This week on the podcast, we welcome Ecco Editor Gabriella Doob back to the podcast to interview Kendra Allen, author of Fruit Punch. This is Kendra's arresting and one-of-a-kind memoir about the alternately exultant and harrowing trip growing up as a Black child desperate to create a clear reality for herself in this country. They discuss the difficult, yet necessary, way she delved into memory and healing to write this book.
[Trigger warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual assault]
“Allen bestows a fresh literary voice on this memoir filled with humor, honesty, and thought-provoking truth…readers will enjoy Allen's intimate writing and the wit she weaves in between epiphanies. With admirable and inspiring vulnerability, Allen brings readers along in her journey to understand her very makeup. Life doesn't grant happy endings, she reminds us; but rather a revolving door of growth and self-reflection.”
—Booklist
—Booklist
"Allen’s rendering of the material is visceral and unique, and her insights are powerful…. A piercing coming-of-age narrative from an original voice."
—Kirkus Reviews
—Kirkus Reviews
“Ntozake Shange implored, ‘Somebody, anybody, sing a black girl's song,’ and in Fruit Punch, Kendra Allen sings fiercely for all of us who have been shattered and disregarded, and yet somehow press on. Stunning, poetic, and absolutely devastating, this book broke and healed my heart.”
—Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
—Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
Listen to the episode below:
On the episode, Kendra referenced the following books/TV shows/movies:
- BoJack Horseman
- Eve's Bayou
- What About the Rest of Your Life by Sung Yim
- Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
- Dear Senthuran by
- Freshwater by
- Pet by
Fruit Punch is on sale now!
Get a copy of Kendra's past poetry collection The Collection Plate now as well!
-Lainey