everyman : a novel

“everyman by M Shelly Conner is a mural, a bold and colorful exploration of personal and communal history. At its core, the work is a bountiful examination of Black life before and after the Great Migration, deeply researched and carefully rendered, the narratives inform and intersect, challenge and comfort; fueled by intellectual inquiry and steeped in history, this book is personal and political, an unapologetic engagement of the heart and the mind. With this novel, Conner invites us to explore the stories we tell ourselves about who we are, where we came from, and how we define home.” Sheree L. Greer, author of A Return to Arms

“everyman is the rare twenty-first-century novel that feels like Morrison and Walker guided the hand of the characters, and the writer, calling it home. M Shelly Conner writes as if all of our lives depend on her art. After reading everyman, I’m convinced she’s right.” Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy: An American Memoir

“History comes alive through M Shelly Conner’s richly imagined settings and characters. I was hooked by the complex web of secrets that unfold in unexpected ways.” Maisy Card, author of These Ghosts Are Family

“A literary masterpiece…The unflinching dialogue and masterfully crisp prose gripped me from the beginning…everyman is a story for everyone.” Catherine Adel West, author of Saving Ruby King, SheReads 2020 Book of the Year

“everyman is the rare twenty-first-century novel that feels like Morrison and Walker guided the hand of the characters, and the writer, calling it home.” Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy: An American Memoir

“Conner’s inviting debut unearths a young Black woman’s family history…Conner weaves plenty of details of African American history throughout, such as the founding of the Tuskegee Institute and Martin Luther King Jr.’s alliance with a Chicago street gang, seamlessly connecting these events to the characters’ lives. Overall, this wonderfully evokes a sense of place, and a palpable curiosity about the past.” Publishers Weekly

“In this lilting and lyrical epic, readers follow the meandering ancestry of twenty-two-year-old Every Mann, known as Eve, as she searches for answers and meaning in her genealogy…everyman is a gorgeous, multigenerational examination of the Great Migration and the ripple effects of mysteries that were left in its wake for the descendants of those who sought ‘the warmth of other suns.’” Booklist

“Boomers, Gen Jones, Millennials, Gen X, Gen Y, and beyond have much to learn from Dr. Conner, and the stories are telling and compelling as each character’s thread creates the tapestry that Eve is seeking to create. She weaves words, actions, recollections, and even though a picture is forming, it will always be gloriously incomplete. Summer, fall, winter—any season is perfect for this book. Get two today—one to keep and one to share. The loaner will never return.” Out in Jersey

“Janina Edwards sensitively narrates Conner’s powerful debut…Edwards’s voice is perfectly suited to this beautiful audiobook. She speaks with a velvety fluidity…[and] is especially effective at delivering dialogue, as she captures the many different personalities and authentically communicates their love, desperation, and humanity.” AudioFile