NAACP Image Award Winner, Kimberla Lawson Roby, Marks 20-Book Milestone

Family ties, father/son relationships, marriage and more examined in new work by New York Times bestselling author

Reverend Curtis Black and his family drama are back in Kimberla Lawson Roby’s upcoming novel, The Prodigal Son, (Grand Central Publishing; $24.99; ISBN 978-1455526130).

The Reverend Curtis Black hasn’t spoken to his son, Matthew, in over a year—not since Matthew dropped out of Harvard to marry his girlfriend, Racquel, and be a full-time father to their infant son. Curtis knows that it was he and his wife, Charlotte, who drove Matthew away, but he prays that one day his son will forgive them and come home.

Matthew, however, can’t seem to forget the pain his parents caused him and Racquel. Still, he wonders if maybe they’d been right, as fatherhood is not what he expected, and Racquel’s behavior has become increasingly erratic. Matthew genuinely wants to be a good husband, though, and swears he’ll never repeat his parents’ mistakes. But when an old friend expresses her desire for Matthew, the temptation may be too great to resist… 

On the Importance of Your Early Education

Dear Daughters & YBW:

In this letter, I want to shift gears a little. I want to get off of spiritual matters and get onto the matters of the mind. In this letter, I want to talk to you about the importance of your early education. So many young people today do not take their early education seriously. When I talk about an early education, I am referring to the education one can gain from the age of eleven and upward. It is vital that you see the importance of education at an early age.