What a freakin’ gut punch. Or, rather, a series of gut punches. The Lee family silently struggles with being mixed race, but no one talks about it. Ever. Until Lydia, the perfect daughter, is dead. What follows is an attempt to untangle the mess and history of the family’s past and present. The writing is gorgeous and the story is winding and complicated and heart-breaking and so many things all wrapped up in one. This one will stick with you for a while.

From Riot Round-Up: The Best Books We Read in May.