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Tales of Communal Care from People Who Drowned on Dry Land
by Tamela J. Gordon
In a world where self-care is critical to survival, Gordon offers a revolutionary perspective that celebrates individuals' unique privileges, challenges, and desires. By defying the norms of multi-billion-dollar industries, Hood Wellness illuminates the possibilities that emerge when we prioritize well-being while divesting from harmful structures.
Hood Wellness is also a deep exploration of people forced to overcome harrowing circumstances with little more than communal support and the will to get well.
From terminal illness and police violence to embracing gender identity in a society that's attacking trans and queer rights, each story reflects America's extreme political, racial, and gender climates. Gordon challenges everything we think we know about wellness by calling out the wellness industry's inability to include those outside the margins of white, heteronormative identities. She lays plain that self-care as we know it is mostly just surface-level "cute," and communal care is the call-to-action that America needs.
Drawing on elements of memoir, self-help, humor, critical race theory, and devastatingly honest storytelling, Gordon guides readers on a transformative journey toward a new paradigm of wellness.
This compelling book serves as a beacon, empowering individuals to cultivate resilience and self-love in today's world. As Gordon shares her personal odyssey, she intertwines the stories of others, revealing her profound discoveries, triumphs, and passions related to self-care.
Hood Wellness introduces readers to an inclusive and accessible self-care primer and an approach to well-being that holds the potential to bring about profound change in their lives.
"A funny, thought-provoking, and profound memoir about the intersection of Blackness and health. Gordon's vision of a more just future feels both inspiring and possible." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
This information about Hood Wellness was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Tamela Julia Gordon (she/her) is a freelance writer, editor, discerning book critic, and passionate communal care advocate. After several years of relying on online fundraisers for medical and housing needs, Tamela relocated from New York to Miami, where she eventually turned her "cozy" Little Havana apartment into a makeshift retreat, fundraising to cover expenses for guests to stay and explore self-care, healing, and joy. Through her writing, she strives to uplift and empower others, foster a sense of belonging, and nurture personal growth.
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