Black Cherokee

by Antonio Michael Downing

Queenie meets Frying Plantain in this courageous coming-of-age story, set in the 1990s, about a mixed-race Black girl fighting for recognition in a South Carolina Cherokee community that refuses to accept her ancestry as legitimate.

On the rain-swollen banks of the River Etsi in South Carolina, Ophelia Blue Rivers—six years old in 1992—catches frogs and stretches to reach the swaying sunflowers. She’s an orphan raised in a rustic cabin by her Grandma Blue, a descendent of the Black Cherokee Freedmen. Caught in deep currents of history that she doesn’t understand, she is, as her grandma “half Black, half Cherokee, and all mixed up.”

While Ophelia may not always understand where she came from, there’s no mistaking where she’d rather caught in the warmth of Grandma Blue’s cabin, listening to bedtime Cherokee legends as collard greens hiss in the frying pan.

But one day, a tall stranger with a black denim jacket and a charming smile appears, and his arrival shatters Ophelia’s world. She finds herself whisked away from all she knows to live with her Auntie Oba, the boisterous woman she had only met in rumours.

So begins Ophelia’s spirited, at times harrowing, search for home and family—a journey that takes her from a majority-white high school to the inner sanctum of a Black evangelical church to the throbbing dance floors of underground Southern clubs and to a final, devastating encounter with the scion of a wealthy, white family. She must ask What does it mean to belong when the terms of that belonging come at such a high price?

With dazzling language, keen insight, and an unforgettable voice, Black Cherokee is not only an astonishing novel but a profound meditation on race, identity, and coming of age from a major literary talent.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Coming Of Age, Indigenous, Historical, Adult Fiction

Audible Audio

Published August 26, 2025

About the author

Writer and musician Antonio Michael Downing was raised in Trinidad, Toronto and Kitchener. He is the author of the acclaimed memoir Saga Boy, the novella Molasses, children’s book Stars In My Crown, and the novel Black Cherokee. He graduated from the University of Waterloo with a degree in English Literature and has been a recording artist for two decades including three albums as his alter ego John Orpheus. He is also the host of CBC Radio's book program and podcast The Next Chapter.

Reviews

[Michael Burke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who Are You Supposed to Be?

At its heart, “Black Cherokee” is the story of Ophelia Blue Rivers’s struggle for identity. Her grandmother, Grandma Blue, a descendant of the Cherokee Freedmen, raised Ophelia in a secluded riverside home, sheltering her from a world that struggled with her mixed heritage. Ophelia's grandfather was the Chief of the Etsi band, a group whose reservation was dissolved and land sold to Beauregard Farms, a large cattle company, soon after his death.

When the Etsi River is discovered to be poisoned by the farm’s pollutants, the town decides to file a lawsuit. Grandma Blue, despite being called a “no-clan Pretendian” by some, is chosen as a sympathetic plaintiff. Out of concern for the environmental hazard and Ophelia's future, Grandma Blue sends her granddaughter to live with her aunt Aiyanna in Stone River, a predominantly Black community, where Ophelia again finds herself an outsider. Another aunt, Belle, the founder of a school for gifted black students, takes Ophelia under her wing to set her up for success in yet another setting where she is not accepted.

Grandma Blue, Aunt Aiyanna, and Aunt Belle are portrayed as notably vibrant and unique individuals. These women, distinctly different from one another, have forged their own paths. It is Ophelia’s challenge to stand up to the adversities the world has dealt her. Having been rejected by every community she sought to join, she must now decide if these rejections will ultimately define her.

The term "Cherokee Freedmen" specifically refers to African Americans enslaved by the Cherokee people before slavery was abolished in 1866. "Black Cherokee" begins powerfully, introducing Ophelia and her grandmother, and establishing the backdrop of the reservation and their family's history. While the story's pace falters somewhat with some predictable setbacks posed by Ophelia’s peers, there remains a compelling anticipation to discover Ophelia's ultimate outcome.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #BlackCherokee #NetGalley

[Andrea Gagne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This bittersweet coming of age tale is beautiful, heartbreaking, hopeful, and just took my breath away.

When we meet Ophelia Blue Rivers, she is a seven-year-old girl growing up with her grandmother on the banks of the life-giving Etsi river - just discovered to be polluted by the industrial farm downriver - in a Cherokee community that pushes her to the margins. Ophelia descended from slaves owned by Cherokee elite, brought with them on the Trail of Tears and freedom upon Emancipation. Many of these former slaves stayed with the Cherokee and were granted membership into the tribes. But Ophelia's identity is made even more complex by her dual identities: she is half Black and half Cherokee.

As we watch her grow, different sides of her identity push and pull to be seen, hidden, coped with. We see her grapple with faith, poverty, exploitation, love, and loneliness. There is plenty of external conflict, but the biggest struggle Ophelia must overcome is accepting who she is and what it means to be part of a community and a family.

I found Ophelia's character and her journey of self- discovery to be deeply compelling. She was so relatable, and it was so easy to feel like a protective mama wanting to give her a hug!

I also learned so much about a history that I hadn't heard about before, and am now fascinated to read more about. I always love a book that opens my eyes to something I hadn't known before, especially in such a nuanced way.

This was also top-notch writing. I found the prose to be absolutely gorgeous, and some of the descriptions just took my breath away. I don't think there was a single superfluous detail - every scene was chosen with such care and served to reveal something about Ophelia, the people around her, or the world we live in.

5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC to read and review.

[Grace (graceisbookedandbusy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨Book Review✨
Black Cherokee - Antonio Michael Downing

Thank you to @simonshusterca and @netgalley for providing me a copy of this book!

This novel explores what it feels like to be stuck between identities. Ophelia Blue Rivers is a Black Cherokee fighting to fit in on the reservation which she grew up on. She is the descendant of Cherokee freedmen who were formerly enslaved Africans once owned by Cherokee elites. This is a history I knew nothing about until I read this novel and found it interesting to learn about.

I think this novel covers both historical as well as current topics in an intelligent way and I really appreciated the commentary throughout. I really adored Ophelia and her grandmother and felt a lot for Ophelia throughout the novel for so many reasons.

This was an impressive debut novel! I would definitely read more from this author. 3.5/5⭐️

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found BLACK CHEROKEE by Antonio Michael Downing quite an emotional novel! It’s about a young girl, Ophelia, who is half Black and half Cherokee, and grows up without her parents. She’s raised by her grandmother and her aunt. There’s one really sad scene where she’s bullied in school and a couple more really emotional scenes later on in the book. As Ophelia comes of age she learns who she is and who to trust and who her family is. The setting of South Carolina starting in 1993 is transporting and there’s some great similes such as “her grandmother breathed it up like a draft sucking the mist off the river” and “the old lady could bite her as quickly as a copper head snake could”. The writing was very engaging with short chapters. I’d previously read this author’s memoir and I enjoy both his nonfiction and fiction writing.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy!

[Lisa Goodmurphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ophelia Blue Rivers is a young mixed race girl growing up in a secluded cabin on the banks of the River Etsi outside a town in South Carolina that had once been a Cherokee reservation. Ophelia lives with her Grandma Blue, a descendent of Cherokee Freedmen, who tells her granddaughter that she's "half Black, half Cherokee and all mixed up". When Ophelia is six years old, it is discovered that the river has been contaminated by run-off from an industrial farm and soon after her absentee father shows up abruptly removing her from Etsi to live with an aunt she has never met.

Set in South Carolina beginning in 1993 when Ophelia is six years old until 2005 when she's a young adult, this debut novel is a compelling, character-driven coming of age story about a girl who is caught between two cultures and doesn't feel welcome in either. Ophelia grapples with her identify as she struggles to fit in first in Etsi where she wasn't considered fully Cherokee then in the evangelical church in her aunt's community where she isn't Black enough and also in the gifted program for Black students she attends in a majority-white high school.

This is an enjoyable read about a young girl's journey to self-discovery and acceptance. Woven into the plot are complicated family dynamics, racism, environmental issues relating to a contaminated water suppy and an interesting historical element (I wasn't aware beforehand of the history of Cherokee Freedmen - Black people formerly enslaved by wealthy southern Cherokee who were emancipated and granted rights by the Cherokee Nation after the Civil War). As a secondary character, Grandma Blue was fierce - I loved her and enjoyed that part of the book most.

Black Cherokee is a story of resilience and healing with a memorable protagonist - you can't help but root for Ophelia as she struggles to find a place in the world where she belongs.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Lulu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black Cherokee: strong setup, important story, but I wanted more bite.

[Esosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black Cherokee tells the story of Ophelia—half Black, half Cherokee—raised by her grandmother (also named Ophelia) on the banks of the River Etsi. As a descendant of the Cherokee Freedmen, (Black people formerly enslaved by wealthy southern Cherokee) Ophelia struggles to understand her place in the world. Why is she accepted by some but not by others? How can she be seen as both “too Black” and “too Cherokee” at the same time?

This is one powerful coming-of-age story about identity and the search for belonging. We follow Ophelia through pivotal life changes: moving in with aunts she’s never met, suppressing her Native beliefs while dabbling in Christianity, discovering true friendship, and experiencing first love and heartbreak.

The most devastating moments come when we see her innocence chipped away again and again, watching her experience so many “firsts” while knowing, as readers, the disappointments that await simply because of the reality we live in.

Yet Ophelia Rivers is nothing if not resilient. She’s smart, funny, and unapologetically herself. Her story is shaped by the people and places around her (Grandma Rivers, you absolute badass). Ultimately, this is a story about family (in all its messy complexity), complicated history, healing, and perseverance.

I LOVED it. One of my favourite reads of the year. Black Cherokee is out on August 19th

[Whatithinkaboutthisbook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Cherokee by Antonio Michael Downing
Publication Date: August 19/25

This is an unforgettable coming of age story centred on Ophelia, a Black Cherokee girl, raised by her loving but formidable Black grandmother in a tight knit Cherokee community. As Ophelia struggles to navigate the complexities of her dual identity, her grandmother fiercely tries to shield her from the brutal realities of racism - yet in doing so, leaves her with an aching void, and grappling with feelings of cultural disconnection and isolation.

With searing insight, Downing explores what it truly means to belong - to a family, to a community, and ultimately, to oneself. The novel delves into the pain of racism, and the overwhelming disconnection when you are suspended between two communities but belong to neither. It examines the powerful, sometimes desperate, need to belong, even if belonging comes at a cost to one’s identity and values.

The family at the heart of the story is messy, complex and fascinating. I would have loved more of the backstory on the grandmother and her children, whose histories feel rich and untapped. The Grandmother herself is a standout - fierce, opinionated and unwavering in her commitment to both the legacy of her freed Black community and the traditions of the Cherokee heritage.

This is a beautifully told story that offers a glimpse into a unique community and family rarely seen in literature. A moving and thought provoking read.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1990s South Carolina, the last remaining eastern Cherokee community has formally disbanded and privatized. Grandma Blue, wife of the late chief, and granddaughter Ophelia are Black members of the now-former band, descended from Cherokee Freedmen - inhabiting a space between influence and unacceptance. Tired of being rejected as Pretendians, Grandma Blue sends Ophelia away to live with her aunties, attend school (and baptist church), and get away from their river's pollution (courtesy of their many-generations rich white neighbors). Grandma Blue spends the years as plaintiff in a lawsuit against the rich polluters; Ophelia spends it bouncing around town in search of somewhere to belong. Everyone gets brought together at the end by some big and somewhat abrupt coinciding events.
I liked this a lot - the writing was descriptive and not overdone, and Ophelia as a character was well developed. I appreciated a story about the Cherokee Freedmen - I haven't otherwise encountered it in Native American fiction. Aside from that, this could be a fairly universal story about belonging and societal hypocrisy or other wrongs (the churchy segment reminded me a lot of the forthcoming Dominion). Some of the events near the end felt a little rushed - they made sense, but they sprang out of very little buildup, and so the conclusion feels a little bit pat to me. Still generally satisfying.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

[Chelsea]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Black Cherokee by Antonio Michael Downing is a third person multi-POV contemporary discussing the complex relationship between Black Americans and Indigenous Americans. As a child, Ophelia was left with her grandmother, Blue Rivers, and grew up on Cherokee land, the same land her grandfather led as a chief. As a biracial child of both Black and Cherokee ancestry, Ophelia struggles to develop a relationship with both sides of her heritage because of what everyone else tells her she can be. When her father comes back to leave her with her aunt, Ophelia becomes acquainted with another side of herself.

A major theme is anti-Indigenous racism in Black American communities and anti-Black racism in Indigenous communities and the difficulty of being interracial within these contexts. When Ophelia is living with her grandmother among a band of Cherokee as the descendant of both Black freedmen who become recognized as Cherokee and the granddaughter of a chief, she is treated like she is Black and nothing else because her grandmother is Black. When she lives in a Black neighborhood away from the Cherokee, she is treated as if she is Indigenous and nothing else. In both instances, she is called racist slurs and mistreated by adults and her peers. Ophelia is not allowed to develop an identity that encompasses both sides of her because everyone around her except her grandmother tells her that she is one thing and one thing only.

Another theme is faith, specifically Christianity the views of paganism in the 1990s. It makes a lot of sense to me that Ophelia would have found comfort in faith because a lot of people who are lost do, especially people who are trying to understand who they are in the world when everyone is telling them something different. I did appreciate how she stood up for her grandmother having different beliefs when her new found family in the church was dismissing paganism. It shows that Ophelia was raised in duality and she carries that duality with her. It is very unfortunate that the church she found ended up being a far less welcoming and far more predatory than what she needed.

This is what I would call a ‘book club book’ because it’s handling a very important topic that is very difficult to discuss due to the fact that it is talking about racism in two communities that are hurting each other but are also discriminated against in a white supremacist society. I cannot speak to this from a Black or Indigenous perspective, but I think Antonio Michael Downing handled this very well and he does draw attention to the impact white supremacy and colonization had in the long-term for these tensions. It’s not a fun or feel-good book; it’s a hard book to read sometimes, there’s a depiction of child abuse that is really hard to stomach, but by discussing these things, we can start to dismantle the harm done by colonization and recognize just how far-reaching it’s impact truly is.

Content warning for depictions of sexual assault, ant-Black and anti-Indigenous racism, the use of racist slurs

I would recommend this to readers looking for a new book to read in their book club and fans of books discussing difficult topics in American society

[Lalaa #ThisBlackGirlReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You are a story, Ophelia. Don’t let them rewrite you.”

From the very first page, I felt like I was back in the rhythm of "Saga Boy," Antonio Michael Downing’s voice is so distinct, so lyrical, that reading Black Cherokee felt like returning to something sacred and familiar. And just like his memoir, this novel pulses with ancestral memory, cultural dislocation, and hard-won identity.

This book follows Ophelia Blue Rivers, a Black and Cherokee girl raised by her fierce Grandma Blue along the River Etsi, where magic, memory, and resistance live side by side. As Ophelia grows and moves through different communities, she’s always met with the same question: 'Where do you belong when you don’t fit neatly anywhere?'

It’s a tender, powerful coming-of-age story rooted in the tension between inheritance and individuality. While some storylines moved fast, the emotional undercurrent? Deep and resonant.

This book reminded me that our stories are not meant to be simplified. We are meant to be layered, legendary, and whole.

If you loved 'Saga Boy', or if you’re drawn to poetic fiction that honours culture, land, and lineage, Black Cherokee deserves a spot on your shelf.

[Matthew Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was a random library pick that immediately caught my attention for two reasons: 1) I was intrigued by the title and (being native American myself) curious about this story of the Cherokee and the Freedmen (descendants of black slaves now freed and living amongst Native Americans).
and 2) I read that this was a debut novel, and I always enjoy reading someone's first work.

I am glad that I pulled it off the library shelf because this is a 5 star book for me.

What I enjoyed the most was the character development of Ophelia (others in her family as well). She goes from being a naive girl who was unwanted by her father and not accepted by her tribe and being raised by her grandmother, to a confident young woman who makes the ultimate decision in the end.

This book discusses a part of American history that needs to be talked about more often. Even if it brings about difficult conversations, we can't forget about the struggles of Indigenous peoples. They after all, are the original stewards of this land that we (sometimes) take for granted.

All in all, well done Mr. Downing! I look forward to reading more of your work in the future.

[Denae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Simon Books for the gifted book!

This was a bittersweet coming of age story that follows Ophelia, a mixed race girl whom is half black and half Cherokee. Unfortunately despite her Cherokee heritage, the Cherokee Indian community doesn’t see her as legitimate and doesn’t recognize her as being one of them. Ophelia unfortunately had to realize she wasn’t “black enough” and “too black” at the same time.

Throughout the book, We watch as Ophelia struggles to find a sense of belonging, identity and family. She attempts to abandon her Native teachings, while dabbling in Christianity. Her experience with the “church” was appalling and my heart ached for a girl who so badly wanted to “belong” and find solace.

Unfortunately Ophelia gets involved in a forbidden romance, which ultimately affects the trajectory of her life. She vows to be better than her family even if it means she has to sacrifice her future.

I enjoyed this book! It was interesting, intriguing, and thought provoking. I highly recommend

[Jessica Tengco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Cherokee tells the story of Ophelia Blue Rivers, a girl who is, as her Grandma Blue identifies her, ‘half Black, half Cherokee and all mixed up.’ Ophelia is caught between cultures and trying to figure out who she is. She is raised by Grandma Blue in the town of Etsi (formerly a reservation) until she is moved by ‘the Singing Man’ to live with an Auntie in Stone River. The book spans her childhood through to becoming an adult. There are themes of colonization, racism, identity, belonging, and family.

Downing has found a way to write a deeply impactful book without the heaviness that typically accompanies such themes. I appreciate the storyline depiction of growing up mixed race while also including the historical impact of intergenerational trauma and ongoing racism. It’s a book one can think critically on and reflect while also enjoying the characters. I want to read a book on Grandma Blue’s story now.

Thank you so much to Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for this e-arc.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy reading coming of age novels because it’s really beautiful to witness how a character is able to overcome whatever they are going through and become a better and stronger person.

Black Cherokee was one of those books that stuck with me long after I finished it. It truly was a beautiful story, even though there were lots of bumps and heartache along the way.

There were several times where I just wanted to look at Ophelia and say “Yes, girl you got this”. By the end of the book I was so proud of Ophelia and the way she became such a remarkable woman.

This book will definitely stick with you and it is certainly worth the read. Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book via NetGalley!

[Melissa • melissa.moodreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 What a compelling story. Slower start but picked up the pace. Loved the time jumps and different eras in or FMC Ophelia’s life. It’s immersive, Imaginative, metaphorical, and a great coming of age. Although the main theme is Ophelia’s search for identity, we also see themes of poverty, hierarchy, land and lineage as well as finding one’s voice. While the pov is primarily Ophelia’s, I appreciated the sprinkles of other characters’ povs to get to know them a bit better.

It’s heart wrenching to read about experience with racism and discrimination, our FMC being half Black and half Cherokee. One may think it would be from outsiders, but was from her own family, people she knew and trusted. Her aunt disregarding their Indigenous side, her neighbours and friends making her feel lesser than because she was half Black. We see the impacts of colonization, and lowball negotiations for life threatening alterations to land titles, which intertwines itself throughout the timelines of the book. An excellent read, grab this one on August 19.

Thank you so much to Simon and Schuster and the author for this ARC

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

This is a very slow, heavy, character focused book. It has great writing and some of the most complex characters I've come across. It wasn't a book I wanted to pick up with some of the issues it dealt with, but if you are looking for a deep character study I think you won't be dissapointed. It really broke my heart, I wanted the world for Ophelia.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form opinions from.

[Jeffrey Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ophelia Blue Rivers will stay with me for a long time.

🖤

Thanks Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I certainly got sucked into this book, and the writing was very good. I was a little uncomfortable with the portrayal of the Cherokee people and traditions - they were a bit superficial and felt somewhat like stereotypes that were decorated with some research. On the other hand, those themes of (not) belonging in all of the mixed race and economically divisive realities of our country were well told.

[Kathleen Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy books that include…

…lyrical prose, baby blue bucket hats in the club, learning new things about US history, free-range children, multigenerational trauma, Cherokee legend and ritual, coming of age novels, crazy family members, descriptive imagery, following a life from early childhood to young adulthood, clear antagonists/villains, intersections of persecuted peoples, synesthesia, fun supporting characters, and warm/satisfying endings…

…(or any combination of the above), you should absolutely read this novel!

This book was so interesting, bringing to light a part of US history that I had never before known. As we all know, newly freed slaves had nowhere to go when emancipated. What I learned from this book was that some first peoples tribes, such as the Cherokee in South Carolina, took in these newly freed men and women. Generations down the line, though, there are stigmas and inequalities between those who are full-blooded Cherokee and those who are mixed race.

As for my enjoyment of the book, I gave it four instead of five stars because my interest followed a reverse bell curve. I loved the beginning and the end, but the middle third of the book felt a little slower. Overall, though, I would recommend to anyone who enjoys more literary books and wants to learn more about often disregarded/ignored histories of people of color in the United States.

*please excuse any potential inaccuracies on the historical side...that’s on me for not wanting to do research*

[Brittany]

This is a character-driven literary fictional novel about Ophelia Blue Rivers, a Black and Cherokee young woman figuring out her identity and place amidst constant change and conflicting perspectives by those around her. Ophelia was raised by her grandmother (also named Ophelia Blue, but goes by "Grandma Blue") on the banks of the River Etsi, but is taken away from her by her absent father Shango to her aunt Aiyanna instead when a water contamination issue props up in their community. This book takes us through the next few years of Ophelia's life as she grows up, and navigates her identity with regards to being multiracial, religious beliefs, and her familial dynamics.

As someone who grew up Catholic, went to Catholic elementary school (from age 5 to 13), and then was immersed into a religious culture shock in high school, I DEEPLY felt for Ophelia as she treaded new religious waters beyond what she learned from her grandma Blue about Cherokee culture. I couldn't help but relate to her, and feel sad for her that no one validated or encouraged her to keep a tie to her Cherokee heritage and beliefs. To see this assimilation come out of a desperate, human need to belong in so many stories, across identities, is staggering. What a poignant example of how universal the human experience can be for folks with historically marginalized and excluded identities.

I personally was devastated when Ophelia was taken from her grandma's place in Etsi to her aunt Aiyanna, and I know I'm projecting much of my own "stuff" onto her. However, that was a massive change for Ophelia, and even though she's just a baby, she was forced to grow up and to adjust so quickly, with little validation or comfort.

"Listening intently, Ophelia decided that--despite being a heretic--she would pray every day to Jesus to help her be loved by her new family." (Chapter 20)


Ophelia is a kid who catches on quickly though, and she knows where she is not wanted. It made my heart ache to read the above passage, to know a child was praying for this. I want to be clear though; I am not painting her dad or aunts in a poor light though; one thing this book painted so compassionately to me was that we are all fighting our own demons, and we unfortunately cannot show up as the best father/ aunt/ mentor that we would love to be 24/7. I appreciated the commentary on Aiyanna spelling her name differently so she didn't have to openly claim her Cherokee roots, and that she did this for ease, comfort, survival. No one is perfect, and no one is a villain either. Systems of oppression force us into a rock and a hard place, and many are still apprehensive to even name or acknowledge their generational trauma, let alone intentionally working on healing and unpacking it.

That's what I love about Ophelia's story though. Her growth and her conviction by the end of this novel is admirable, and clear as day. She has seen how others have fallen short during her childhood, and she is committed to not repeating the same mistakes. I really hope this book finds its readership, as it's an important story to tell, and I would love to read more like this one! I'll absolutely read from Antonio Michael Downing again.

[Jonathan Crain · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "Black Cherokee," Antonio Michael Downing delivers a compelling debut novel that explores the intricate landscape of cultural inheritance, psychological resilience, and identity development. The story centers on Ophelia, a girl of Black and Cherokee descent, as she struggles to find a sense of belonging in the American South. Downing has crafted a protagonist whose inner life is rich with longing, contradiction, and hard-earned self-awareness.

The novel's early pages unfold in the cabin of Grandma Blue, a matriarch of mythic proportions. Through Ophelia, we encounter the sulfur stink of a poisoned river, the rhythmic chop of kitchen work, and the weight of unspoken family history. These intimate yet charged scenes establish the novel's signature texture: historically rooted, emotionally raw, and tightly wound with tension.

"Black Cherokee" is not a plot-driven novel in the conventional sense. While there is a legal battle that echoes environmental and racial justice movements, and while Ophelia's adolescence is marked by betrayal and institutional failure, the book's real foundation is psychological and thematic. Each character embodies a different response to cultural disinheritance—assimilation, bitterness, denial, defiance—and Ophelia's journey involves navigating not just external forces, but the internalized shame and yearning they produce. Her transformation resists sentimentality; it's more complicated than that. Downing doesn't flinch from the ways institutions—school, church, family—fail her, yet he never abandons the possibility of personal agency or generational repair.

Stylistically, the novel is innovative without self-indulgence. Downing's use of sensory blending, non-linear memory, and fluid point of view expresses rather than ornaments the characters' fractured realities. Repetition functions as cultural memory. Silence, especially from Grandma Blue, becomes its own language. And allegory is never merely symbolic—when Ophelia reclaims the legend of Stone Dress, she enacts what the novel itself achieves: reworking inherited stories into something new, fierce, and distinctly her own.

Despite the historical weight it carries, "Black Cherokee" never becomes didactic. It engages questions of mixed identity, environmental injustice, and spiritual belonging through deeply personal stakes. The novel trusts its reader to understand that legacy is not abstract—it is lived in the body, spoken through food, distorted by shame, and, if we're fortunate, reclaimed through small acts of defiance.

"Black Cherokee" is a book that will resist easy categorization. Though it contains elements of all three, it is neither a historical fiction nor a coming-of-age tale nor an environmental manifesto. It is, instead, a novel that takes seriously the emotional and cultural cost of survival in a world eager to simplify complex identities. Downing's voice is clear-eyed, musical, and unafraid to dwell in ambiguity. That clarity, matched with formal precision and emotional intelligence, makes "Black Cherokee" a remarkable debut.

This review is based on an advance reader copy provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Features:

- Main character tries to find her place as a mixed Black and Cherokee girl/woman
- Explores themes around community, heritage, racism, belonging, and identity
- Complicated/tenuous family and community dynamics
- Explores the complicated history of Cherokee freedmen and a Cherokee community in danger of losing everything

Synopsis:

Left at her Grandma Blue’s house as a baby, Ophelia Blue Rivers spends most of her childhood next to the Etsi river and the Cherokee community that calls its banks home. Descended from Cherokee freedmen, Ophelia and her grandmother were always set apart from the rest of the community. When the farmers that bought the land the Etsi community sold them start to pollute the river, the community suddenly turns to Grandma Blue, widow of the former chief, to fight for them in court. With the coming political storm, Ophelia is sent to live with an aunt and is left to wrestle with her identity as part Black, part Cherokee. Facing racism on all sides, Ophelia’s journey to find community and acceptance takes us through the complicated history of Cherokee freedmen and what it means to belong to a people.

Thoughts:

This is a beautiful and important book about a people and history that is often overlooked. Though I knew some of the complicated factors that go into being granted official membership into a tribe when you have mixed heritage, I did not know about the Cherokee freedmen prior to reading this book. Where Ophelia’s story has elements to it that seem universal for those of mixed racial/cultural background (at least for someone who is not mixed race), her journey also explores what it means to be a subjugated group within a group that is also subjugated and displaced. I found the way that this book explores cultural heritage and who can claim it deeply meaningful. Ophelia finds some of her own answers toward the end, but I never felt like the book tried to ‘solve’ or ‘simplify’ the complicated situation it is exploring.

The first part of this book is definitely the strongest as we are introduced to various characters and learn about the Etsi Cherokee community. However, the book starts experiencing some small pacing issues soon after Ophelia leaves her grandmother. This is when we finally start to see Ophelia mature and truly engage with questions about her identity and deal with the hardships that come with it. Where I was fully invested in Ophelia as a character and totally there for this journey, the pace noticeably slows as the overall narrative loses some of its focus. When it finally starts tying all of the threads back together towards the end, things suddenly feel a lot faster. I don’t feel like anything was ‘missing’ from the end per se, but I think the sudden shift in pace makes it seem a little more rushed than it actually is.

Overall, this is a phenomenal and impactful character-focused read that I highly recommend.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

📖 Title: Black Cherokee-a standalone

✍🏾 Author: Antonio Michael Downing-new to me author

📅Publication date: 8/19/25 | Read 8/14/25

📃 Format: e-Book 272 pgs.

Genre:
*Women's Fic
*Multicultural Interests
*Historical

Tropes:
*coming of age
*African Americans vs Indigenous Americans
*dual identity
*found family
*Christianity vs paganism

👆🏾POV: 3rd person multiple

⚠️TW: S/A, child abuse, racism, abortion (just mentioned), prostitution-not h, church zealots, surprise pregnancy

🌎 Setting: South Carolina 1993-2005

Summary: Ophelia is being raised by her black/Cherokee paternal grandmother Blue. At seven years old, she learns the painful lessons of racism and her struggle with being biracial. Ophelia has many life teachers in her aunts, friends, and the church. Grandma Blue agrees to represent the Cherokee in a lawsuit against Beauregard farmlands poisoning their river even though the town hates her blackness.

👩🏾 Heroine: Ophelia Blue Rivers

🎭 Other Characters:

* Ophelia Blue Rivers -young Ophelia's grandmother/married to Chief Trouthands
*Shango-young Ophelia's father
*Belle and Aiyanna-young Ophelia's aunts
*Jack Beauregard-wealthy, white businessman turned councilman who owns cattle farms that are contaminating Etsi's water
*Rip Smithers-a white lawyer sent to test the water in Etsi
*Buck Cronkite-Beauregard's lawyer
*Lucy-befriends Ophelia and introduces her to the black church
*Christopher Beauregard-meets Ophelia @ Northeast High School (majority are affluent whites)/Jack's son

🤔 My Thoughts: What an education Ophelia received from life. From being in Etsi with her grandma Blue, to moving with her aunt Aiyanna who "passed" as black, and lastly aunt/teacher Madame Belle who believed she was French. We never learn about Ophelia's mother other than she died when Ophelia was born. Ophelia's father Shango passed her off to family members while living his life nearby. Even after Grandma Blue won the lawsuit, Ophelia's future was unclear even though her father and aunts came back home.

Rating: 5/5 ✨
Spice level 3/5 🌶️

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and Antonio Michael Downing for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

[Reading Our Shelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review at: https://readingourshelves.wordpress.c...

This is a historical fiction, taking place between the nineties and aughts. When we first meet Ophelia, she lives with her grandmother near Etsi, a small town in South Carolina that was once a reservation. They live alone, Ophelia does not know her parents, and her grandmother homeschools her.

Trouble starts brewing pretty early on, as we learn that a nearby cattle ranch is poisoning the river that runs through Etsi. The tribe had already voted to disband, and there is a lot of animosity between the different remaining families, so will they be able to come together to fight the ranchers and their big corporate lawyers?

Amid all this, Ophelia finally meets her own dad. He decides that Grandma can’t take care of Ophelia all by herself anymore – what would happen to the girl if anything happened to the old woman? – and Ophelia is sent to live with her aunt in a nearby city. She also meets her other aunt, who is more financially successful, and therefore gives the first one money to take care of Ophelia. She likes neither of them, initially.

There are the usual growing pains, in addition to learning how to fit into a completely new environment – the city, her aunt’s apartment, and school. She abandons her Cherokee upbringing for a time when she discovers a Christian church full of black people that seem joyful. She yearns for the sense of family this church brings her… until one deacon feels her up.

In her senior year of high school, she is moved to a different school, full of mostly rich, white kids. There is a small clique of black kids there, and they are looked after very tightly by Ophelia’s richer aunt, who works there. She is out to prove that black kids can do just as well as the white ones, given the same opportunities. Will Ophelia prove her right?

This is definitely a book about figuring out one’s identity, and how one’s family – or lack thereof – helps define that. It’s also about race, poverty, and the pressure to succeed. If you like family dramas or coming of age stories, I’d say this one fits the bill.

[Azizi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black Cherokee is Antonio Michael Downing's debut novel about a young girl named Ophelia who is Black and Indian. At the beginning of the novel, she lives with her grandmother, Blue, an African American elder in the tribe. Blue's ancestors lived alongside the Cherokees as far back as the 1800's, but she broke one of the rules agreed upon by the tribe and her ancestors- blacks and Cherokee were not supposed to marry. Blue married Chief, one of the leaders of the tribe, a decision that angered some Cherokee, which caused them to ostracize Blue and her family, especially after Chief died. Ophelia is mostly isolated from the other children and spends all of her time with her grandmother, until her father picks her up and takes her to live with her aunt, Aiyanna. Things drastically change for Ophelia, and she is confronted by a number of challenges that end up shaping who she is. At the same time, the Cherokee tribe is in a contentious lawsuit with the Beauregard family over their pollution of a river that runs through their land. Although the focus is uneven, these two conflicts are the main drivers of the plot.

In many ways, Black Cherokee reads like a YA coming of age novel. The writing is very accessible, and the plot is straightforward. Most of the characters, with the exception of Ophelia and Blue, feel a bit one dimensional and sometimes their physical descriptions were a bit odd. Also, the interactions between the characters were not entirely believable and these moments took me out of the story. I did enjoy watching Ophelia grow up, and some of my favorite moments were when she had to deal with issues all on her own without relying on her family members. My favorite part of the book is when Ophelia befriends Lucy and starts going to church with her. There is a lot in this section that rings true and provides insight into the hypocrisy that can plague religious intentions. The premise of the novel is a really intriguing one, and the book overall is okay, but I just wanted more- more depth, more development, more elaboration on plot points.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

At seven years old, Ophelia was left with her grandmother, Blue Rivers, and grew up on Cherokee land, the same land her grandfather led as a chief. As a biracial child of both Black and Cherokee, Ophelia struggles to develop a relationship with both sides of her heritage because of what everyone tells her that she can be. When her father comes back to leave her with her aunt, Ophelia becomes acquainted with another side of herself. When Ophelia is living with her grandmother among a band of Cherokee as the descendant of both Black freedmen who become recognized as Cherokee and the granddaughter of a chief, she is treated like she is Black and nothing else because her grandmother is Black. When she lives in a Black neighborhood away from the Cherokee, she is treated as if she is Indigenous and nothing else. In both instances, she is called racist and mistreated by adults and her peers. Ophelia is not allowed to develop an identity that encompasses both sides of her. I felt her frustraion and the feeling of not belonging. It saddened me. When Ophelia is living with her grandmother among a band of Cherokee as the descendant of both Black freedmen who become recognized as Cherokee and the granddaughter of a chief, she is treated like she is Black and nothing else because her grandmother is Black. When she lives in a Black neighborhood away from the Cherokee, she is treated as if she is Indigenous and nothing else. In both instances, she is called racist and mistreated by adults and her peers. Ophelia is not allowed to develop an identity that encompasses both sides of her because everyone around her except her grandmother tells her that she is one thing and one thing only.

It made me feel her loss of her identity. It shows the difficulty that one can have when one is a minority especially when she is a part of two minorities. This is definitely a book about figuring out one's identity, and how one's family – or lack thereof – helps define that. It's also about race, The novel is humorous, poignant, and always life-affirming, even when describing the bleakness of the teen's early lives.

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review. The opinions expressed are strictly my on.

[A Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual Rating 2.5

Ophelia lives with her grandmother in South Carolina during the 1990s and is caught between communities being of both Black and Native American descent. A commercial farm is constructed north of them and it isn’t long before the river is poisoned. Ophelia finds herself sent away from everything she’s ever known to live with family away from the river. What follows is Ophelia’s struggles to find her true home, her true family, and herself without losing what she truly cares about.

This was an okay read overall. I found the first part of the book the most interesting, following Ophelia’s early life with Grandma Blue on the former reservation and her attempts to belong to the Cherokee people who only viewed her as Black rather than having any Cherokee heritage. The story slows down significantly though, and I felt that it moved too slowly through the middle and end with a quick resolution.

The book is much more character-driven than plot driven, and this is where it weakened for me. While I wanted to love the characters, there was something about how this was written that made the book feel detached from the characters. I want that emotional connection for a character-driven work, but I didn’t get that here. I did appreciate the exploration of cultural identity and trying to find yourself, though.

If you like slower fiction that explores cultural identity set in South Carolina during the 1990s, you may enjoy this one. My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Courtney Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading “Nothing More of This Land” by Joseph Lee and learning about the Black Freedmen and the challenges they’ve faced within tribes, I knew I wanted to explore this topic more. So when I saw the announcement for “Black Cherokee”, I instantly knew it was a story I wanted to read! Huge thanks to Simon for providing me a gifted copy of this book.

If, like I was, you’re unfamiliar with the Black Freedmen, they’re the descendants of Black people who were enslaved by members of the Five Civilized Tribes. After emancipation, these individuals were freed but often weren’t granted full tribal citizenship. Over time, the Dawes Rolls were created to record tribal members and Freedmen separately, which led to complicated questions around identity, belonging, and recognition that still persist today.

Okay, now that we’ve had a quick history lesson, let’s talk about the book itself!

This is a fiction story that follows Ophelia Blue Rivers, a descendant of the first freed Black woman in Etsi. She’s being raised by her grandmother and namesake, who’s a staple in their Cherokee community. But Ophelia still doesn’t really know who she is.

We watch her grow from childhood—wondering why she doesn’t have parents like the other kids and why she looks different—to adulthood as she tries to make sense of her identity. Her grandmother tells her she’s half Black and half Cherokee, but what does that really mean? As Ophelia moves through life, she uncovers more pieces of herself and her family’s story, slowly finding an understanding of who she is and what she’s meant to do.

This book beautifully explores themes of mixed-race identity, colonialism, family, and self-discovery. It’s heartfelt, thoughtful, and ultimately hopeful. Honestly, I found it such a sweet and impactful read and I walked away having learned so much.

[Susan Poer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know if I missed this one in high school history class or not, but I had no idea that Cherokee Indians owned slaves!

I had to google it--'By 1860, the Cherokee held an estimated 4,600 slaves, and depended on them as farm laborers and domestic servants. At the time of the Civil War, a total of more than 8,000 slaves were held in all of the Indian Territory, where they comprised 14 percent of the population.'

Set in the 1990s, this is the story of Ophelia Blue Rivers, a biracial girl descended from Cherokee Freedmen, African Americans once enslaved by Cherokee elites. Raised by her grandmother, in the small settlement of Etsi, Ophelia is both Black and Cherokee, and yet accepted by neither community. The novel traces her life from childhood through adolescence as she navigates prejudice, environmental threats, and the elusive meaning of home.

Ophelia's journey is heartbreaking, inspiring, and courageous. Major themes here are black and anti-Indigenous racism, as well as environmental activism, and generational trauma. This is an important and powerful novel about a group of people that time has most likely forgotten.