In these deeply transporting pages, Arthur Riley reflects on the stories of her grandmother and father, and how they revealed to her an embodied, dignity-affirming spirituality, not only in what they believed but in the act of living itself. So writes Cole Arthur Riley in her unforgettable book of stories and reflections on discovering the sacred in her skin. I believe that is what my father wanted for me and knew I would so desperately need: a tool for survival, the truth of my dignity named like a mercy new each morning.” “From the womb, we must repeat with regularity that to love ourselves is to survive. ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Root, Library Journal

“Reaches deep beneath the surface of words unspoken, wounds unhealed, and secrets untempered to break them open in order for fresh light to break through.”-Morgan Jerkins, New York Times bestselling author of This Will Be My Undoing and Caul Baby Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Somebody’s Daughter “This is the kind of book that makes you different when you’re done.”-Ashley C. In her stunning debut, the creator of Black Liturgies weaves stories from three generations of her family alongside contemplative reflections to discover the “necessary rituals” that connect us with our belonging, dignity, and liberation.

This here flesh cole arthur riley