The Perishing

More about the book

Lou, a young Black woman, awakens in a Los Angeles alley in the 1930s, nearly naked and with no memory of her past, yet sensing this isn't the first time she's found herself in such a situation. Taken in by a loving foster family, she focuses on her education and eventually becomes the first Black female journalist at the Los Angeles Times. However, her life takes an extraordinary turn when she befriends a firefighter at a boxing gym and realizes she has been drawing his face since her foster care days, despite having no memory of him. This revelation leads Lou to believe that their lives may have intertwined before, possibly in a past life. Haunted by flashes from different times in her dreams, she starts to suspect she might be an immortal with a significant purpose in this era—one that only others like her can clarify. Using her journalistic skills and the support of friends, Lou embarks on a quest to unravel the mystery of her existence and the echoes of past lives calling to her. Set against the vibrant backdrop of 1930s Los Angeles, the narrative explores themes of racism, poverty, and the looming threat of war, all while following the journey of a remarkable woman whose destiny is intertwined with the city she learns to call home.