Another Brooklyn is a novel written by Jacqueline Woodson and published in 2016 by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. Set in Brooklyn, New York, the story traces the formative years of August, a young African-American girl, as she navigates adolescence amid family loss, friendship, and the complexities of growing up in an urban environment. While the narrative is rich with intimate storytelling, it emphasizes memory as the central lens through which all experiences are filtered.
The novel is set primarily in the 1970s, a period marked by significant social and demographic changes in the United States, particularly in urban centers. Brooklyn, like many other cities at the time, was undergoing the effects of white flight, economic restructuring, and shifts in racial and ethnic demographics. These societal changes are woven into the backdrop of the novel, influencing how characters perceive community, belonging, and opportunity.
Woodson has described Another Brooklyn as a deeply personal work, inspired by both her own childhood experiences and her desire to capture the lives of young Black girls coming of age in urban America. The novel is not only a reflection of her memories but also a tribute to friendship, sisterhood, and resilience. Woodson's motivation was to create a narrative that honored the complexity of grief, loss, and memory, while also addressing issues of identity, race, and societal pressures.
Unlike a linear narrative, Another Brooklyn unfolds in a lyrical, memory-driven style, moving fluidly between past and present. August's reflections serve as the emotional and intellectual anchor of the story, with "This is memory" functioning as her recurring mantra. Memory is both the lens and the medium, showing how grief, joy, and formative experiences leave lasting imprints that cannot be erased but can be emotionally processed.
Another Brooklyn distinguishes itself by blending intimate personal narrative with historical and cultural observation, creating a work that is at once poetic and socially aware. Woodson invites readers to consider not just what is remembered, but how memory shapes identity, relationships, and resilience in the face of loss.
