Imani Perry's BLACK IN BLUES is exquisite. The way she tells the history of her family and of Black people through the color blue is both moving and genius. Many writers have written book-length works focusing on one color (and blue seems to be a popular choice), yet Perry's is the one that sticks with me. Her writing is beautiful and her stories very compelling. Before the book was published, I kept looking for it on my shelves because I wanted to reference a passage. I will be teaching this book in at least two of my upcoming classes and look forward to spending more time with BLACK IN BLUES

Great book about the intersection between black people and color theory!

This is the kind of book that i would love to purchase a physical copy for my personal library.

What a beautiful tribute to color blue among the African diaspora! Imani Perry does not miss. I had the pleasure of seeing her at an author event in 2024 where she told us about this book. I knew then I immediately had to read it. She went over many things that I knew she would, others that I didn't think of the connection, and some things that were new to me. There were a few times where I did wish she went more depth on a few of them. For instance, in the chapter Janie's Blues (named after Zora Neale Hurston's female main character in Their Eyes Were Watching God,) I wanted a little more information of voodoo and hoodoo. I think this book will definitely serve as an introduction for some subjects to do a deep dive on later. Hoodoo Blue, Blue-eyed Negroes, The Blue Note, Afro Blue, and the boys in Blue were some of my favorite chapters but honestly really enjoyed this book. When Perry closed the book out talking about her friendship with artist Delita Martin, I was so satisfied. Martin's work is amazing and the emotion in her paintings are palpable. I will definitely high recommend this book and I plan on re-reading in the future.

Rounded up from 4.5 stars

3/10

Halfway through this book, I had to wave the white flag and surrender. I suppose it probably should’ve been a blue flag.

I was very excited to read this book the moment I heard the premise. In fact, I was talking to people about the book before I even read it - that’s how excited I was.

Then I started reading.

Listen, I’m not an idiot. I’m well educated, I’ve been a published author for decades, I’m very well read. I’m not a genius by any means, but I’m smarter than your average bear.

Every once in a long while, I read a book that uses words in such a purposely complex way, that it makes me feel like an idiot. Sometimes, like with Ta-Nehisi Coates, I get through the book and think “wow, that author is brilliant.”
More often than not, I get part of the way through the book and realize the author is making reading so difficult because they’re really saying nothing.

Unfortunately, I’m going to go against the trend of reviews and say that Imani Perry is in the latter category.

The premise of this book is that Black peoples history is intertwined with the color blue. Imani then tells stories about how the history of black people is all about fighting for survival in a world that wants to beat them down. Amidst these stories are references to blue, some obvious (Blues music), some interesting (farming Indigo) and many ridiculous and forced (a horse with “Blue” in its name that a black person once rode, a guy with the last name Blue who got arrested and deported to Australia, a cocktail named Blue N****).

All in all, I’m no more convinced that the color is attached to the history of black people than I was before I read the book.

But that’s not even my main point in this review.

As Steve Martin said to John Candy in “Planes, Trains and Automobiles”:

“Let me give you a tip: when you tell a story, have a point.”

Each chapter is like a stream of consciousness for somebody who wants to write like Malcolm X can speak. The average simple sentence is made into such a muddle of intellectual blather that after a chapter or two your just begging for her to say something like a normal person would speak in todays day and age.

What’s even worse is that Imani continually goes into excruciating detail into topics that simply don’t matter for her story. In fact, most of the chapters ramble from intricate and mundane details from one random thought into another and another.

It’s no wonder she refers to Moby Dick a few times, as the writing reminded me of that book: pages and pages of excruciating detail into minuscule topics that are irrelevant to the readers understanding of what’s going on. (If you haven’t read Moby Dick, it’s a really hard read. I never could finish it).

I read a bunch of other reviews of this book down below. Everybody talks about the writing, and almost everybody is praising it while still saying they didn’t understand it.

I’m not going to give it praise (obviously), we are supposed to understand writing. Using big words and complex sentences just for the sake of trying to sound smart is a waste of our time.

I’m sure Imani is an incredibly smart person, but this book is a big swing and a miss. It bums me out because I was so very much looking forward to it.

In the end, all it did was to leave me blue.

#netgalley #blackinblues

It took me this long to find a book that would require me to add a racism shelf which I definitely needed. Beloved by Toni Morrison seems to be a central text for Imani Perry. I will prioritize it for the near future. Yes, I know I should have read it long ago

this book was packed beyond belief with emotion, knowledge, interesting facts and gut=punching scenes, poetic moments and factual connections. i wish that there was a bit more a through-line through some of it, but needing to slow down and appreciate this book was not a bad thing at all.

We need this book now! Imani Perry takes the color blue and uses it as a cultural touchstone, benchmark, metaphor and symbol to reflect the history, spirituality, and mythology of the actual journeys of Black people across continents, music, art and events. There is no finer guide to begin one’s education and reflection of what has been accomplished, who are some of the leaders and what achievements still need to be realized. Thank you. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this title.

Imani Perry is by far one of my favorite authors. I appreciate her mind and the thoughts she shares with us. This book definitely feels like the wild twin sister of South to America. Seeing her interviews, where she discusses how the books came about in tandem, makes the experience even more meaningful. I loved the poeticism and the unconventional format—it felt like I was peering into Dr. Perry’s mind, seeing how she draws connections between different subjects while weaving them together with this thread of blue.

The book required patience on my part, but it was such a treat. I have already ordered my physical copy for my bookshelf.

Imani Perry is a brilliant story teller that gives us a deep history of the color blue and the significance to African history and the history that carried over with Black citizens in America. A needed history lesson and tribute to not just the color but the deep history and heritage of African people. It's a beautiful tribute to the rich history and culture of people of African decent.

If I’m just rating the narration, it’s five stars. If I’m just rating the book, five stars. If I’m just rating the cover, five stars. You get my point? Once again, Perry transports us through a beautifully written and enlightening journey, exploring the deeply historical, creative, and poetic connections between blue and Black identity, color, and purpose. I feel incredibly lucky to have had both a physical review copy and an ALC from Harper Audio.

There’s an undeniable warmth, sorrow, and curiosity in the narration—not just in voice, but in prose. You can hear the tenderness and dedication in Perry’s approach. With every new entry, there’s a sense of wonder about where blue will take us next. This book is moving and deeply personal, yet highly intriguing. Many readers will be captivated by the connections Perry presents through meticulous research, delivered in a way that truly hooks you. The interplay between melancholy and joy, grief and honor, pain and pleasure is beautifully conveyed.

Thank you to Ecco, NetGalley, and Harper Audio!

This book makes me miss liberal arts courses in college—the kind of text that begs for conversation, for voices layering like waves, deepening its meaning with each exchange. Each chapter stands on its own as a beautifully crafted historical recounting, yet together they form a mosaic of Black life—fractured at times, but always luminous. The blues in these pages—indigo, cobalt, cerulean—hold stories of survival, creation, and the endurance of culture, whether through longing, resistance, or the sea that carried both devastation and dreams.

I would’ve appreciated a clearer roadmap in the introduction, a sense of where each blue would take me. But perhaps that’s the point—drifting, searching, being momentarily lost, only to be caught in a current that carries you somewhere unexpected and necessary. Even when I struggled to find the throughline, I was buoyed by the brilliance of each chapter. This is a book that understands the resilience of Black life, the way it continues to shine—brilliant, boundless, blue.

Thank you to the NetGalley and the publishers for this e-arc!

Everyone should read Black in Blues. Imani Perry beautifully connects Black history, culture, and spirit to every form of blue throughout her wonderful stories. This well-researched book taught me new aspects of Blackness and the color blue, as well as shed new light on stories I was already familiar with. 10/10 I will be buying a physical copy for my personal library.

this is a history book unlike anything that i've ever read. through a series of essays that cartograph a journey through history, we're treated to stories of how the color blue correlates with Blackness. imani perry weaved these tales so delicately and pinpointed the blueness in each so cleverly that i'm now convinced that there has to be some cosmic being doing this by design.

through this book i've learned more about Black history more than i have ever learned in a history class; i think this book should be required reading for that reason alone. for example:

- in the 1800s, political leaders encouraged free Black people to immigrate to liberia. here, perry speaks of what it's like to be both colonized and colonizer. later, she goes on to say that ultimately, different diasporas realized there was a universality to their Blackness: "Even when we don't care for each other, we know we have something to do with one another."

- slavery has literally changed the environment. so many enslaved people jumped overboard into the ocean after capture that blue-green tiger sharks developed a taste for humans.

- the periwinkle flower isn't native to north america, so if it's seen growing in the wild, there are likely to be human remains of enslaved people near - since they weren't permitted the option of headstones, they used the flower to decorate the resting places of their loved ones.

- the song "jimmy crack corn" is actually an antebellum anthem. i didn't know this at all. turns out, it's about an enslaved man batting away blue tail flies from his master and his horse. one day, he misses a fly and the fly bites the master's horse, killing the master when the horse bucks him. i sobbed when perry summarized: "But it is also fascinating because the tiny, bothersome, inconsequential fly had a mortal impact. It might have been a warning about the meek of the earth." this tied in to perry's later discussions of the resiliency of Black people.

we also learn about blue bottle trees meant to ward off evil spirits - brought to the american south by enslaved africans. we learn about hoodoo and the blue used to keep the haints away. we learn that police uniforms are blue because union uniforms were repurposed and given to them. we learned about the blues. george washington carver is known for peanuts, but to diminish him to just peanuts is to severely undersell his contributions to society and the breadth of his humanity.

i cannot explain how well researched and special this book is - reading it felt like being introduced to a new world. perry's writing does an excellent service to these rarely told histories; her prose is compulsively readable and addictive, even, written less like an educational, technical work and more like sitting with a storyteller. (in fact, all of perry's books read this way; she's a must-read author.)

highly, highly recommend.

My only complaint is that I waited so long to listen and read this book. I will have to get a physical copy, and do a re read because there was so much nuggets and gem throughout this book. And listening to the audiobook was so informative. And when i see post on social media asking what books should people have physical copies of in their personal libraries due to the current administration and their policies, this book will be top on the list. I had an arc of the audio and kindle version, and both were good, I will still need a physical copy. It has easily become one of my favorite books of the year.

This book is informative, reflective, and provides so much comfort to those who have experiences with the blues or relative to.

I immediately wished I was able to read with my grandmother and ask her questions. She wrote this book with so much intention and knowledge and it led me to wanting to dive further in to better understand some chapters and elements. A deeper connection to why so many elders in my family share a favoritism towards the color blue.

Dr. Imani Perry’s Black in Blues stands as a testament to her unparalleled prowess as one of the greatest modern writers. The depth and breadth of Black life, culture, and history that she captures using the singular theme of the color blue is both remarkable and vivid. Perry masterfully intertwines historical narratives, cultural analysis, and personal reflections, creating a work that is as educational as it is evocative.
One of the most captivating moments in the book is Perry’s exploration of how Frederick Douglass and other Black individuals of his era educated themselves using the blue-covered Noah Webster’s spelling book. This insight sheds light on the resilience and resourcefulness of a community determined to overcome barriers to literacy and empowerment.
Equally compelling is the extensive backstory Perry provides on George Washington Carver. Far beyond his well-known association with peanuts, she delves into the complexities of his life, his scientific innovations, and his profound contributions to agricultural advancements. By doing so, Perry restores Carver’s legacy as a multifaceted genius rather than a figure reduced to a single narrative.
The audiobook version of Black in Blues comes highly recommended. Narrated by Perry herself, it offers a deeply personal and engaging experience. Her tender, thoughtful voice imbues the text with an added layer of authenticity and brilliance, making each chapter even more impactful.
In every aspect, Black in Blues is a triumph. Dr. Imani Perry’s ability to weave history, culture, and storytelling into a cohesive and meaningful narrative solidifies her position as a literary powerhouse. This book is essential reading for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of Black history and culture.

Imani Perry takes us on a journey examining the color blue and its connection to black history. I really learned a lot reading/listening to this book. The author narrates the audiobook.

this is such a beautiful book. Imani Perry has done it again.
she has caused me to look at so many things differently

Imani Perry is a courageous and affectionate author who is exploring what it means to write a people's history on paper. Only she could write this book, which makes it so special. I adored it, and some of the pages, sentences, and parts really touched me. There were several sections that were so detailed that I know I must go back to them repeatedly. There were other portions that felt like a connection. This one deserves praise for its ambition and complexity. I never gave blue and blackness much thought, but now I can't tell them apart.

This compilation features a series of short essays, some of which are deeply personal to the author, while others are grounded in Black history. Each piece is original, distinct, engaging, and beautifully crafted. Perry links the color blue to Black history worldwide, exploring the essence of Blackness as expressed through art, music, dance, and literature.

I appreciate how each essay focuses on a different aspect related to blue, whether it's the importance of indigo, hoodoo traditions, or blues music, among others. Perry has done an outstanding job of interweaving these seemingly unrelated subjects to illuminate the experiences of Black lives, both past and present.