’s death and desperate for rent money, she lands an odd but lucrative gig at a local funeral home: posing as the recently deceased so that their loved ones can say goodbye. As the job requirements grow more sinister and Magnolia grapples with legacies of violence–sometimes shockingly explicit, sometimes creeping and insidious–her voice cuts, startles, transports. House of Cotton digs deep into racism, misogyny, poverty, and the ways in which they intertwine while maintaining the tense, surreal atmosphere of a fever dream. This will stick with you–Monica Brashears is an author to watch."
Publisher Flatiron Books
Publication Date 2023-04-04
Section New Hardcover - Fiction
Format Hardcover
ISBN 9781250851918
A stunning, contemporary Black southern gothic novel about what it means to be a poor woman in the God- fearing south. Perfect for readers of The Other Black Girl and Luster
“Every page, every scene, every sentence of Monica Brashears’s debut novel House of Cotton dazzles and surprises. An intense, enthralling, and deeply satisfying read!” ―Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
"A new, dazzling, and essential American voice." ―George Saunders, author of Lincoln in the Bardo
Magnolia Brown is nineteen years old, broke, and effectively an orphan. She feels stuck and haunted: by her overdrawn bank account, her predatory landlord, and the ghost of her late grandmother Mama Brown.
One night, while working at her dead-end gas station job, a mysterious, slick stranger named Cotton walks in and offers to turn Magnolia’s luck around with a lucrative “modeling” job at his family’s funeral home. She accepts. But despite things looking up, Magnolia’s problems fatten along with her wallet. When Cotton’s requests become increasingly weird, Magnolia discovers there’s a lot more at stake than just her rent.
Sharp as a belted knife, this sly social commentary cuts straight to the bone. House of Cotton will keep you mesmerized until the very last page.
