“In a recent interview Danzy Senna explained that she wrote half of the stories in You Are Free when single and living in New York City and the others in LA during and after her pregnancy; this time of transistion, conflict and reflection has given her a lot to say about how it is to be a woman in all of her various and changing roles. I adored Senna’s novel Caucasia and, once a couple stories deep, it was hard to put this one down. Race is less a central theme here than in Caucasia (relationships taking center stage) but when it does come up (still, gladly, much more often than in most fiction) Senna’s insights are always sharp and illuminating. Among other things this book seems to ask: What is freedom and how much do we really want?”—Shana, Ravenna Third Place, Seattle
Face Out
You Are Free by Danzy Senna
June 30, 2011