Pomegranate

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2024 CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN FICTION

A gripping, reflective, and powerful novel of healing, redemption, and love that follows a Queer Black woman—a recovering opioid addict recently out of prison—who is desperate to stay clean and pull her tattered life together with the aim of regaining custody of her two children while her old life beckons.

"An aching portrayal of a woman whose young life gets waylaid by self-splintering challenges: abusive mother, wrong boy, debilitating addictions, grievous betrayals."

“A slow-burning, bittersweet novel of recovery, repair, and familial love.”

“A bold novel…[and] a complex, layered illustration of the effects structural racism, patriarchy, marginalization and violence can have on queer Black women throughout the U.S.”

“A raw, beautiful story of reintegration and a mother trying to do and be better for her kids. Oscillating between present-day Ranita and her past self, this story paints a real, painful picture of a woman caught in a cycle of drug use and eventual prison time, and her daily fight for sobriety and wellness when she returns to her family.”

“Lee writes beautifully about the healing power of Black kin networks, queer love, community support systems, and literature.”

“With a light, poetic touch, Lee balances the painful details of Ranita’s reality with genuine, persistent hope for new beginnings. It’s irresistible.”

“Like the pomegranate of the title…filled with unexpected treasures. Lee has created a powerful, beautifully written story of a woman who painfully confronts her past to build her future.”

“Lee’s handling of trauma is deft, and her portrayal of the carceral system’s cruelty is unflinching and empathetic…a cache of jewels.”

Helen Elaine Lee was educated at Harvard College and Harvard Law School. She served on the PEN New England board and on its Freedom to Write committee and volunteered with its Prison Creative Writing Program, which she helped to establish. She is a professor in Comparative Media Studies/Writing at MIT. She is the author of three novels: The Serpent’s Gift , Water Marked , and Pomegranate . Find out more at HelenElaineLee.net.