A dedicated journalist unearths a generations-old family secret—and a connection to a string of missing girls that hits way too close to home—in this gripping debut novel.
In the wake of her grandmother’s passing, Sydney Singleton finds a hidden photograph of a little girl who looks more like Sydney than her own sister or mother. She soon discovers the mystery girl in the photograph is her aunt, Carol, who was one of six North Carolina Black girls to go missing in the 1960s. For the last several decades, not a soul has talked about Carol or what really happened to her. But now, with her grandmother gone and Sydney looking to start a family of her own, she is determined to unravel the truth behind her long-lost aunt’s disappearance, and the sinister silence that surrounds her.
Unfortunately, this is familiar territory for Sydney: Years earlier, while she worked the crime beat as a journalist, her obsession with the case of another missing girl led to a psychotic break. And now, in the suffocating grip of fertility treatments and a marriage that’s beginning to crumble, Sydney’s relentless pursuit for answers might just lead her down the same path of self-destruction. As she delves deeper into Carol’s fate, her own troubled past reemerges, clawing its way to the surface with a vengeance. The web of secrets and lies entangling her family leaves Sydney questioning everything—her fixation on the missing girls, her future as a mom, and her trust in those she knows and loves.
Delving into family, community, secrets, and motherhood, We Don’t Talk About Carol is a gripping and deeply emotional story about overcoming the rot at the roots of our family trees—and what we’ll do for those we love.
Excellent Read from Page One
This book hooked me from the start. Though it’s a fictional story, it felt deeply personal—likely because I’ve been a longtime listener of the Black Girl Gone podcast, which made me especially excited for this read.
The story doesn’t waste time with a slow build—it dives in with purpose. We follow the intelligent and determined Sydney as she searches for girls who went missing 60 years ago. Her main focus? Aunt Carol, who vanished at just 16. Was she murdered like the six other girls believed to be? Through Carol’s story, we uncover a tale of young love, rebellion, and a mysterious man named Michael.
Beyond the mystery, the book explores rich emotional territory. There’s Sydney’s complex relationship with her sister Sasha—strained by an age gap—and their distant, emotionally unavailable mother, which adds even more depth to the narrative.
Sydney’s fertility struggles were especially moving. Her emotional and physical journey through treatments added a layer of vulnerability that made me root for her even more.
I genuinely want more from this author—this was an incredible debut. Bravo! Big thanks to NetGalley and the author for the ARC.
Kristen L. Berry is a writer and communications executive. Born and raised in Metro Detroit, Kristen graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor’s Degree in English Language & Literature. She has provided PR and communications expertise to leading consumer brands for nearly 20 years, all while writing in her spare time. Kristen co-founded a critique group that has gathered monthly since 2019. When she isn’t reading or writing, Kristen can be found lifting heavy at the gym, hiking in Malibu, eating her way through Los Angeles with her partner, or shouting at the latest Formula 1 race. WE DON’T TALK ABOUT CAROL is her debut novel.
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