Born into a comfortable Washington, D.C., home, Naomi Jefferson leads a life that is only occasionally marred by racism. As a teenager in the 1960s, she is concerned mostly with issues around virginity. But all that changes when her older brother, Joshua–who seems destined for greatness–is killed in a tragic car accident on his way to a civil rights demonstration. Now the rift between black and white America becomes much too personal, and Naomi embarks on a journey to honor her brother’s legacy–and to find herself.

Big Girls Don’t Cry

Literature & Fiction

Briscoe, Connie

Contemporary

Harpercollins

Three sisters from Washington--a single careerist, a married mother, and a working-class woman with a dissolute husband--struggle with personal crises and unfaithful men, while both confiding in and keeping secrets from each other

Sisters and Lovers

United States

In her eagerly-awaited second novelBig Girls Don't Cry, bestselling author Connie Briscoe (Sisters and Lovers) examines the issues faced by a young black woman determined to be successful both professionally and romantically. Growing up in a loving and supportive middle-class family in Washington, DC, in the '60s, Naomi Jefferson worries about what to wear, her bra size and meeting boys, and she has dreams of one day opening her own clothing store. While she knows racism is a problem (occasional brushes with the uglier side of people don't let her forget it), Naomi is, at heart, just like any other teenage girl. 
All of that changes when Joshua, Naomi's older brother, is killed in an accident on his way to a civil rights demonstration in Chicago. Racism becomes a personal issue, and Naomi decides that she needs to help bring about changes in the system. At college in Atlanta, she becomes immersed in politics, organizing protests and butting heads with school administrations as well as with her boyfriend, who isn't too friendly to the cause. Disillusioned by authority figures and betrayed by the man she loves, Naomi returns home, confused about the world and her place in it. 
Witty, sensitive, bittersweet and triumphant, Big Girls Don't Cry is a compelling portrait of a woman who refuses to compromise her standards -- cloudy as they may be at times -- in her quest for satisfaction. In Big Girls Don't Cry, Briscoe has created a heroine and a story to which any woman who has faced the frustrations of glass ceilings, the pain of loss and sacrifice and the perils and pleasures of love will immediately relate.

Big Girls Don't Cry: Novel, A

Harper

From Connie Briscoe, the New York Times bestselling author of Sisters &amp; Lovers and Big Girls Don't Cry, comes a lyrical and moving tour de force that is her most daringly ambitious novel to date--a multigenerational story of slavery freedom, and the indestructible bonds of love and family witnessed through the lives of three unforgettable African-American women.
 Shimmering with heartache and hope, A Long Way from Home recounts the joys, pain, and ultimate triumph of three generations: Susie; her daughter, Clara; and her granddaughter, Susan. Born and reared as house slaves on Montpelier, the Virginia plantation of President James Madison and his wife, Dolley Madison, they are united by love, by a fierce devotion to each other and their fellow slaves, and by a growing desire for freedom--a dream that will finally come to fruition for Susan at the end of the Civil War.
 This hauntingly beautiful novel opens in the peaceful Piedmont area of Virginia. Trained as a house slave since childhood, Susie enjoys the privileges that her position as maid to Miss Dolley provides her and Clara. For Susie life holds no mystery, no promise beyond the boundaries of the plantation itself--a lesson she tries to impart to the dreamy Clara, who longs to control her own destiny despite her mother's frightening admonition: "You don't know a thing about freedom, 'cause I don't know anything about it. It takes money and know-how to live free. You don't just up and do it." 
 Life will change for both mother and daughter, though, with the death of James Madison and the departure of his wife for her town house, events that leave the estate in the hands of Dolley's profligate son, Todd. As a result of his neglectful stewardship, the plantation soon falls to a series of owners, each posing a new threat to Susie and Clara, and the other longtime Madison slaves with whom the two women have shared their entire lives.
 Amidst these devastating changes, Clara grows into womanhood and becomes a mother herself, giving birth to two light-skinned daughters, Ellen and Susan. Yet the threat of separation that has shaped her life is soon a reality when her younger daughter, Susan, is sold to a wealthy businessman in Richmond. Susan must create a new life for herself in this bustling city, a life that will be filled with both terror and hope . And it is in Civil War-torn Richmond that she will find love and realize the long-held dream of her ancestors: freedom.
 In A Long Way from Home, Connie Briscoe vividly recreates Southern life and the ambivalent, shifting relationships on both sides of the color divide, from the cruelty and insidious benevolence of white owners to the deep yearnings and complex emotions of the slaves themselves. This poignant, powerful story pays homage to the African-American experience and to the ancestors, both black and white, whose lives and histories are indelibly entwined with our own.

A Long Way From Home

Romance

HarperCollins, Publishers

Big Girls Don't Cry

In her eagerly-awaited second novelBig Girls Don't Cry, bestselling author Connie Briscoe (Sisters and Lovers) examines the issues faced by a young black woman determined to be successful both professionally and romantically. Growing up in a loving and supportive middle-class family in Washington, DC, in the '60s, Naomi Jefferson worries about what to wear, her bra size and meeting boys, and she has dreams of one day opening her own clothing store. While she knows racism is a problem (occasional brushes with the uglier side of people don't let her forget it), Naomi is, at heart, just like any other teenage girl.  All of that changes when Joshua, Naomi's older brother, is killed in an accident on his way to a civil rights demonstration in Chicago. Racism becomes a personal issue, and Naomi decides that she needs to help bring about changes in the system. At college in Atlanta, she becomes immersed in politics, organizing protests and butting heads with school administrations as well as with her boyfriend, who isn't too friendly to the cause. Disillusioned by authority figures and betrayed by the man she loves, Naomi returns home, confused about the world and her place in it. Witty, sensitive, bittersweet and triumphant, Big Girls Don't Cry is a compelling portrait of a woman who refuses to compromise her standards -- cloudy as they may be at times -- in her quest for satisfaction. In Big Girls Don't Cry, Briscoe has created a heroine and a story to which any woman who has faced the frustrations of glass ceilings, the pain of loss and sacrifice and the perils and pleasures of love will immediately relate.

A Long Way from Home

Genre Fiction

HarperCollinsPublishers

Spanning more than sixty years, A Long Way from Home is the story of Susie; her daughter, Clara; and her granddaughter, Susan--house slaves born and reared at Montpelier, the Virginia plantation of President James Madison. Proud and intelligent, these women are united by love, fierce devotion, and a desire for freedom that grows stronger year by year.
A Long Way from Home vividly re-creates Southern life and the ambivalent, shifting relationships on both sides of the color divide, from the cruelty and insidious benevolence of white owners to the deep yearnings and complex emotions of the slaves themselves. It is an unforgettable story that pays homage to the African-American experience and to the ancestors whose lives and histories are indelibly entwined with our own.

AVON.

“The thing I love about Connie Briscoe now is the same thing I’ve always loved about Connie Briscoe—she writes highly commercial, pacey, character-driven stories. She was made for domestic suspense.” —Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author 
The revered New York Times bestselling writer makes her triumphant return with this electrifying novel of domestic suspense that marks an exciting turn in her career, a twisting, tension-filled thriller in which a hearing-impaired woman must battle her rising terror as she fights for her life. 
Alexis Roberts is asleep one night when someone breaks into her home and tries to assault her. Though she manages to escape serious harm, the invasion has left her scared and shaken. The police are investigating, but Alexis has few details to share with the detective on the scene. She’s hearing impaired and could not find her cochlear implants in the darkness, which left her unable to both see and hear the intruder. 
Was her attacker a stranger or someone whom she knows—a person who may have once been close to her? 
Flashback to a year earlier when Alexis meets the man of her dreams. Marcus is handsome, successful, polished and everything she’s ever wanted. Attentive, charming, and fluent in American sign language, he’s unlike any man she’s ever known. Believing he is the Mr. Right who was meant to be her forever partner, Alexis says yes when he asks her to marry him. Why wouldn’t she? 
But once they’re married, Marcus grows distant and resembles little of the charming man who swept her off her feet. Who is this stranger she’s married? Determined to uncover the truth, Alexis begins to carefully unearth the secrets in her husband’s life. When she makes a horrifying discovery—his first wife is missing and suspected dead—Marcus suddenly disappears without a trace. 
Now, in this gigantic house in an isolated neighborhood with no family and friends nearby to help, a terrified Alexis waits for her intruder to return. She’s trapped in the dream home that has become a nightmare, unsure who Marcus really is . . . and what he’s capable of doing.

You Never Know: A Novel of Domestic Suspense

Humor & Entertainment

Amistad

"The thing I love about Connie Briscoe now is the same thing I've always loved about Connie Briscoe--she writes highly commercial, pacey, character-driven stories. She was made for domestic suspense." --Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author The revered New York Times bestselling writer makes her triumphant return with this electrifying novel of domestic suspense that marks an exciting turn in her career, a twisting, tension-filled thriller in which a hearing-impaired woman must battle her rising terror as she fights for her life. Alexis Roberts is asleep one night when someone breaks into her home and tries to assault her. Though she manages to escape serious harm, the invasion has left her scared and shaken. The police are investigating, but Alexis has few details to share with the detective on the scene. She's hearing impaired and could not find her cochlear implants in the darkness, which left her unable to both see and hear the intruder. Was her attacker a stranger or someone whom she knows--a person who may have once been close to her Flashback to a year earlier when Alexis meets the man of her dreams. Marcus is handsome, successful, polished and everything she's ever wanted. Attentive, charming, and fluent in American sign language, he's unlike any man she's ever known. Believing he is the Mr. Right who was meant to be her forever partner, Alexis says yes when he asks her to marry him. Why wouldn't she But once they're married, Marcus grows distant and resembles little of the charming man who swept her off her feet. Who is this stranger she's married Determined to uncover the truth, Alexis begins to carefully unearth the secrets in her husband's life. When she makes a horrifying discovery--his first wife is missing and suspected dead--Marcus suddenly disappears without a trace. Now, in this gigantic house in an isolated neighborhood with no family and friends nearby to help, a terrified Alexis waits for her intruder to return. She's trapped in the dream home that has become a nightmare, unsure who Marcus really is . . . and what he's capable of doing.

You Never Know: A Novel

A photographer and a New York Times bestsellingnovelist profile 50 women over the age of 50 who have been remarkably successful -- whether in reaching the top of thecorporate ladder, finding fame in politics or the arts, orraising a son to be proud of a single mother -- and revealthe ways that they have prevailed despite daunting obstacles. Jewels includes well-known and little-known womenalike, from teachers and executives to artists, authors, andentertainers. Among the celebrities profiled in the book areRuby Dee, Eleanor Holmes Norton, S. Epatha Merkerson,and Marion Wright Edelman. Coauthor Connie Briscoe alsoappears here as one of the featured Jewels, telling herinspiring personal story. World-renowned poet, writer,commentator, activist, and educator Nikki Giovannicontributes an original poem to the book.

Jewels: 50 Phenomenal Black Women Over 50

Arts & Photography

CUNNINGHAM, Michael

Photography & Video

Little. Brown and Company

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Briscoe, Connie. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Briscoe, Connie

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Briscoe, Connie. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Big Girls Don’t Cry

Sisters and Lovers

Big Girls Don't Cry: Novel, A

A Long Way From Home

Big Girls Don't Cry

A Long Way from Home

A Long Way from Home

You Never Know: A Novel of Domestic Suspense

You Never Know: A Novel

Jewels: 50 Phenomenal Black Women Over 50