The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond

Eleven-year-old Violet, whose African American father died before she was born, has always felt different from her white mom and half-sister. Then Violet meets her paternal grandmother, and the two quickly form a strong bond that fills a void in each of their lives. Woods carefully fuses an affirmation of familial love's healing properties to a gentle exploration of cultural and racial identity.

Stars a likable, relatable heroine whose curiosity and enthusiasm about everything from her own background to new words, unfamiliar cities, and friends’ cultures will invite readers to explore along with her. Violet often feels caught between two worlds—while her loving mother and sister are white, and she has grown up in a mostly white community, strangers see Violet as black. Violet’s black father died before she was born, and she hasn’t met his side of the family. Anyone who has ever felt like an outsider will sympathize and identify with Violet’s desire to belong. Brenda Woods addresses racial identity with delicacy and honesty, and characters offer a range of valid perspectives and opinions on the meaning and importance of race. While one person prefers to see everyone as part of the human race and thinks the word “biracial” is unnecessary, another feels that “certain things are different if you’re black” and that black Americans face lingering and unconscious prejudices. Bibi is a complex character who is initially reluctant to connect with her granddaughter, a reminder of the son she lost. As Violet and Bibi bond, Bibi makes Violet feel welcome and loved while drawing her into an expanded family.