30 Authors in 30 Days is a first of its kind event aimed at connecting readers, bloggers, and authors. Hosted by The Book Wheel, this month-long event takes place during September and features 30 authors discussing their favorite recent reads on 30 different blogs. There are also some great prizes provided by GoneReading.com and BookJigs. For the full schedule of participating authors and bloggers, visit The Book Wheel. 

Tayari Jones, author of Silver Sparrow, Leaving Atlanta, and The Untelling.

I’m thrilled to host Tayari Jones for 30 Authors in 30 Days. I loved her book Silver Sparrow when I read it as a read-along book during an event hosted by Vasilly at 1330v ~ Thoughts of an Eclectic Reader. In her contribution to this event, Tayari recommends that we read Into The Go-Slow by Bridgett Davis, a book that I’ve now put on my To Be Read list!

Can you handle the truth? This is the question at the start of Into The Go-Slow, the new novel by Bridgett Davis. If you know her first novel, Shifting Through Neutral, you may think of her as a native daughter of Detroit, Michigan. And in this novel, she still represents her hometown, but she reveals herself to be a true citizen of the world. The protagonist, Angie is a true Detroiter—born, bread, and buttered in the Motor City—but she finds herself getting on a plane to Lagos, Nigeria in order to unravel the mystery of the death of her sister, Ella.

Ella is the kind of girl we all know and wish we could be more like, although Ella herself doesn’t always see herself that way. She is smart, audacious, and has her mind turned toward justice and freedom. She came of age in the 1960s and 70s and was known for the “Free Angela Davis” pin clipped to her jacket. Heavy-set and insecure, she begins to flower under the attention of her boyfriend, Nigel. The pair, avant garde and bold, soon sink into drug abuse, squandering so much potential and trust. As a reader, your heart will break alongside little sister Angie’s as her amazing sister becomes almost unrecognizable. But just as Ella can break your heart, she can mend it too, as she gets herself cleaned up and back on track. So how does she die on a trip to Lagos that was meant to be a victory lap, the celebration of a new lease on life? Does Angie really want to know? Can Angie handle the truth?

Angie retraces Ella’s steps to a Lagos you don’t often see—the salons where intellectuals argue, the homes of American ex-pats, and even Fela’s night club, “The Shrine”. In every port, Angie finds answers that only lead to more questions. Still she perseveres, desperately seeking anyone who had known Ella. Finally, Angie discovers the person who knew her sister best, sparking a love story that will haunt you long after you turn the last page.

I can’t praise this book enough. It’s intense but still infused with humor. It’s plenty sexy, but sober too. And there is so much love here—romantic love, love of family, love of tribe. And truth. And even when it’s hard, the old adage is real— the truth actually does set you free.

Interested in Into the Go-Slow? You can learn about Bridgett M. Davis by liking her on Facebook or following her on Twitter. Or, you can purchase the book now through Goodreads purchase links. You can also learn more about Tayari Jones by liking her on Facebook, following her on Twitter, or purchasing Silver Sparrow using the links on Goodreads.

For more fun with 30 Authors in 30 Days, check out the Giveaway!