People Like Us

About this book

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR--Time--Atlanta Journal-Constitution--Star Tribune (Minneapolis)--Library Journal--Kirkus Longlisted for the 2026 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in FictionFinalist for the Zora Neale Hurston Legacy Literary Fiction AwardFinalist for the Willie Morris Awards for Southern FictionFinalist for the BookTube Prize for FictionOne of TIME Magazine's 100 Must-Read Books of 2025One of USA Today's 15 Books You Should Read This SummerOne of Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Hot New Summer ReadsOne of People's Most Anticipated Summer BooksOne of Lit Hub's Most Anticipated Books of 2025A Late Show Book Club pick The riveting novel by the author of the National Book Award winner and bestseller Hell of a Book In People Like Us, two Black writers are trying to find peace and belonging in a world riven with violence. One is on a global book tour after winning a big prize; the other is set to speak at a school that has suffered a tragedy. And as the authors' storylines merge, truths and antics abound in equal measure: from tiny French cars and melancholy winter hotel rooms, from humble family land to the wealthiest estates, this book asks us to witness people and their dreams enduring against all odds. You will meet larger-than-life characters who deliver very real takes on our world. They experience deep loss and longing; they are also buoyed by riotous humor and share the deepest love. It is the latest creation of a writer whose work will leave you breathless, filled with joy for life, and changed forever by characters who are people like us.