Training School for Negro Girls

“The life experience of Acker’s Washingtonian women is broad…but they all share a shrewd understanding of the narrow perceptions they face as black women. When underestimated they’re often fiercely, beautifully unyielding.”

“This flawlessly executed work reinvigorates the short fiction genre.”

“A timely, welcome book.”

“This brilliant collection of stories…offers insights into the times in life where we learn the truths that define our path forward, that make us who we are.”

“Explores the irony and tragicomedy of ‘respectability’ and the role it plays in the lives of a wide-ranging cast of characters.”

“Narrators Bahni Turpin and Janina Edwards trade off the saucy short stories in this collection. Their liveliness will have listeners laughing out loud at the audacity of the characters…We experience the ups and downs of gentrification through Turpin and Edwards’ creative styles. They move smoothly from male characters to female ones with believable voices and cadences. Whether they’re depicting sassy women or deep-voiced men, this is a quick listen as the stories are told at a rapid-fire pace, creating an enjoyable experience throughout.”

“This sharp and sensitive collection, Acker’s debut, traces the lives of black women and girls in Washington, DC, across different neighborhoods, socioeconomic statuses, and decades…Grappling with ideas like gentrification and social-climbing through the fine-tuned eyes of her characters, Acker never oversimplifies or neatens the complexities that make up life.”

“Beautifully rendered characters struggle to find a sense of themselves in their complex lives.”

“Acker shows that the lives of black girls and women are vast and varied, pushing back on the monolithic ways they are often portrayed.”

“Acker navigates her characters’ lives with humor, heart, and grace. I loved these stories.”

“Training School for Negro Girls is a symphony of story: the clear, true voices of girls and women shaping who they might be against the constraints of the weights and counterweights of race and history and gender. Marvelous.”