If you loved Don't Cry For Me, you'll find Isaac's Song to be equally personal, poignant, and beautiful from start to finish

After the death of his father and with the encouragement of his therapist, Isaac, a queer Black man finds his voice through words showcasing his upbringing, 1980s Chicago, and journey towards forgiveness, self love, and perseverance.

Despite being a quick read, it is a well done novel. It really hit me. And I really loved it. AND I would like the number to his therapist ASAP!

Not only does it do a great job of characterizing Isaac and the lived experience of a queer Black man, but it also gives life to his parents and his ancestors. The writing is vivid. And we, the readers, truly get to walk alongside Isaac through all his actions, thoughts, missteps, etc. in the same way his ancestors walk alongside him. It feels powerful.

Isaac's Song is honest, visceral, and human despite its fictional base. Black continues to deliver and I hope many pick this one up!

Highly recommend (re)reading Don't Cry For Me for a truly impactful experience.

Read For
- Black Stories
- Queer Stories
- Complicated Family Dynamics
- Magical Realism/Spirituality
- Quick, Slower Paced, Character Focused Read

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Beautiful book and Black's writing was amazing. I think this book will be so good for many young queer folks who are looking for acceptance and self discovery because the story of Isaac is one that many can relate to.

"Truth is somewhere between what we feel and what really happened. Neither of those is truth alone."

Heavy, heartfelt, and sometimes harrowing, Isaac's Song tells the story of Isaac, a young gay Black man who, growing up, had a more than tumultuous relationship with his father. Now in therapy, his father dead, Isaac reflects on his childhood and pieces together his own narrative with those of his parents. In examining his past through a fresh lens, he finds contradictions he never would have found otherwise, and Isaac grows to realize that perhaps his father isn't the man he made him out to be. In the end, Isaac's story, while sorrowful, reminds us that the road to recovery is both long and incredibly rewarding.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for the arc.

Isaac's Song is a poignant and beautifully woven narrative that explores the complexities of love, loss, and the enduring bonds of family. From the very first page, Black's lyrical prose captivates readers, immersing them in the rich emotional landscape of his characters, particularly Isaac, whose journey of self-discovery and healing unfolds against a backdrop of deeply rooted family history. The vividly drawn characters, each with their unique struggles and triumphs, are relatable and deeply human, while the authentic dialogue enhances the emotional resonance of the story. What sets "Isaac's Song" apart is its exploration of personal and cultural identity, as well as the impact of generational trauma, encouraging readers to reflect on their own lives and relationships. Ultimately, this powerful and moving read will linger in the hearts and minds of its audience long after the final page is turned, celebrating the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of love. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeply emotional and thought-provoking journey—highly recommended!

ARC Review Isaac’s Song by Daniel Black
Publication Date: January 14, 2025

This is a story of love and a journey to forgiveness. Isaac grew up with an artistic flair, creativity and a love for writing and the arts. His confidence and joy in his pursuits are gradually crushed out of him by his father and peers as he is told he is a “sissy” and realizes feminine traits are not valued. This launches a lifelong struggle to accept his sexuality, his mannerisms and what it means to be a black man. When his father dies he is shocked by the level of his grief for someone he had been estranged from and seeks out therapy to explore this. The therapist challenges him to write about his childhood and explore his memories and feelings.

Isaac has love and support from his mother and grandmother to counterbalance the negativity of his father and others. “My problem was that I couldn’t change. I didn’t hate who I was, I hated that others hated it. It left me alone, without community, and that is a sad, devastating thing. I wanted a village. I wanted to belong.” As he begins writing about his memories of childhood he begins to recognize that his mother wasn’t perfect and that his father wasn’t a monster. Through beginning to understand his father’s experiences of oppression and the limitations imposed on him he realizes that his father was in an imperfect way trying to protect him from the brutality of the world that a black man will face and didn’t want the world to have an additional avenue to attack him.

“You were born into a society which spelled out, with brutal clarity and in as many ways as possible, that you were a worthless human being.” Baldwin “He had birthed a son who had to justify his existence, a boy who would spend a lifetime begging for permission to love, to live”.

These realizations don’t minimize the pain caused by his father but allowed him to begin to heal. He is able to see both his mother and father for the loving, flawed, imperfect people they were and that sometimes its what they meant to do not what they did that counts. “I hate that you didn’t see me, now I know that I didn’t see you either.”

The exploration of the complicated father and son relationship was wonderfully written. It was ugly, and messy, but also loving; not the one dimensional father that you sometimes see. The emotional journey Isaac takes and his final connections with his father allowing forgiveness were so powerful and touching imbued with spirituality.

This is a beautifully written poignant story of grief, longing for connection and the many ways love can be shown. The journey of self reflection to self acceptance and forgiveness is one of the most compelling and authentically written I have read. It will take your breathe away.

This book has definitely made me change my mindset when it comes to forgiveness and the childhood trauma that we often hold on to. Excellent read. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

What an incredible story that deep dives into he complexities of the relationship between a father and a son who came from two very different worlds and the adult realization that in part, those worlds are not so different after all. Isaac’s journey into his ancestry and using that growing knowledge to better understand his father was masterfully done. In addition, we get to go on Isaac’s journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance. I loved how real this story was- that forgiveness comes in time and not all at once, and that sometimes loving yourself is a lifelong journey and all you can do is try. This book reads like a memoir and is completely engrossing. I need to go back and read Don’t Cry For Me Now. Add this to your 2025 TBR!

Wow, just wow! I don’t know how I’m only now discovering the writing of @drdanielblack, but if *Isaac’s Song* is any indication of his talent, I will definitely be adding more of his books to my collection. This novel has such a sense of authenticity; I was captivated from the first page and felt compelled to continue on this journey of healing with Isaac.

Dr. Black did a fantastic job of addressing many underlying issues in the community concerning masculinity and sexual identity. I honestly I’m still at a loss for words. I cried multiple times and felt the healing in the final pages of the novel.

This was such a beautiful piece of work! This book was full of raw emotion and honesty! I can't wait to support this book when it launches and I would loooove an audiobook of this art.

Beautiful, tender, raw, this book is inextricably entwined with its predecessor Don’t Cry For Me while distinguishing itself as it instead comes from the perspective of the young person who lives and loves otherwise.

Isaacs song is a deeply moving and gripping story about the exploration of family, forgiveness, and the legacy of generational pain. Black masterfully weaves a tale that forces us to confront the complexities of parental love and human imperfection. A must-read for anyone who’s ever struggled to reconcile their past with their present .
As children we judge our parents harshly, often times sitting through therapy sessions where we blame them for how they parent and even the choices that we make. But as parents we hope to break generational curses, gentle parenting our children, hoping that our children will use a different set of rulers on which to measure us. Black does a great job of presenting the African American Queer experience from the viewpoint of a black man. Isaac who is queer and has struggled with his identity, half the time embracing it and the other half shunning it, must come to terms with the conflicting emotions the death of his father brings him. He’s confronted with reliving and examining the way his dad made him feel during his childhood and adulthood. No longer allowed to blame his father for his decisions he must confront head on his feelings and the reasons behind the decisions he has made. This book made me weep several different times. I love how Mr. Black humanizes, Isaacs father, many times softening his sharp edges and shaping the narrative as to why he operated the way that he did. This book is a must read for anybody who has had to reconcile their past with their present or has had to learn to forgive their parents and themselves.

“The last drops of water I poured for fathers who’d spent a lifetime trying - and sons who’d missed it.”

This was such a perfect follow up to Don’t Cry For Me. I sobbed through Don’t Cry For Me, but reading Isaac’s point of view was the necessary story I didn’t think I needed. The relationship between parent and child can be so complex. As a parent, I get wanting the best for your child; trying to protect them from the world. As a child, I get not feeling seen.

I loved every bit of this. The ending had never ending tears falling as Isaac finally reached a point of healing

First let me say, thank you for this story,,, I feel in love with Jacob , felt he was misunderstood. And then to be able to hear Issac’s story.

This story between Issac and his parents, especially his father Jacob is one that is so familiar but very often not talked about. The journey his therapist takes him on to free himself of the burden laid upon his spirit from his childhood through early adulthood. The newfound truth and lite he sees within himself and his parents. Take your feelings out of it and see it from what it actually is. The lessons taught aren’t always black & white, right or wrong. And if you haven’t read Don’t Cry for me, Please do!

I want to thank Netgalley for the e-arc of this upcoming read!

I have such an adoration for this. At first, it is a story of one mans journey through self. His therapist, who is literally so wise, is one of the best characters here. The novel is so real, its painful, its raw and its gorgeous. Under its surface, it is a story of a man and his relationship with his father. However, throughout, our MC discovers so much about his relationship with himself and the world.

4 stars

This novel is a powerful exploration of identity, community, and resilience, as Isaac, a young queer Black man, navigates the complexities of self-discovery amidst societal challenges, including the AIDS crisis and racial tensions, ultimately leading him on a transformative journey to confront his past and reclaim his truth.

This book masterfully balances weighty themes with accessible prose, thanks to Black's skillful storytelling and well-developed characters. It serves as a powerful testament to human resilience and the vital importance of self-expression. The narrative's emotional resonance and lyrical language render it utterly captivating.

Whether familiar with Daniel Black's prior works or discovering his writing anew, readers will find this book profoundly resonant and inspiring.

Absolutely loved. Daniel Black is like no other. The way he writes about sexuality, the black experience, familial relationships is always so captivating and unique.

This is a spoiler-free review of a novel to be released in January 2025.

In the follow-up to Don’t Cry for Me by Dr. Daniel Black, we are sung Issac’s Song. Though Isaac is the focal point of the first novel, we only get to experience him through the eyes of his father, Jacob. In this sequel, we see Isaac come into his own as a Black, gay man, who must confront his past and decide whether to move forward from it or with it.

I was excited to gain perspective on a life I’d only glimpsed in the first book. Isaac is a complicated character who spends much of the novel learning more about himself through reexamining his relationships with those closest to him. He finds a hard truth; neither feelings nor facts are as accurate as we think.

This book is not the first novel from Isaac’s perspective. As much as Jacob had to tell his own story and show us the world from his POV, Isaac was allowed to do the same. Of course, some moments from Don’t Cry for Me are touched on, but this book isn’t a retelling from a different POV.

Instead, this is an imaginative and poetic exploration of manhood, creativity, memory, and perspective. We see a side of Isaac we didn’t know existed and exploring it and the stories he tells was a highlight of the novel for me. Isaac’s explorations of the arts and creativity, something we saw in the first novel, take center stage here. Dr. Black has such a creative way of exploring his characters from all angles that it was easy to feel like Isaac is someone I know.

I can’t wait until January to write a full review. I have no quotes, but I wanted to include some questions about the book's themes so please take a look.

Only one word describes this novel.... PHENOMENAL! I can't wait for the readers to read this story. It was a beautiful love story of a father and gay son. It was a love story for all black men if I can be honest. It was so real, so raw, and so spiritual. I won't spoil the story, but I promise anyone who reads this will love it. The characters in this story were alive to me. I saw myself in Isaac, I saw my father in his father, and definitely saw my mother in his mother. I believe ever parent of a LGBT child should read this book to gather understanding. Do yourself a favor and get this book when it comes out in January, you won't

Let me start out by saying Don't Cry for Me is one of my all time favorite books. These are characters I thought about constantly. I was dying to know what Issac would have to say in response to his father's letters.

This is VERY different from Don't Cry for Me. Poetically, I loved it. They are two separate men, with completely different stories, and shared trauma.

Isaac's Song isn't a call and response to the first book. We do learn of Isaac's perspective on certain events, but we are taken on the journey of his life before we ever even get to the letters Jacob left him.

I think that Isaac has an important story and I definitely think the two books need to be read as a pair. But Isaac's Song didn't have the same gut punch as Don't Cry for Me.

Isaac was on a self discovery journey, which can be messy and I feel like that was reflected in the book. I feel like the novel jumped around a lot, though still connected. I loved the crossroad of his identity, the inside look on his therapy sessions and that the book didn't end tied nicely with a bow.

I will say, I think there needs to be a trigger warning once Issac starts righting his book. It actually was a large part of the ending and slave stories are important, but sensitive. I wasn't expecting that. I loved the idea of Issac finally following his passion, but it was a little lengthy and almost distracting (?).

Overall, I give the book a 3.75 ⭐️ but am rounding up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley & Daniel Black for the digital ARC.


*There were a lot of typos.

This is my song novel by Black and it surely will not be my last. The way he carefully deals with relationships between fathers and son is so heartbreakingly beautiful, just like his writing. I found myself become quite emotional at several points while reading. This was truly a treat.