Georgia Writers Museum (GWM) has announced 2023 Georgia Author of the Year Vanessa Riley as its Meet the Author presenter for May, discussing her new novel, Queen of Exiles, based on the true story of Haiti’s only queen.
“You may not know Queen Marie-Louise Christophe, but once you have met her, you won’t forget her,” No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult said.
“Vanessa Riley’s historical novel feels timely and relevant, commemorating a time when Black women were queens.”
Queen of Exiles describes an 1810 ceremony befitting European royalty, in which Louise is crowned queen, reigning over the first free Black nation in the Western Hemisphere. She must temper King Henry’s lust for power and honor against court intrigues and the indifference exhibited by former allies like Britain and the new United States that leave Haiti vulnerable to demands of French reparations, war, and recolonization. Louise desperately tries to steer her ambitious husband from ruin as King Henry descends into a mire of mental illness.
In 1820, the kingdom was overthrown, however.
Henry commits suicide, while Louise and her daughters manage to flee to Europe with their smuggled jewels. The resilient Louise recovers Henry’s fortune and re-establishes herself as an equal among the kings and queens of Europe.
With newspapers and gossip tracking their every movement, she and her daughters tour Europe like other royals, complete with glittering balls and princes and marriage proposals. As they find their footing– and acceptance–they discover more about themselves, own their Blackness in elite spaces, and celebrate opportunities in a European and male-dominated world.
Vanessa Riley is the award-winning author of Island Queen, a Good Morning America Buzz Pick novel, and in addition to being a writer, she holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in industrial engineering and engineering management from Stanford University. Riley also earned a BS and MS in mechanical engineering from Penn State University. Her literary works have been reviewed by The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Publishers Weekly, and The New York Times.
Riley was named 2023 Georgia Author of the Year for her book, Sister Mother Warrior.
Riley will be presenting her new book, Queen of Exiles, at 7 p.m. May 7 (doors open 6:30 p.m.) at GWM (109 S. Jefferson Ave., Eatonton). Tickets are $40 and include hors d’oeuvres and décor fit for a queen. She will be signing books following her presentation.
Contact GWM at (706) 991-5119 or info@georgiawritersmuseum.org to register and pre-order a copy of Riley’s book.