Kingdom of No Tomorrow was an excellent read. The writing was propulsive and the character development was rich. I would read more from this author.

I really wanted to love Fabienne Josaphat’s Kingdom of No Tomorrow, but ultimately the novel left me unsatisfied. Set in Oakland, California, and Chicago during the turbulent late 1960s, it follows Nettie, the daughter of a murdered Haitian doctor and activist. She has immigrated to the United States for medical school and has become gradually drawn into the Black Panther Party—partly by the inspiring speeches of Party luminaries like Fred Hampton and Huey Newton, partly by her desire to apply her training in their medical clinic, and partly by her attraction to the charismatic Party captain Melvin. But Nettie soon finds that the Party’s revolutionary fervor doesn’t always extend to its female members. And as FBI agents start showing up at her door, and as phone taps, Party traitors, and assassinations become part of her world, Nettie must make a choice between her vocation and her activist impulse.
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We need more fiction that explores the history and culture of the Black Panther Party! As a historian, I’m all too aware of how the Party’s work—in racial uplift programs and in anti-racist activism—was distorted and misrepresented in the 1960s and 1970s—and has continued to be ever since. Novels like this one have the power to draw all readers into the realities that animated the party toward radical action beyond that of moderate civil rights leaders like MLK Jr: poverty, substandard housing, insufficient jobs and healthcare, and especially police brutality. They can humanize the Party beyond the caricatures in pop culture and in the rhetoric of both conservative and neoliberal politicians. And they can also illustrate the complexities of the Party, especially the misogyny among its male leaders. Unfortunately, while this book is somewhat effective at doing the above, it fell flat for me on the level of craft. The pacing is ploddingly slow; the characters are a bit thinly drawn; and the writing at the sentence and word-choice levels was often wooden and riddle with cliches. Despite its exciting premise, Kingdom of No Tomorrow was ultimately pretty disappointing.

Kingdom of No Tomorrow is a gripping novel that takes you back to the late 1960s, focusing on Nettie, a Black woman whose journey with the Black Panther Party mirrors her evolving relationship with Melvin, a key player in the Party.

The book kicks off with a lot of information, which might feel a bit much at first. But as you get deeper into the story, you'll find yourself cheering for Nettie, who's on a mission for equality and freedom. She starts off chasing her dreams in education and the medical field, driven by a desire for change. She finds that change in the Black Panther Movement but soon realizes that being a woman in the Party doesn't necessarily mean equality.

Josaphat does a fantastic job blending fictional characters with real historical figures, giving you a fresh take on the Black Panther Movement. The love story between Nettie and Melvin adds a relatable touch, but the way Nettie is treated by Melvin and others in the Party highlights the tough realities of the time.

The novel is split into three parts, which helps keep things clear and structured. You'll see the characters grow throughout the story, and even though the ending feels a bit rushed and messy, it ties everything together by bringing back a character from Nettie's past.

Overall, Kingdom of No Tomorrow offers a true-to-history look at a period that's often overlooked in literature. It's perfect for fans of historical fiction who want to learn more about the Black Panther Party and the struggles of those involved.

This book is different than what I expected but still a solid read. Set in 1968, the story follows Nettie Boileau, a young Haitian student in Oakland, as she becomes involved with the Black Panther Party's free health clinics. Her passionate relationship with Defense Captain Melvin Mosley leads her to Chicago, where she confronts segregation, police surveillance, and personal betrayals. Amidst the turmoil, Nettie seeks empowerment and self-preservation. I love the premise of the book, but the story itself left me with mixed feelings. I feel like the execution left much to be desired. But I did appreciate the portrayal of a young woman in the Black Panther Party and some of the social challenges she encountered. Overall, "Kingdom of No Tomorrow" offers a nuanced exploration of Black love, self-determination, and revolution during a pivotal era.

Just finished Kingdom of No Tomorrow on Netgalley! It was a solid read. It started off a little slowly but I found I couldn’t put it down towards the end. I would say that Josaphat is definitely an author to watch. I look forward to her next book!

This historical fiction novel is a compelling and immersive read, offering a captivating portrayal of Nettie's relationship with Melvin Mosley, a defense captain in the Black Panthers. Despite the traumatic events of her childhood in Haiti, Nettie proves to be a resilient and inspiring character, driven by her ambition to become a doctor and help others. However, as she becomes increasingly involved with the Panthers, her life undergoes a significant transformation. I found myself thoroughly invested in the narrative, staying up late to finish the book. The characters are expertly crafted, possessing a remarkable depth and realism. While I had some prior knowledge of the era, I felt that the publisher's synopsis revealed too many details, spoiling some of the later plot developments. This novel is a must-read for anyone interested in the Civil Rights Movement, revolution, romance, and historical fiction. My sincere gratitude goes to Algonquin for providing an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in advance. This was an interesting novel about a young woman involved in the Black Panthers in Oakland and then Chicago. I found it gave a unique perspective from the young woman's point of view, and how there were some struggles with sexism within the politics of the Panthers. The ending turned sort of into a thriller and I couldn't put it down, even though I sort of predicted how she would escape!

I loved this story about Nettie an individual in the health sector trying to get help to those who need it most. Her coworker Clia introduces her to the Black Panther movement and she begins attending meetings. As she gets more involved she tries her best to do what's right, helping those in need as identified by the leaders of the movement. She is awestruck by Melvin and begins spending more and more time with him, until he leaves to start a ranch of the movement in Chicago. Ultimately she follows him there, but it's not what she expected.

A story of revolution and love. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about this fictionalized Black Panther group, and bits and pieces about racial history in the US.

I really wanted to like this book (and I did like Robin Miles's narration) but I found the book overly melodramatic with characters that I just didn't care about. I haven't read a novel about the Black Panther Party so was interested in to learn more and dive in, but what we really got was a love triangle and a main character who gave up on her dreams for a man. Disappointing.

Kingdom of No Tomorrow was a fun and informative read. It's basically historical fiction, and covers the time period of the Black Panthers rise to power. Nettie is basically a refugee from Haiti, she escaped after her father was killed, and is doing well as a student in the Oakland, CA area, when she makes friends with some people in the Black Panther Party. She wants to be a doctor, so she gets involved in the health clinic, as well as a food program, but quickly gets entangled with some of the more violent aspects and falls for one of the local leaders, throwing off her plans. Nettie believes passionately in the cause, and is willing to give up her dreams for it, even moving to Chicago, away from her only family member. The book incorporates some real life Panthers along with the fictional main characters. It was good to understand better about this time period, which has a lot of effects on current day issues.

I requested this for consideration for Book Riot's All the Books podcast for its release date. After sampling several books out this week, I decided to go with a different book for my review.

✨ Review ✨ Kingdom of No Tomorrow by Fabienne Josaphat; Narrated by Robin Miles

Thanks to Algonquin Books and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

What I loved about this book:
--how perfectly it sets up the energy of the Black Panthers in Oakland in the 1960s -- especially for an outsider coming into the fold
--the way it handled the gender divide within the Black Panthers and radical movements of this era, of how women were often excluded from the inner circles and the leadership
--the threads of Black Panthers work on the ground that the author incorporated -- defending families, feeding kids, researching sickle cell, etc. - the author's research is fantastic

What I struggled with:
--I didn't really feel invested in the main character or her romantic conflicts
--the pacing of the book wasn't really working for me in staying engaged

🎧 the audio was engaging and emotional and took me to that time and place

Genre: historical fiction
Setting: Oakland, Chicago
Length: 11 hours 32 minutes
Pub Date: December 2024

4.25/5

This is a moving and propulsive work of historical fiction. I was immediately drawn into the action and intrigue along with Nettie, as she falls into an exciting relationship with Melvin Mosley, a defense captain in the Black Panthers. I felt for Nettie; she is a resilient character who, despite a tragic childhood in Haiti that ended with the murder of her father, still opens herself up to love and community. Her main goal is to become a doctor so that she can help others. But her life takes a drastic left turn when she gets more involved with the Panthers.

I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this one. The characters felt so real and three-dimensional. I have some prior knowledge of this era in history so I knew some of the major events that were coming down the pike. However, I think the publisher's synopsis gives away too many details that come much later in the story (as in, 60-70% of the way through). My recommendation is to skip the synopsis and dive in, giving yourself over to the beautiful storytelling.

This is a must-read for anyone interested in the Civil Rights Movement, revolution and romance, and fans of historical fiction set in the recent past. Thanks very much to Algonquin for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

Kingdom of no tomorrow by Fabian’s Josaphat, is about a girl finding out who she is and who she loves while being a part of the Black Panther movement. I’m not gonna waste much time on this book. It was more like a romance, and although they did have stuff about the black Panthers, having read the non-fiction book about the Black Panthers. I don’t feel the book was totally written in the spirit of what Huey P Newton and Bobby seal head in mind. Most people think of violence when thinking of the Black Panthers, but that was not their aim at all, but as I said that’s for another book for this book, a girl was in love with a guy Melvin and her sheltered roommate The only reason I am giving this book 3 stars is for the great writing because the part after Fred was shot, and Melvin was telling Nettie about how the government tactics were working. I really felt how letdown and sad he must’ve been. I mean in real life and in the book the government really practices some unfair tactics against a group that only wanted to do good for their neighborhoods. I think had the book not been so much of the romance. It would’ve been much better because the author is a great writer and although she did take artistic license to the inth degree, I still recommend this book but don’t take every fact, she says about the black Panther as a truth.#NetGalley, #FabianneJosaaphat, #KingdomOfTomorrow,jn

Kingdom of No Tomorrow is the beautifully written story of love and revolution. Fabienne Josaphat brings us into the early days of the Black Panther Party in Oakland, California.

Nettie is collecting data for sickle cell research when she meets the stoic Melvin. She's instantly drawn to his quiet strength. What follows is a story of a young woman finding herself, both in love and in support of her community.

I enjoyed watching Nettie grow throughout the story. I loved watching her and those around her search for ways to improve the lives of others. My knowledge of the Black Panther Party is very limited, and I did not realize the extent of their outreach programs. I am so impressed by how much these young people were able to accomplish in their early 20s!

Read this if you like:
- historical fiction
- strong female characters
- learning more about the Black experience in America

I'm looking forward to what Fabienne Josaphat writes next!

I think I just expecrted more out of this book and didn't end up loving it.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Aspen Words Literary Prize put this one on my radar. Fabienne Joseaphat tells the story of Nettie, a student in Oakland, California in 1968. Nettie is a Haitian immigrant who dreams (along with her aunt) of going to medical school. Nettie volunteers at a sickle sell awareness project helping youth with sickle sell disease. Her work connects her with the Black Panthers’ health clinics where she meets Melvin, a charismatic Black Panthers’ leader.

Nettie and Melvin start a relationship and Nettie begins to lose herself and her plans as she moves to Chicago with Melvin to assist in the revolution.

I enjoyed this slice of history

Delighted to include this title in the December edition of Novel Encounters, my column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer, Canada’s national lifestyle and culture magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)

Nettie has ambitions to go to medical school, but her plans are derailed when she falls in love with a Black Panther.

I love reading a fictionalized novel about a very real group in American history.
Kingdom of No Tomorrow takes place in the late 60's and at its core is about a Black woman and how her involvement with the Black Panther Party evolves over time just as her relationship with Melvin, a man that becomes a huge part of the Party begins to take over her life.

The first few chapters had a lot thrown my way and I was a bit overwhelmed with the content. But I couldn't help but stand by Nettie, a woman that wanted her equality and freedom in the world. She was looking for education and to help in the medical field. Coming from a family such as hers, she was looking for change and found it within the Black Panther Movement. Unfortunately, being a woman with that Party didn't give her the equality she was seeking and as the story progresses, we see how her involvement with an Oakland leader takes her to Chicago and everyone and everything seems to be working against her and what she was originally fighting for.

I liked the idea of the story and getting to see fictionalized pieces of a very real time in American history. I liked the fact that Josaphat took fictional characters and had them intersecting with real people that were part of the movement. Using the movement and adding a love story between Nettie and Melvin made this story more relatable. But I did NOT like seeing how Nettie was treated by not only Melvin, but other people that were supposed to be working as a unit. Of course that was probably reality. After some life changing events, we are brought to an ending that seemed rushed and a little messy, but overall still gave us a sense of a woman that was looking to find herself, her voice and her strength during a very difficult time.

Overall, this story seemed true to history in which we don't have a lot of books about. I liked that the story was divided into 3 distinct parts that helped keep things straight. In addition, there was character growth over the course of the story. The ending was a bit muddled, but I liked the fact that it came full circle and brought back a character that was in Nettie's life earlier on in the book.
Fabienne Josaphat's novel will appeal to the historical fiction readers that want more insight into the Black Panther Party.