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Loving Her
The groundbreaking story centers on Renay, a talented black musician who is forced by pregnancy to marry the abusive, alcoholic Jerome Lee. When Jerome sells Renay's piano to finance his drinking, she leaves her destructive marriage, and flees with her young daughter to Terry, a wealthy white writer whom she met at a supper club. Terry awakens in Renay a love and sexual desire beyond her erotic imaginings. Despite the sexist, racist, and homophobic prejudices they must confront, the mutually supportive couple finds physical and emotional joy.
187 pages, Paperback
First published July 28, 1974
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1163 people want to read
About the author
Ann Allen Shockley
14 books24 followersShockley is a black feminist theorist, novelist, and librarian. Shockley’s extensive contributions to black literature in general and black queer literature and politics more specifically, have broken ground in the vast wilderness of works that do not exist.
Shockley has written reference books, nonfiction and fiction for newspapers and journals, as well as book reviews, essays, novels, and a collection of short stories. She was born on June 21, 1927, in Louisville, Kentucky. She began publishing short stories in 'The Louisville Defender' at age eighteen.
After receiving a B.A. at Fisk University, Shockley went on to pursue an M.A. in Library Science at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She has worked at Delaware State College, the University of Maryland, and at Fisk University where she works as the curator for African American collections.
Shockley has written reference books, nonfiction and fiction for newspapers and journals, as well as book reviews, essays, novels, and a collection of short stories. She was born on June 21, 1927, in Louisville, Kentucky. She began publishing short stories in 'The Louisville Defender' at age eighteen.
After receiving a B.A. at Fisk University, Shockley went on to pursue an M.A. in Library Science at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She has worked at Delaware State College, the University of Maryland, and at Fisk University where she works as the curator for African American collections.
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March 2, 2024When it appeared in America in 1974, Ann Allen Shockley’s debut novel was celebrated as the first openly lesbian romance with a Black protagonist and from a Black author. For a particular generation it’s obvious Shockley’s book had immense cultural, and personal, significance – writer Jewelle Gomez commented that “for Black lesbians Loving Her was like reading The Well of Loneliness for the first time as teenagers and realising there were “others” out there.” Since then Shockley’s book’s been heavily praised and fiercely criticised. Part polemic, part coming-out story, part narrative of intense sexual awakening, it’s made more controversial by its focus on an interracial relationship: Shockley’s choice of title made me wonder if she’s referencing the, then-recent, ruling in the Loving v. Virginia case which confronted longstanding bans on marriage between Black and white heterosexuals.
Shockley’s narrative centres on a young, Black woman Renay who takes her daughter Denise and leaves her abusive husband for Terry an older, wealthy, white woman. For Renay, Terry awakens long-buried desires harking back to Renay’s teens and her fleeting crush on piano teacher Miss Sims. But the growing bond between Renay and Terry is threatened by Renay’s violent ex who stalks and menaces Renay, eventually ensuring Renay pays an exceptionally, high price for her independence. It’s a really curious book, familiar yet incredibly strange. A number of critics have taken issue with Shockley’s overblown, florid writing but, for me, her style raised questions about her possible influences. She explicitly references Radclyffe Hall, and there’s a slightly stilted, archaic feel to this at times that echoes Hall’s work. But what stood out for me was the way in which Shockley seemed to be reproducing, and reconfiguring, conventions and tropes from the lesbian pulp of earlier eras – a number were republished in the seventies, gaining a newly-minted, cult following. Shockley’s story seems very much rooted in that genre’s traditions and preoccupations, down to the requisite butch/femme binary, with Terry as butch to Renay’s femme.
Elements of Shockley’s book conjure Highsmith’s The Price of Salt but with none of Highsmith’s trademark subtlety. Instead, Shockley’s plot, along with her prose, veers towards the more sensationalist, melodramatic end of lesbian pulp. The portrayal of Terry as established, world-weary lesbian tends towards stereotypical, as do her blatant attempts to steer Renay’s life and choices. But an imbalance of power that might be suspect in predominantly-white, lesbian narratives becomes extremely problematic in the context of an interracial couple. Renay is frequently mistaken by Terry’s white friends for the live-in maid which makes Terry’s assumption that Renay will do all the cooking and domestic chores incredibly uncomfortable. Similarly, Terry’s sense that she’s ‘branded’ Renay by giving her a ring takes on some pretty unpleasant connotations in the context of America’s history of slavery.
But what’s even more unnerving here is the prolific, intense condemnation of Black women and, especially, Black men. Renay’s history of trauma is gradually revealed including the brutal rape that forced her into marriage. Renay connects these events to Black masculinity which she considers inherently toxic, and dwells on extensively. Apparently, part of what Shockley was attempting here was a critique of the patriarchal underpinnings of contemporary Black nationalist groups but even if that’s the case, the overwhelmingly negative representation of Black men here is immensely difficult to deal with. Black women also come under fire, characterised as duped or frivolous or worn out, unable or unwilling to break free of oppressive relationships with men - it seems only Renay through her love for Terry is capable of transcending these deep-seated forms of oppression. Although Terry herself is something of a fantasy figure, an author and highly-political intellectual, hyperaware of writers and theorists like Malcolm X but bizarrely naïve when it comes to everyday racism.
Shockley’s emphasis on challenging heteronormativity and on lesbian identity as liberation, is another striking feature. Many passages seem to anticipate later developments within the wider women’s movement: Adrienne Rich’s provocative essay “Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence”; campaigns centred on concepts of political lesbianism. Perhaps why some of the articles I’ve come across point to her novel as an early example of the queering of gender or radical dissection of heterosexual norms. Personally, I found Shockley’s position confused and confusing and the novel extremely unsettling to read. But, viewed primarily as a cultural and historical document, I thought it was fascinating.
Shockley’s narrative centres on a young, Black woman Renay who takes her daughter Denise and leaves her abusive husband for Terry an older, wealthy, white woman. For Renay, Terry awakens long-buried desires harking back to Renay’s teens and her fleeting crush on piano teacher Miss Sims. But the growing bond between Renay and Terry is threatened by Renay’s violent ex who stalks and menaces Renay, eventually ensuring Renay pays an exceptionally, high price for her independence. It’s a really curious book, familiar yet incredibly strange. A number of critics have taken issue with Shockley’s overblown, florid writing but, for me, her style raised questions about her possible influences. She explicitly references Radclyffe Hall, and there’s a slightly stilted, archaic feel to this at times that echoes Hall’s work. But what stood out for me was the way in which Shockley seemed to be reproducing, and reconfiguring, conventions and tropes from the lesbian pulp of earlier eras – a number were republished in the seventies, gaining a newly-minted, cult following. Shockley’s story seems very much rooted in that genre’s traditions and preoccupations, down to the requisite butch/femme binary, with Terry as butch to Renay’s femme.
Elements of Shockley’s book conjure Highsmith’s The Price of Salt but with none of Highsmith’s trademark subtlety. Instead, Shockley’s plot, along with her prose, veers towards the more sensationalist, melodramatic end of lesbian pulp. The portrayal of Terry as established, world-weary lesbian tends towards stereotypical, as do her blatant attempts to steer Renay’s life and choices. But an imbalance of power that might be suspect in predominantly-white, lesbian narratives becomes extremely problematic in the context of an interracial couple. Renay is frequently mistaken by Terry’s white friends for the live-in maid which makes Terry’s assumption that Renay will do all the cooking and domestic chores incredibly uncomfortable. Similarly, Terry’s sense that she’s ‘branded’ Renay by giving her a ring takes on some pretty unpleasant connotations in the context of America’s history of slavery.
But what’s even more unnerving here is the prolific, intense condemnation of Black women and, especially, Black men. Renay’s history of trauma is gradually revealed including the brutal rape that forced her into marriage. Renay connects these events to Black masculinity which she considers inherently toxic, and dwells on extensively. Apparently, part of what Shockley was attempting here was a critique of the patriarchal underpinnings of contemporary Black nationalist groups but even if that’s the case, the overwhelmingly negative representation of Black men here is immensely difficult to deal with. Black women also come under fire, characterised as duped or frivolous or worn out, unable or unwilling to break free of oppressive relationships with men - it seems only Renay through her love for Terry is capable of transcending these deep-seated forms of oppression. Although Terry herself is something of a fantasy figure, an author and highly-political intellectual, hyperaware of writers and theorists like Malcolm X but bizarrely naïve when it comes to everyday racism.
Shockley’s emphasis on challenging heteronormativity and on lesbian identity as liberation, is another striking feature. Many passages seem to anticipate later developments within the wider women’s movement: Adrienne Rich’s provocative essay “Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence”; campaigns centred on concepts of political lesbianism. Perhaps why some of the articles I’ve come across point to her novel as an early example of the queering of gender or radical dissection of heterosexual norms. Personally, I found Shockley’s position confused and confusing and the novel extremely unsettling to read. But, viewed primarily as a cultural and historical document, I thought it was fascinating.
August 29, 2023
So I’m gonna give this a 3.5 and round up to 4 on goodreads but I gotta say I don’t feel like this is really a book I would say is so much a romance by todays standards. If I were to rate it based on what I think of as being in the genre of romance I’d rate it lower. Like I wouldn’t call Corinne a romance either, even if it features a romance at the forefront. So I’m rating this based on it being a good fiction book that has important conversations, and pretty effortlessly thanks to how well the author writes about these topics making them very easily digestible, about the intersection of being a woman who is Black and queer, in the 1970s, with a white woman as a partner. If someone were to ask me for a list of romance books I liked I wouldn’t list this, but if you asked me for queer fiction I liked I’d list this.
August 16, 2023
3.5 stars
This is such an interesting book and a really important piece of literary history sitting at the intersection of queerness and Black feminist thought. Loving Her is the first interracial lesbian romance by a Black author, and it is harrowing. It follows Renay who is trying to escape an abusive marriage with her daughter and finds refuge with Terry, a white woman who is very unaware of the realities of racism (especially in the mid-1970's when this was written).
For the most part they have this really tender relationship with each other, but the amount of trauma Renay goes through is a LOT. But while this is interested in creating a romance, it feels maybe even more interested in exploring the realities of queer communities of the 1970's and lack of space queer Black folks had for themselves, not to mention the way that many queer Black people also had to navigate racism in queer spaces. It has a lot to say about toxic masculinity among Black men (though the author finds few redeeming qualities) and a sense that Black lesbians were particularly hated by their community as a whole. I think this is interesting in conversation with other pieces of feminist and queer thought coming out at the time.
As a romance I have mixed feelings about this book, but as a piece of intersectional literary history and thought, there is a lot to unpack and discuss. I'm glad I read it.
This is such an interesting book and a really important piece of literary history sitting at the intersection of queerness and Black feminist thought. Loving Her is the first interracial lesbian romance by a Black author, and it is harrowing. It follows Renay who is trying to escape an abusive marriage with her daughter and finds refuge with Terry, a white woman who is very unaware of the realities of racism (especially in the mid-1970's when this was written).
For the most part they have this really tender relationship with each other, but the amount of trauma Renay goes through is a LOT. But while this is interested in creating a romance, it feels maybe even more interested in exploring the realities of queer communities of the 1970's and lack of space queer Black folks had for themselves, not to mention the way that many queer Black people also had to navigate racism in queer spaces. It has a lot to say about toxic masculinity among Black men (though the author finds few redeeming qualities) and a sense that Black lesbians were particularly hated by their community as a whole. I think this is interesting in conversation with other pieces of feminist and queer thought coming out at the time.
As a romance I have mixed feelings about this book, but as a piece of intersectional literary history and thought, there is a lot to unpack and discuss. I'm glad I read it.
May 8, 2022
2 stars. Well, that was certainly something. The writing was interesting to say the least and I never got used to it. It was choppy and full of stereotypes and cliches. The racial things in this were hella uncomfortable and I didn’t like the romance between Renay and Terry. Renay is trying to get out of a hellish marriage with an abusive husband but yet Terry was all possessive and weird about Renay and again with all of the racial things it just made me feel icky. I didn’t like anything about it and Terry displayed way too many red flags her damn self and I felt awful Renay and her little girl. Renay was not a bad character. I definitely empathized with her but I wanted more for her in the relationship department and it certainly wasn’t with Terry in my opinion.
I’m so conflicted about this book. It would’ve been better off not being a romance (and me saying that says a lot ‘cause I love romance) but Renay needed time to herself with her daughter to heal. This was kind of a mess but I also didn’t hate it completely? Hell, I don’t know. This review is also a mess because I honestly can’t articulate how it made me feel. As stated earlier it was certainly…something.
I’m so conflicted about this book. It would’ve been better off not being a romance (and me saying that says a lot ‘cause I love romance) but Renay needed time to herself with her daughter to heal. This was kind of a mess but I also didn’t hate it completely? Hell, I don’t know. This review is also a mess because I honestly can’t articulate how it made me feel. As stated earlier it was certainly…something.
July 7, 2018
I appreciate what the author was trying to do. Especially at the time she wrote it. There's also a number of ideas that needed and still need telling as pertaining to race and misogyny.
But this is not a good book. On technique, the writing is tedious, the dialogue unrealistic, the characters one-dimensional. On content, all the characters are stereotypes, and there is not one relationship depicted that is not unhealthy in some way, mostly possessiveness and toxic control, all of which is completely condoned by the book. I am also more than peeved that the book depicts and condones the white main character as colorblind for the most part. Not to mention that she says and does a number of really possessive shit, that reeked of racism (as in, her, white and wealthy, owning a poor black body), and definitely not in a way that is meant to be a commentary on subtle manifestations of her racist upbringing.
In summary, this reads as a book written by an author with a few good critical thoughts on the experiences of black lesbians in the US, but zero ability to write fictional characters.
But this is not a good book. On technique, the writing is tedious, the dialogue unrealistic, the characters one-dimensional. On content, all the characters are stereotypes, and there is not one relationship depicted that is not unhealthy in some way, mostly possessiveness and toxic control, all of which is completely condoned by the book. I am also more than peeved that the book depicts and condones the white main character as colorblind for the most part. Not to mention that she says and does a number of really possessive shit, that reeked of racism (as in, her, white and wealthy, owning a poor black body), and definitely not in a way that is meant to be a commentary on subtle manifestations of her racist upbringing.
In summary, this reads as a book written by an author with a few good critical thoughts on the experiences of black lesbians in the US, but zero ability to write fictional characters.
October 9, 2023
We’ve reached our first sapphic romance in the Romance History Project! Written by a Black journalist and librarian and published in 1974, it’s the first known interracial lesbian romance and the first to feature a Black lesbian main character. Renay, a Black pianist, leaves her abusive alcoholic husband with their 7 year old in tow for Terry, a wealthy white writer whom Renay recently met at the supper club where she performs. It’s a quintessential U-haul lesbian relationship.
Renay, Denise, and Terry quickly settle into domestic bliss but the threat of Jerome is ever present. If not for Terry, it’s unclear if Renay ever would have left him, despite her growing frustration and concerns. Terry and even Renay to an extent are “colorblind” no matter how much racism Renay experiences, sure that their love will conquer all. This includes when Terry says racist things. She doesn’t appear to ever even had a Black friend before falling for Renay. There’s never a discussion of what it’s like for Renay being in Terry’s white world or whether they should try to find more integrated circles. In some ways, they’re replicating heteronormativity with Terry holding financial control and Renay cooking and cleaning. I was glad Terry gave Renay an excuse to leave her husband but I never particularly liked her.
If anything, I’d say this attempted to explore the reality of Black queer life and navigating racism within queer spaces. Renay is new to understanding and accepting her own lesbianism and, aside from one Black man she meets at a party, doesn’t know any other Black queer people so she’s largely figuring it out on her own. Unfortunately, she is mostly cut off from the Black community for much of the book, whether because her friend Fran has returned to their hometown in Kentucky for the summer or simply because of where she and Terry move. I wonder what it might have been like had Renay known other Black queer people. Would she have still wanted to be with Terry?
Per the foreword by Alycee J. Lane, a professor of African American literature and culture, this story offers a critique of Black nationalism through Jerome’s character. And that is true to an extent. He blames Renay for everything that’s wrong in his life, even though it is clearly a mess of his own making. He’s a one note Evil Ex trope and the thin characterization made it difficult to tease out what Shockley was trying to do with her critique. Particularly once she made the choice to have Jerome
This is not a particularly well written book. The prose is simple, the plot lags, and there’s a great deal of head-hopping. Almost every relationship is toxic in some way and that includes the way Terry treats Renay. Characters often step on a soapbox instead of engaging in realistic conversation. There are a number of interesting ideas but they’re poorly executed. And yet this romance’s very existence is valuable for it marked a turning point and surely paved the way for future work by Black and queer romance authors. It’s not good but I’m still glad I read it.
Further Reading:
Feminist Formations: "Loving Her" Without Class: The Politics of Feminist Love in Ann Allen Shockley's Lesbian Novel by Mimi Iimuro Van Ausdall (2010)
The Project on the History of Black Writing: LGBT History Month: Ann Allen Shockley’s Loving Her, 40 Years Later. (2014)
Black American Literature Forum: Gathering Pieces: A Selected Bibliography of Ann Allen Shockley by Rita B. Dandridge (1987)
African American Review: Towards an Aesthetic of Transgression: Ann Allen Shockley's "Loving Her" and the Politics of Same-Gender Loving by Trimiko C. Melancon (2008)
Ann Allen Shockley: An Activist-Librarian for Black Special Collections by Shaundra Walker. A chapter from the book Knowledge Justice: Disrupting Library and Information Studies through Critical Race Theory, edited by Sofia Y. Leung and Jorge R. Lópex-McKnight (2021)
Characters: Renay is a 27 year old lesbian Black pianist. She has a 7 year old daughter named Denise. Terry is a 37 year old wealthy lesbian white author and journalist. This is set in the 1960s. It’s unclear where the characters live (they move to a remote town called Willow Wood at one point) but Renay briefly returns to her hometown of Tilltown, KY.
Content notes: intimate partner violence (Renay’s husband; Terry physically assaults Renay because she’s jealous she danced with someone else; Terry hits her ex-girlfriend for using a racial slur), physical violence (Renay is knocked unconscious after Jerome beats her), on page rape by Renay’s husband, past marital rape, sexual assault (racist white man gropes Renay; secondary character’s girlfriend kisses Renay without consent), stalking, death of daughter (Jerome picked her up from Renay’s mom’s house without permission and drove drunk), multiple characters drive while drunk, breaking and entering, past pregnancy resulting from rape, infidelity (Renay cheated on her husband with Terry, her husband regularly cheated on her), alcoholic husband, racism, racial slurs, homophobia, homophobic slurs, transphobia, acephobia (countered), misogyny, toxic masculinity, Evil Ex trope, small penis insult, classism, separation and subsequent divorce (granted toward the end of book), past death of Renay’s father (tractor accident), secondary character was her girlfriend’s professor and forced to resign, vomit, secondary character on a diet, body commentary, dubious consent (Renay goes down on Terry despite her saying no but Terry seems to be into it afterward), on page sex, alcohol, inebriation, excessive drinking, cigarettes, gendered pejoratives, ableist language, use of “Indian-like” to describe a path
*Buddy read with Charlotte, Hannah, and Vicky.
RHP ranking, so far:
Maurice (4 stars)
Loyal in All (3.5 stars)
The Moon-Spinners (3 stars)
Loving Her (2 stars)
No Quarter Asked (1 star)
Regency Buck (1 star)
The Sheik (1 star)
The Flame and the Flower (1 star)
The Lord Won’t Mind (1 star)
Renay, Denise, and Terry quickly settle into domestic bliss but the threat of Jerome is ever present. If not for Terry, it’s unclear if Renay ever would have left him, despite her growing frustration and concerns. Terry and even Renay to an extent are “colorblind” no matter how much racism Renay experiences, sure that their love will conquer all. This includes when Terry says racist things. She doesn’t appear to ever even had a Black friend before falling for Renay. There’s never a discussion of what it’s like for Renay being in Terry’s white world or whether they should try to find more integrated circles. In some ways, they’re replicating heteronormativity with Terry holding financial control and Renay cooking and cleaning. I was glad Terry gave Renay an excuse to leave her husband but I never particularly liked her.
If anything, I’d say this attempted to explore the reality of Black queer life and navigating racism within queer spaces. Renay is new to understanding and accepting her own lesbianism and, aside from one Black man she meets at a party, doesn’t know any other Black queer people so she’s largely figuring it out on her own. Unfortunately, she is mostly cut off from the Black community for much of the book, whether because her friend Fran has returned to their hometown in Kentucky for the summer or simply because of where she and Terry move. I wonder what it might have been like had Renay known other Black queer people. Would she have still wanted to be with Terry?
Per the foreword by Alycee J. Lane, a professor of African American literature and culture, this story offers a critique of Black nationalism through Jerome’s character. And that is true to an extent. He blames Renay for everything that’s wrong in his life, even though it is clearly a mess of his own making. He’s a one note Evil Ex trope and the thin characterization made it difficult to tease out what Shockley was trying to do with her critique. Particularly once she made the choice to have Jerome
This is not a particularly well written book. The prose is simple, the plot lags, and there’s a great deal of head-hopping. Almost every relationship is toxic in some way and that includes the way Terry treats Renay. Characters often step on a soapbox instead of engaging in realistic conversation. There are a number of interesting ideas but they’re poorly executed. And yet this romance’s very existence is valuable for it marked a turning point and surely paved the way for future work by Black and queer romance authors. It’s not good but I’m still glad I read it.
Further Reading:
Feminist Formations: "Loving Her" Without Class: The Politics of Feminist Love in Ann Allen Shockley's Lesbian Novel by Mimi Iimuro Van Ausdall (2010)
The Project on the History of Black Writing: LGBT History Month: Ann Allen Shockley’s Loving Her, 40 Years Later. (2014)
Black American Literature Forum: Gathering Pieces: A Selected Bibliography of Ann Allen Shockley by Rita B. Dandridge (1987)
African American Review: Towards an Aesthetic of Transgression: Ann Allen Shockley's "Loving Her" and the Politics of Same-Gender Loving by Trimiko C. Melancon (2008)
Ann Allen Shockley: An Activist-Librarian for Black Special Collections by Shaundra Walker. A chapter from the book Knowledge Justice: Disrupting Library and Information Studies through Critical Race Theory, edited by Sofia Y. Leung and Jorge R. Lópex-McKnight (2021)
Characters: Renay is a 27 year old lesbian Black pianist. She has a 7 year old daughter named Denise. Terry is a 37 year old wealthy lesbian white author and journalist. This is set in the 1960s. It’s unclear where the characters live (they move to a remote town called Willow Wood at one point) but Renay briefly returns to her hometown of Tilltown, KY.
Content notes: intimate partner violence (Renay’s husband; Terry physically assaults Renay because she’s jealous she danced with someone else; Terry hits her ex-girlfriend for using a racial slur), physical violence (Renay is knocked unconscious after Jerome beats her), on page rape by Renay’s husband, past marital rape, sexual assault (racist white man gropes Renay; secondary character’s girlfriend kisses Renay without consent), stalking, death of daughter (Jerome picked her up from Renay’s mom’s house without permission and drove drunk), multiple characters drive while drunk, breaking and entering, past pregnancy resulting from rape, infidelity (Renay cheated on her husband with Terry, her husband regularly cheated on her), alcoholic husband, racism, racial slurs, homophobia, homophobic slurs, transphobia, acephobia (countered), misogyny, toxic masculinity, Evil Ex trope, small penis insult, classism, separation and subsequent divorce (granted toward the end of book), past death of Renay’s father (tractor accident), secondary character was her girlfriend’s professor and forced to resign, vomit, secondary character on a diet, body commentary, dubious consent (Renay goes down on Terry despite her saying no but Terry seems to be into it afterward), on page sex, alcohol, inebriation, excessive drinking, cigarettes, gendered pejoratives, ableist language, use of “Indian-like” to describe a path
*Buddy read with Charlotte, Hannah, and Vicky.
RHP ranking, so far:
Maurice (4 stars)
Loyal in All (3.5 stars)
The Moon-Spinners (3 stars)
Loving Her (2 stars)
No Quarter Asked (1 star)
Regency Buck (1 star)
The Sheik (1 star)
The Flame and the Flower (1 star)
The Lord Won’t Mind (1 star)
February 7, 2022
i feel like i had to dance my attention v lightly over the surface of this one, because as a piece of writing i did find it hard to enjoy; lots of clunky and overburdened sentences, too many on-the-nose conversations and emotionally rushed scenes, a general sense of stylistic immaturity & structural under-developedness ? but i also think this has a lot of Intention & Feeling & Desire behind it, things it wants to say about racialised masculinity and violence and what it means, for shockley, to be a black woman that loves women and what that love feels like. it's hard not to be moved by how important it feels for her to have said it here, and for other black lesbians and other writers to have responded, to continue responding.
so, am glad that black feminist thought nudged me to finally read it & think it's a valuable piece of a wider conversation, but can't recommend it as a Book.
so, am glad that black feminist thought nudged me to finally read it & think it's a valuable piece of a wider conversation, but can't recommend it as a Book.
January 1, 2023
This is one of my favorite books I've ever read.
Let me start by saying that the foreword probably should not actually be read before reading the book itself, given that it spoils the *entire* plot and is more of an analysis of it lmao. It also reminded me that I should not trust other's opinions on art before making my own because I starkly disagree with the way it downplays the novel in several ways.
This novel invoked so many emotions in me. Of course, I was aware of its historical significance and the foreword led me to believe that's all there is to it, but no. In my eyes, it was written beautifully. The love between these two women warmed my heart in ways I didn't expect or imagine. I devoured a lot of the book but had to stop myself because I loved it so much I didn't want it to end. While many parts were also hard to read, given Renay's circumstances, it was the love her and Terry had for each other that healed your soul. I wanted to stay with them in their love forever.
I am certain I will reread it and I hope to find a physical copy of it someday to hold and cherish forever. This book is one of these small things that invoke queer joy in me.
Let me start by saying that the foreword probably should not actually be read before reading the book itself, given that it spoils the *entire* plot and is more of an analysis of it lmao. It also reminded me that I should not trust other's opinions on art before making my own because I starkly disagree with the way it downplays the novel in several ways.
This novel invoked so many emotions in me. Of course, I was aware of its historical significance and the foreword led me to believe that's all there is to it, but no. In my eyes, it was written beautifully. The love between these two women warmed my heart in ways I didn't expect or imagine. I devoured a lot of the book but had to stop myself because I loved it so much I didn't want it to end. While many parts were also hard to read, given Renay's circumstances, it was the love her and Terry had for each other that healed your soul. I wanted to stay with them in their love forever.
I am certain I will reread it and I hope to find a physical copy of it someday to hold and cherish forever. This book is one of these small things that invoke queer joy in me.
December 15, 2023
The most memorable is towards the end...we have here to races, different societal class, certainly different perspectives on life etc.
The meet, fall, wade into each other's sense of belonging and in an instant that sense is questioned.
The last chapter got bookmarked....and what an end.
The meet, fall, wade into each other's sense of belonging and in an instant that sense is questioned.
The last chapter got bookmarked....and what an end.
February 9, 2016
Holy crap do the characters in this book drink all the time or what? I found this in a free book box and kind of enjoyed it from a history perspective and also a "that's a hilarious way to talk about women having sex" perspective.
dnf-d
August 29, 2023Dnf’d 60%
Found out her kid dies for no real reason I’m good
Found out her kid dies for no real reason I’m good
August 25, 2023
3.75
Less a review and more just thoughts about thoughts to have. Huge and important that this book, first novel to portray an interracial lesbian relationship (with a ~happy ending no less) exists, and that it existed when it did! Lots about race/class/sexuality/patriarchy. Very big on the idea that "love will endure beyond all else" (for better or for worse?). Thinking a lot about the portrayal of gay people in this and how stereotypical everyone but Renay and Terry are. Also every relationship in this book feels predatory/manipulative in some way. I think it's been awhile since I read a gay romance written before like 2000 and kind of forgot this is what they were like lol.
So much to say about the solidarity of queerness and otherness that Terry and Renay bond over but also the impossibility of white people ever understanding what it means to be black in the us. When Terry was shocked to hear or see someone act racist towards Renay it's like yeah girl! She's been telling you since the beginning that people are racist! And it's only when it begins to affect Terry that she takes proactive steps to protect and help Renay. And her stupid "some of us have already ended [racism] in our own individual ways" lmao like girl shut up
Very fun how queer sex is described in such a magical way, otherworldly in a way that extends beyond what can be described with just bodies. Weird feelings about everything Renay has being given to her by Terry, beyond material things and extending to her own freedom and self respect. Also that ending... lol
Less a review and more just thoughts about thoughts to have. Huge and important that this book, first novel to portray an interracial lesbian relationship (with a ~happy ending no less) exists, and that it existed when it did! Lots about race/class/sexuality/patriarchy. Very big on the idea that "love will endure beyond all else" (for better or for worse?). Thinking a lot about the portrayal of gay people in this and how stereotypical everyone but Renay and Terry are. Also every relationship in this book feels predatory/manipulative in some way. I think it's been awhile since I read a gay romance written before like 2000 and kind of forgot this is what they were like lol.
So much to say about the solidarity of queerness and otherness that Terry and Renay bond over but also the impossibility of white people ever understanding what it means to be black in the us. When Terry was shocked to hear or see someone act racist towards Renay it's like yeah girl! She's been telling you since the beginning that people are racist! And it's only when it begins to affect Terry that she takes proactive steps to protect and help Renay. And her stupid "some of us have already ended [racism] in our own individual ways" lmao like girl shut up
Very fun how queer sex is described in such a magical way, otherworldly in a way that extends beyond what can be described with just bodies. Weird feelings about everything Renay has being given to her by Terry, beyond material things and extending to her own freedom and self respect. Also that ending... lol
December 6, 2021
A Forest In The Heart
Renay and Terry’s story was among the most beautiful, most tragic, most harrowing, most enduring I’ve read this year. The exploration of “unconventional” love, of interracial love, of racial prejudice, of just prejudice, of living in a world where you can be beaten, spat, and trodden upon for being “different” and deviating from the norm. Renay was all that, she experienced all that. And she survived. Her endurance, her perseverance, her sunshine, her strength gives me hope, too. That is does.
Renay and Terry’s story was among the most beautiful, most tragic, most harrowing, most enduring I’ve read this year. The exploration of “unconventional” love, of interracial love, of racial prejudice, of just prejudice, of living in a world where you can be beaten, spat, and trodden upon for being “different” and deviating from the norm. Renay was all that, she experienced all that. And she survived. Her endurance, her perseverance, her sunshine, her strength gives me hope, too. That is does.
October 23, 2023
I would kill to be loved the way Terry and Renay loved each other.
February 5, 2015
Again, I'd probably give it closer to a 2.5 - but it must be said: From a literary perspective, this book is almost meritless. It's horribly written. The good things about it are its interesting plot and its importance as one of the first books of its kind, etc. Still, I can't fault anyone who reads a couple of pages and is deterred by the horrifying prose.
March 19, 2015
interesting plot
I found the book to have a well developed plot. I kept wanting to know what would happen next. I would like to see a sequel that continues to develop the characters. Offhand I probably would not have bought the book. But I was able to get free, so I did;
I found the book to have a well developed plot. I kept wanting to know what would happen next. I would like to see a sequel that continues to develop the characters. Offhand I probably would not have bought the book. But I was able to get free, so I did;
April 28, 2015
Loving Her
An important book by one hell of a writer, Loving Her is an incredible read chocked full of witicisms and plagiarisms. It is just plain incredible--as good a read for anyone as it was for me!!
An important book by one hell of a writer, Loving Her is an incredible read chocked full of witicisms and plagiarisms. It is just plain incredible--as good a read for anyone as it was for me!!
July 17, 2013
Great book
October 1, 2012
This book was so wonderful!
July 14, 2014
I AM CURRENTLY READING THIS AT THE MOMENT
January 28, 2022
Honestly very didactic, but sometimes you can enjoy didacticism--and this being a groundbreaking novel about an interracial lesbian relationship, the didacticism is almost necessary. It has lots of thoughts on many subjects: lesbianism, racial politics, male-female relations within black communities of the time. Some of even the subtler points of the novel made me go "damn, you see that all the time", such as all the times when Renay will make a statement about racism and Terry and Vance will take a moment to say that as lesbians they know All About prejudice and the human capacity for hate, and Renay both agrees and disagrees. Sure, targets of different kinds of prejudice have things in common, but being gay still doesn't mean you understand being black! And yet Renay finds she can fit in with Terry and her white gay community (more or less). Overall it's an optimistic book that believes love can hold out against all the challenges of both society and life, and I love that. Also I just love Terry and Renay's characters--Renay's love of music, Terry the sophisticated writer, the ways they understand each other. There's a lot going on with them.
June 8, 2018
“Perhaps it’s because you’re both oppressed members of our society, and as such, you experience many of the same ostracisms, hurts and pains which make you compassionate toward each other. But one day, since neither life nor love is forever idyllic, she may become angry at you for something trivial, or at the whole white race for something done to the blacks. You too could become angry and, as the angry do, want to strike back. Ugly racial slurs could be wildly exchanged—nigger—honky. These words would mean more than mere flashes of temper in a homogeneous interracial marriage.”
October 1, 2025
Not really my writing style; the lesbian pulp patterns of dialogue and character building just aren't my cup of tea, but I can certainly recognize the historical significance of this title. As other reviews opine, it is indeed offputting to hear Terry, a white woman, remark about branding Renay, her Black partner, with a wedding band, and it was always interesting when she talked over Renay about her music and what she does. I dunno man. Not my thing but so so grateful for Black lesbian writing.
October 13, 2020
This story is very much a product of its time while also remaining very relevant today. I found the beginning and description of their relationship very well done but then it gets to a very pivotal event which is treated like a causal aside. There's no real resolution to it which felt extremely unsatisfying given all the build up.
September 25, 2025
3.5//A good book that’s well written and explores desire, affection, sexuality in tender and provocative ways. However, there is an acrid taste in my mouth in regards to no Black Man being allowed to have an interior. I get it, I understand the move, and yet I want to (need to?) remedy the fact in my head somehow. Made me think about Eva’s Man for some reason.
October 4, 2022
I liked it at first the charming mundane domesticity but the ENDING WHAT was that. Too much happened too quickly after chapters of basically nothing. Did appreciate the Uhaul representation but overall the approach to race was heavy on color blindness and seemed overly idealized
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2025
“I stop counting how many times I've read this book”
This story is like no other; it had the right tempo. Terry and Renay's story was beautiful to read. I wish there was more. I highly recommend it.
This story is like no other; it had the right tempo. Terry and Renay's story was beautiful to read. I wish there was more. I highly recommend it.
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November 14, 2022not necessarily a book i enjoyed, however the discussions it brought were great. also i am glad to have read it (as to experience it as a book and not just an object of historical significance)
August 29, 2023
Listen, no one wanted this book to be better more than me.
September 17, 2023
A beautiful book, written beautifully.
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