Meet Me at the Crossroads

In this mesmerizing work of speculative fiction from Giddings (The Women Could Fly), the world is transformed by the sudden appearance of seven strange doors, which many come to believe are portals to a mystical realm. The story centers on two Black teens, twin sisters Olivia and Ayanna, who are raised separately by their mother and father following their parents’ divorce. Olivia attends Catholic school while Ayanna joins her father’s religious community, whose beliefs are built around one of the seven doors, which appeared in their Michigan hometown. When the girls get together, they compare notes on the racism they encounter and debate what might lie behind the door worshipped by their father. Olivia considers it a “door to nowhere,” while Ayanna imagines an idyll of “golden paths and golden plants.” After a group of billionaires gain approval from the U.S. government to go through the door, some of them spontaneously combust upon entry. Still, Olivia and Ayanna decide to explore what’s on the other side. Olivia accidentally enters first and disappears, leaving Ayanna behind to grapple with the loss. With her sister still missing, Ayanna goes off to college, where she’s haunted by visions and voices of spirits, whom she believes are talking to her from the realm entered by Olivia. In search of answers, Ayanna turns to a professor who specializes in Black spirituality. Giddings grounds the ethereal narrative with strong character work and wry narration as it builds to a stunning conclusion. Readers will be enthralled and left with much to ponder. Agent: Dan Conaway, Writers House. (June)