Isabel Wilkerson's debut book The Warmth of Other Suns (published in 2010) is a study of the first two Great Migrations in the United States, which saw millions of African Americans migrate from Southern to Northern States from 1915 to 1970 (the majority of the migration took place from 1945 to 1970). Wilkerson combines the history of the aforementioned period, statistics, and biographies of three people who were part of the Great Migration to try to help readers understand why people moved from the Southern U.S. to the Northern U.S.
When it was released, The Warmth of Other Suns received incredibly positive reviews. Kirkus Reviews, for example, loved the book, saying that it was "An impressive take on the Great Migration, and a truly auspicious debut [book]." Publisher's Weekly thought similarly, writing that "The drama, poignancy, and romance of a classic immigrant saga pervade this book, hold the reader in its grasp, and resonate long after the reading is done."
