Gone Like Yesterday

In Janelle M. Williams’s lyrical debut novel, Gone Like Yesterday, two Black women—Zahra, a college prep coach, and Sammie, a teenage activist—forge a bond through the enchanting songs of gypsy moths that connect them to their ancestors. When Zahra's brother, Derrick, mysteriously disappears, she and Sammie embark on a poignant road trip from New York to Atlanta, exploring themes of family, legacy, and racial identity as they seek to understand their ties to the past and their futures. This magical realism-infused story invites listeners to reflect on what we owe to ourselves and those who came before us.