PRE-ORDER: On Sale: May 26, 2026

A gorgeous illustrated meditation on the homes of iconic Southern women, from Nina Simone to Carson McCullers

In These Long Shadows, writer Monica Nelson excavates the domestic narratives and mythologies contained within the publicly preserved homes of some of the American South's leading cultural figures.
In Virginia, readers are drawn into the garden and home of Harlem Renaissance poet Anne Spencer and encounter modernist architect Amaza Lee Meredith's International Style residence, Azurest South. Journeying south, they encounter the North Carolinian childhood homes of both influential civil rights activist Anna "Pauli" Murray, and revolutionary singer-songwriter Nina Simone. In Atlanta, readers wander into the apartment of incendiary Southern author Margaret Mitchell. In Louisiana, they gaze upon the quietly profound folk art paintings of Clementine Hunter at Melrose Plantation, and take a pilgrimage to writers' homes from the Southern Renaissance, including Flannery O'Connor, William Faulkner, Zora Neale Hurston and Carson McCullers.
These Long Shadows assembles a constellation of new visions, narratives and readings with which to examine the nation's ever-metamorphosing historical landscape. Nelson's book constitutes the third volume of The Illustrated America, Atelier Editions' ongoing anthropological survey of eclectic chapters drawn from 20th-century America's cultural past.
Monica Nelson is a writer and graphic designer based in New York and Savannah. She has developed strategic visual narratives for publications, cultural institutions and brands, working with over 100 photographers. She was the founding creative and photo director of Wilder Quarterly, which fostered a floral-drenched view of the natural world, and the author of Edible Flowers (Monacelli Press, 2021).

Denishia Boswell is a successful florist and owner of Happily Ever After Floral Shop. Although she creates beautiful bouquets and floral designs to enhance any romantic or intimate setting, she’s having problems enhancing her own love life. She’s in a lackluster relationship that she is ready to give the ax to, but the fear of being alone has kept her from doing so. However, a celebrity client comes her way, and he is after more than just flowers. She finds it extremely hard to ignore his romantic advances, despite her current relationship status.

Ezekiel Wheeler is focused on advancing his acting career. He’s determined to be a sought-after actor that can name his price. None of that means anything if he has no one to celebrate his accolades with. He doesn’t want the celebrity girlfriend or the women approaching him. He wants to be the aggressor. While planning a surprise party for his mother, he contacts a florist to provide the perfect setup for the festivities. The moment he hears her voice, he’s all in.

Denishia and Ezekiel have an undeniable attraction to one another, although her current situation forces her to somewhat deny it in the beginning. When things change and heartache suddenly finds her address, Ezekiel is there to help her pick up the pieces. However, will the ensuing drama force them apart, or will they tread through the moments of uncertainty together?

Having her own successful baking business literally fell into Harper Richardson’s lap. She’s strong, smart, independent, and well-rounded. Her life has already been figured out, and she is living it to the best of her abilities, along with her year-long boyfriend, Zaire. Things seem to be going well until Harper is given some news that stuns her, leaving her angry with herself for being so naïve. Zaire isn’t the man she thought he was. Still reeling from that news, she decides to go and have a great time at the Houston Livestock Show. Her interest was only in the concerts happening, but a certain bull rider steals her attention. Doing her best to resist him only makes her want him more.

Legend Semien, bull rider extraordinaire and a legend in the making, has made his passion a professional career. He loves the risk and suspense of it all. Being in the limelight of the rodeo circuit causes him to be cocky, and he expects to be able to get whatever he wants. That expectation applies to women too. His conquests always approach him, and he is living the life he thinks is meant for him to live. The moment he sees Harper, he knows that he wants her. There’s something different about her though. She doesn’t approach him. Destined to make her his, he steps out of his comfort zone in a quest to get what he wants.

While Harper and Legend are like night and day, they are attracted to each other like magnets. Despite the baggage and complications of their past lives, they attempt to get to know one another. Will they be able to leave their old lives behind in pursuit of a life together?

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A love lost is hard, especially when that loss appears in your face weekly, reminding you of what once was. Anissa Dent is experiencing heartbreak like none she’s ever felt. Her husband of nearly twenty years has fallen victim to crack cocaine after a devastating loss. All her efforts to help him have failed, and to protect herself and her sons, she divorces him and has him removed from their home. That doesn’t stop him from popping in and out of their lives with promises of getting clean. Anissa desperately wants to move on in her life, but her love for what once was is holding her back. However, attending a family barbeque with her son proves to be the restart she desperately needs. The host penetrates her exterior and has her questioning why she’s been single for the last fifteen years with someone like him available.

Grief can be a hard thing to overcome. Sheldon Berotte has been grieving the loss of his wife for nearly twenty-five years, not giving another relationship a second thought. When she dies during childbirth, he is left to raise their five children, all under the age of ten, alone. His in-laws all live out of town, so help was minimal. However, he stepped up to the plate and devoted his life to his children. Now that they are grown, they are worried about him. He has lost his ability to even entertain other people, nearly becoming a recluse. The only thing that gives him purpose is volunteering as security at one of the local high schools. Allowing his children to convince him into having a family barbeque and them inviting some of their friends and their families, is the moment his life changes forever.

Anissa and Sheldon have immediate chemistry that he tries to fight. The feeling of guilt consumes him and threatens to destroy their future before they can even have a present. Can Sheldon let go of the torment guilt is putting him through and embrace the budding relationship between him and Anissa or will he allow her to slip from his fingertips?

Being a doctor is Glover Israel’s passion. He tends to his patients like they are his children and takes pride in providing excellent care. He doesn’t have a good reputation among hospital staff, because he requires the same level of service from them toward his patients as well. Having to financially take care of his paraplegic father leaves little time for much of anything outside of work. The only things he can seem to find time for are carnal pleasures. He’s not looking for a relationship or anything close to love. So, he makes his rounds through potential candidates at will . . . until he literally bumps into Delaney Boutté.

Loving the wrong man can be hard to overcome emotionally. Delaney Boutté learns that lesson the hard way. When her relationship starts to fizzle and she finds out about her boyfriend’s philandering ways, she chooses to get even. Doctor Glover Israel seems to be the perfect candidate, since he has the reputation of being the womanizer of St. Ambrose Memorial Hospital. She knows he’s attracted to her, and physically, she’s attracted to him too, but she knows her heart isn’t ready for anything more than the carnal pleasures he’s known for indulging in.

Through their interactions at the hospital, the two quickly realize that there is more to their attraction than the physical aspect of it. Glover has nothing to lose by going for it, but Delaney feels her heart can’t withstand any more disappointment or heartbreak. Can the man that has avoided his feelings for so long convince the woman of his dreams that he’s ready for something real, or will she leave him to the proverbial streets from whence he came?

*ships in 7 -10 business days*

A stunning, contemporary Black southern gothic novel about what it means to be a poor woman in the God fearing south in the age of OnlyFans, by a breakout new Affrilachian writer, perfect for readers of The Other Black Girl and Luster

Magnolia Brown is nineteen years old, broke, and effectively an orphan. She feels stuck and haunted: by her overdrawn bank account, her predatory landlord, and the ghost of her late grandmother Mama Brown.

One night, while working at her dead-end gas station job, a mysterious, slick stranger named Cotton walks in and offers to turn Magnolia’s luck around with a lucrative “modeling” job at his family’s funeral home. She accepts. But despite things looking up, Magnolia’s problems fatten along with her wallet. When Cotton’s requests become increasingly weird, Magnolia discovers there’s a lot more at stake than just her rent.

Sharp as a belted knife, this sly social commentary cuts straight to the bone. House of Cotton will keep you mesmerized until the very last page.