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While We Were Burning

By: Sara Koffi

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Paperback | 23 May 2024 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
320 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
19.6 x 13.0 x 2.9

Paperback

RRP $32.99

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A scorching debut that is as heartbreaking as it is thrilling, examining the intersection of race, class, and female friendship, and the devastating consequences of everyday actions.

After her best friend's mysterious death, Elizabeth Smith's picture-perfect life in the Memphis suburbs has spiraled out of control-so much so that she hires a personal assistant to keep her on track. Composed and elegant, Brianna is exactly who she needs and slides so neatly into Elizabeth's life, almost like she belonged there from the start. Soon, the assistant Elizabeth hired to distract her from her obsession with her friend's death is the same person working with her to uncover the truth behind it.

Because Brianna has questions, too.

She wants to know why the police killed her young Black son. Why someone in Elizabeth's neighborhood called the cops on him that day. Who took that first step that stole her child away from her. And the only way she's ever going to be able to find out is to entwine herself deep into Elizabeth's life, where the answers to her questions lie. As the two women hurtle towards an electrifying final showdown, and the lines between employer and friend blur, it becomes clear that neither of them is what they first appear.

Industry Reviews

"Fast paced and thrilling, While We Were Burning is also heartbreaking in its portrayal of a grieving mother forced to confront both the person who caused her son's death and the systemic injustice that led to it. I was riveted the whole way through." - Ana Reyes, author of The House in the Pines

"While We Were Burning is the fresh take on the domestic thriller we need right now, a provocative observation of racism and classism embedded within a searing, fast-paced revenge story. By placing a heartbreakingly familiar tragedy at the emotional center of the book, Koffi deftly blurs the lines between hero and villain, not only surprising the reader with every twist but challenging them with complicated moral questions. This is more than a riveting suspense about two women who form a tenuous friendship-it's a page-turner with serious things to say about who gets to be a victim and what justice looks like." - Ashley Winstead, author of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife

"A riveting page-turner...Koffi's fresh, bold, and sharp prose sweeps you right into the murky gray spaces and wide spectrum of conflicting human emotion filled with messy characters. This is the type of contemporary fiction I crave-raw, original, and unapologetic. Gasp-inducing scenes, sensational twists, and brilliant writing make While We Were Burning one unforgettable and unputdownable debut not to miss."

"A scorching revenge tale set in Memphis." - Paste

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