For as long as she can remember, seventeen-year-old Gabrielle’s existence has been a balancing act. Between begrudgingly accepting her role as her predominantly white school’s Token Black Girl, and performing the role of the dutiful Nigerian daughter at home, she’s not left with much time to simply exist as Gabby. But as far as she’s concerned, survival is her main priority – even if it means perpetually walking on eggshells in both spaces.

With her senior year in full swing, Gabrielle can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. But when a racist incident erupts within her social circle, Gabrielle can no longer justify letting it slide and breaks the Oakmont Academy’s unspoken code: no snitching. Suddenly, social butterfly Gabrielle is transformed into a social pariah.

Now on the outs with the Oakmont student body, Gabrielle is faced with a choice: fighting to return to the idea of ‘normal’ she’d worked for years to curate, or finally reckoning with the aspects of her identity that she's trained herself to subdue — her Blackness, her Nigerian-ness, and the space where the disconnect between those identities exists.

With razor-sharp honesty and emotional depth, debut author Elizabeth Ese delivers a coming-of-age story that will resonate with readers navigating identity, belonging, and the weight of expectation.

Perfect for fans of The Hate U Give, All American Boys, and The Black Kids, A Drop of Color is a timely and compelling novel that challenges readers to reckon with racism, embrace their heritage, and discover the power of self-acceptance.

Elizabeth Ese is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her BA in Political Science, as well as the London School of Economics, where she earned a Master’s in Public Policy. As the child of Nigerian immigrants, Elizabeth has always sought out stories where she could see herself and her culture reflected. She has striven to tell stories highlighting the beauty and complexity of Black girlhood. A Drop of Color is her literary debut. Ese is based in Washington, D.C.