The Unfortunates

A gripping call to action—and a daring triumph of a novel. — ADORAH NWORAH

Masterfully portrays the splintering of the mind in its most striking, unfiltered form. — AIWANOSE ODAFEN

A playful, powerful debut. — ZAKIYA DALILA HARRIS

A razor-sharp novel from an utterly unique new voice.

Dear Reader,

It has come to my attention that smoking kills, along with police, loner white boys, and looks. While embroiled in the process of trying to live, I have written this honors thesis¹. It² is dedicated to the first years who haven’t yet died from alcohol poisoning, exhaustion, or overdosing. This work has been a labor of love and of hate. In it, you will find juxtaposition, verisimilitude, French, Freud, and anything else I’ve wasted £60K a year to learn.

I would like to thank my advisors: Mr. White Supremacy, Mr. Capitalism, Ms. Racism, and, of course, my Life Partner³ for all the guidance they have provided during this process.

Set in the mind of a young Black woman who is losing hers, The Unfortunates is a darkly funny debut about the realities of elitist institutions from an exceptional new writer.