When the Reckoning Comes

LaTanya McQueen is the author of the essay collection And It Begins Like This. A recipient of a creative writing fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts and a grant and the Elizabeth George Foundation, she is an assistant professor of English at NC State University where she teaches in the MFA program.

“LaTanya McQueen writes brilliantly and incisively about the haunted histories that lurk behind landscapes and road signs; the tidal pull of childhood friendships; what it means to leave home and what it means to return. When the Reckoning Comes is an extraordinary, beautifully-crafted debut.” — Laura van den Berg, author of The Third Hotel"LaTanya McQueen's When The Reckoning Comes is so deliciously uncomfortable there were moments where I had to put the book down, take a deep breath, and like Mira, its protagonist, urge myself to go further. This is a novel, like Octavia Butler's Kindred, that reminds its readers that as long as people don't acknowledge how much of the past still shapes the present, it will bring its whips, its hatchets, and fists to make us learn." — Megan Giddings, author of Lakewood"Whether we know it or not, we are all haunted by history. LaTanya McQueen's When the Reckoning Comes makes that fact both startlingly real and beautiful. And while McQueen serves up stark lucidity and beauty, she doesn't hide from the darkness of the past, instead she makes meaning of it. This book is a wonder." — Rion Amilcar Scott, Author of The World Doesn't Require You"Latanya McQueen's When The Reckoning Comes is a devastating story of perseverance and friendship that balances the living and dead and connects the injustices of the past and present. Haunting and lyrical, it is a story about justice and love that should be required reading for all. McQueen has written a powerful and moving novel." — Brandon Hobson, National Book Award finalist and author of The Removed  "Engrossing...Playing on the disturbing trend of celebrating happy moments on restored plantations, McQueen cranks the discomfort up a notch to create a story where readers will actively cheer on the restless spirits." — Library Journal"McQueen writes with rich understanding of the spine-chilling violence Black people have experienced from slavery down throughout generations, often leading many on a journey of self discovery of their own. She writes layered characters who deal with elitism, trust, social class, and a strong desire to be seen and understood." — Booklist