When You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris

When You Look Like Us follows Jay Murphy, a Black teen attempting to unravel the mystery of his sister’s disappearance and bring her home, in a neighborhood where missing Black girls are often overlooked. It’s heeeeerrrrre! Thanks so much for the love! To order a copy, check out /XusqEvpsDG WHEN YOU LOOK LIKE US…anything is possible. Remembering the highlights is key, as well as focusing on my word for 2021: “balance.” 6 to have taken place only a day after my book was released into the world.īut I remind myself of all the joy I’ve experienced: my baby girl being born last September, my toddler son experiencing milestones, and, of course When You Look Like Us debuting. I have to say, it was also extremely heartbreaking and daunting for the events on Jan. However, I would have loved for all my babies to be born and thriving during a time without a global pandemic. I love every second of having my book baby out in the world, and I, of course, love every second of having my real babies with me every day. It has been, to sum it up briefly, chaotic and exhilarating all at once. What has the process of releasing a debut during a pandemic - while balancing the million gazillion responsibilities of being a mom - been like?

Hi, Pamela! So, your debut novel has been out since January, and I read in your interview with Shondaland that you were pregnant last year. It’s time to step up, to do what the Newport News police department won’t. If I was a better brother, she’d be finishing senior year instead of being another name on a missing persons list. If I hadn’t hung up on her that night, she would be at our house, spending time with Grandma. I, Jay Murphy, can admit that, for a minute, I thought my sister Nicole just got caught up with her boyfriend-a drug dealer-and his friends. No one even blinks twice over a missing black girl from public housing because she must’ve brought whatever happened to her upon herself. When you look like us-brown skin, brown eyes, black braids or fades-everyone else thinks you’re trouble. Perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and Tiffany D. 5.įrom debut author Pamela Harris comes a timely, gripping teen novel about a boy who must take up the search for his sister when she goes missing from a neighborhood where black girls’ disappearances are too often overlooked. Her highly acclaimed debut, published by HarperCollins Books, hit bookstores on Jan. Harris, author of the novel When You Look Like Us. The interviews have been transcribed and lightly edited for length and clarity.)įor this week’s installment of our Author Umbrella series, I interviewed Pamela N. ( Editor’s note: NonDoc’s Author Umbrella interviews up-and-coming writers, particularly authors of color, authors of disability and LGBTQ+ authors.

When You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris