205 ratings | 55 reviews | avg rating:4.49

more photos (2)

Breena’s Year In Books

Breena’s 2024 Year in Books

Take a look at Breena’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Breena’s 2024 Year in Books

Breena Clarke’s Followers (79)

Breena’s Bookshelves

to-read (115)
currently-reading (25)
read (259)
2014-festival-of-women-writers (32)
2015-festival-of-women-writers (38)
2016-festival-of-women-writers (45)
2018-festival-of-women-writers (52)
black-history-month-bookshelf-2015 (12)
challenge-2016 (44)
festival-of-women-writers (32)
See all bookshelves »

Breena’s Friends (116)

1,352 books | 501 friends

Debbie (Can’t breathe w/o a BOOK) D

2,111 books | 70 friends

Robert Pondiscio

33 books | 309 friends

J. Andrew Brantley

1,197 books | 261 friends

Lisa

1,699 books | 329 friends

Sophfronia Scott

739 books | 832 friends

Kate

12,759 books | 63 friends

Aketzle

989 books | 178 friends

More friends…

Breena Clarke

Goodreads Author

Born

in Washington, D.C., The United States

Website

http://www.breenaclarke.com/content/index.asp

Twitter

Breena_Clarke

Genre

Literature & Fiction, Historical Fiction, Nonfiction

Member Since

July 2009

edit data

Breena Clarke's fourth novel, ALIVE NEARBY, is an epistolary novel that weaves back stories of characters from ANGELS MAKE THEIR HOPE HERE (July 2014), her sweeping novel about an imagined mixed-race community, and brings them and their stories into the 21st century. Breena is the author of two historical novels set in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Her debut novel, RIVER, CROSS MY HEART (1999), was an October 1999 Oprah Book Club selection. Clarke’s critically reviewed second novel, STAND THE STORM, is set in mid-19th century Washington, D.C., and was chosen by the Washington Post Book Review as one of the 100 best for 2008. Breena Clarke is co-author with Glenda Dickerson of the play "Re/Membering Aunt Jemima: A Menstrua ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Breena Clarke questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Breena Clarke’s books

Average rating: 3.5 · 14,803 ratings · 544 reviews · 10 distinct works • Similar authors

	River, Cross My Heart 3.50 avg rating — 14,016 ratings — published 1999 — 24 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Stand the Storm 3.40 avg rating — 479 ratings — published 2008 — 24 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Angels Make Their Hope Here 3.40 avg rating — 243 ratings — published 2014 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Chicken Soup for the Soul: I'm Speaking Now: Black Women Share Their Truth in 101 Stories of Love, Courage and Hope by Amy Newmark (Goodreads Author), Breena Clarke (Goodreads Author) 4.24 avg rating — 45 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Colored Contradictions: An Anthology of Contemporary African-American Plays by Harry J. Elam Jr. (Editor), Robert Alexander (Editor), Imani Abalos (Contributor) 4.15 avg rating — 13 ratings — published 1996 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Alive Nearby it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 5 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Like Light: 25 Years of Poetry & Prose by Bright Hill Poets & Writers by Bertha Rogers, Breena Clarke (Goodreads Author) (contributor), Cheryl Clarke (contributor) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Fat and Grinning 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Stand the Storm: A Novel by Breena Clarke (Goodreads Author), Richard Allen voc (Narrator) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	River, Cross My Heart 10 Copy Pack 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Breena Clarke…

36 posts
Breena Clarke's Blog: A Few Whiles

Alive Nearby

My new novel - my fourth - ponders the intersection of past, present, and future in a series of letters.

Imagining an afterlife keeps humans from losing hold of the one slender concept that keeps us living in the present: hope. Hope is the thing that causes the suddenly traumatized heart to beat once more and then one more and one more time. That’s all it takes to stay alive. And a hoped-for reuni Read more of this blog post »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 08, 2023 03:33 • Tags: alive-nearby, breena-clarke, epistolary-fiction, historical-fiction

View all 36 posts »

Breena is Currently Reading

Breena is currently reading

The Berry Pickers

by Amanda Peters (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jul 30, 2025 08:19AM

Breena is currently reading

The Prophets

by Robert Jones Jr. (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jul 23, 2025 11:55AM

Breena is currently reading

Son of a Hundred Kings

by Thomas B. Costain

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Feb 25, 2025 03:03PM

rss
Breena’s Recent Updates

Breena is currently reading The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 30, 2025 08:19AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Breena is currently reading The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr. (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 23, 2025 11:55AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr. <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Breena rated a book it was amazing Home by Marilynne Robinson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 16, 2025 07:35AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Home by Marilynne Robinson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Home by Marilynne Robinson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Breena is currently reading Son of a Hundred Kings by Thomas B. Costain	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 25, 2025 03:03PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Son of a Hundred Kings by Thomas B. Costain. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Son of a Hundred Kings by Thomas B. Costain <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Breena finished reading James by Percival Everett	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 28, 2024 06:15PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of James by Percival Everett. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — James by Percival Everett <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Breena is currently reading James by Percival Everett	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 14, 2024 01:07PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of James by Percival Everett. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — James by Percival Everett <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Breena is currently reading Human Acts by Han Kang	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 13, 2024 08:20AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Human Acts by Han Kang. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Human Acts by Han Kang <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Breena finished reading Walk the Blue Fields: Stories by Claire Keegan	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 16, 2024 11:52AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Breena is currently reading Walk the Blue Fields: Stories by Claire Keegan	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 13, 2024 05:05PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Breena is currently reading COMBEE: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom during the Civil War by Edda L. Fields-Black	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 27, 2024 07:25AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of COMBEE by Edda L. Fields-Black. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — COMBEE by Edda L. Fields-Black <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Breena's books…

Quotes by Breena Clarke (?)

“Only a teaspoon of self-pity, girl. Every day give yourself a teaspoonful, but only a teaspoonful. Fill it up full, but only once! Don’t let yourself have more. You can’t live off it. But just a bit of it is like a tonic.”
― Breena Clarke, River, Cross My Heart

tags: self-pity

12 likes

“Try more things. Cross some lines.”
― Breena Clarke

tags: what-i-know-now

5 likes

“But comes a time for a woman when she stops thinking of herself as a girl, as a person of possibilities. She starts looking at the plain facts of herself. Her body that’s become the body that she has and her habits becoming the habits that she’s written in stone. Her “haves” being the ones she’s got and maybe not getting anymore.”
― Breena Clarke, River, Cross My Heart

tags: aging

4 likes

See all Breena Clarke's quotes »

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Literary Fiction ...: Hurston/Wright Legacy Award Nominees	23	97	Aug 25, 2009 07:39PM
The Seasonal Read...: 30.2 - Cheryl TX's task: Alphabetically Speaking	22	190	Jan 18, 2011 10:15AM
The Seasonal Read...: WINTER 2012-2013: Task Ideas	57	300	Nov 17, 2012 06:35AM
The Seasonal Read...: Winter Challenge 2012-2013: Completed Tasks - DO NOT DELETE ANY POSTS IN THIS TOPIC	2485	864	Feb 28, 2013 09:01PM
The Next Best Boo...: The Last Letter Game	2244	2344	May 30, 2013 12:41PM
Black Coffee: New Historical Fiction	12	48	Oct 31, 2014 07:02AM

More…

Breena’s Quotes

“I don't believe in charity. I believe in solidarity. Charity is so vertical. It goes from the top to the bottom. Solidarity is horizontal. It respects the other person. I have a lot to learn from other people.”
― Eduardo Galeano

522 likes

“I LIKE WHAT THE DANCER MARTHA GRAHAM ONCE said, that each of us is unique and if we didn’t exist something in the world would have been lost. I wonder, then, why we are so quick to conform—and what the world has lost because we have. William Blake said about Jesus that he was “all virtue and acted from impulse, not from rules.” If we are to be like him, aren’t we to speak and move and do, to act upon the world and take new ground from the forces that work against our unique genius and beauty? What if part of God’s message to the world was you? The true and real you?”
― Donald Miller, Scary Close: Dropping the Act and Acquiring a Taste for True Intimacy

11 likes

“That reservoir of goodness beyond and of another kind that we are able to do for each other in the ordinary cause of things.”
― Marilynne Robinson

5 likes

“I can't believe what you say, because I see what you do.”
― James Baldwin

883 likes

Breena’s Friend Comments

No comments have been added yet.

Breena’s Year In Books

Breena Clarke’s Followers (79)

Breena’s Bookshelves

Breena’s Friends (116)

Breena Clarke

Goodreads Author

Learn more
Ask the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine Editions
Breena Clarke’s books

36 posts
Breena Clarke's Blog: A Few Whiles

Alive Nearby

Breena is Currently Reading

rss
Breena’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

See a Problem?

Preview — The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.

See a Problem?

Preview — Home by Marilynne Robinson

See a Problem?

Preview — Son of a Hundred Kings by Thomas B. Costain

See a Problem?

Preview — James by Percival Everett

See a Problem?

Preview — James by Percival Everett

See a Problem?

Preview — Human Acts by Han Kang

See a Problem?

Preview — Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan

See a Problem?

Preview — Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan

See a Problem?

Preview — COMBEE by Edda L. Fields-Black

Topics Mentioning This Author

Breena’s Quotes

recent posts
Breena’s Groups

Breena’s Friend Comments

Breena Clarke’s Followers (79)

Breena Clarke

Goodreads Author

Popular Answered Questions

rssBreena’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

See a Problem?

Preview — The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.

See a Problem?

Preview — Home by Marilynne Robinson

See a Problem?

Preview — Son of a Hundred Kings by Thomas B. Costain

See a Problem?

Preview — James by Percival Everett

See a Problem?

Preview — James by Percival Everett

See a Problem?

Preview — Human Acts by Han Kang

See a Problem?

Preview — Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan

See a Problem?

Preview — Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan

See a Problem?

Preview — COMBEE by Edda L. Fields-Black

Topics Mentioning This Author

rss
Breena’s Recent Updates