Prospect Lefferts Gardens Store:
Tuesday, June 4, 7:30 PM
Book Launch: Nicole Dennis-Benn presents Patsy
In conversation with Tracy K. Smith
Festive reception with rum punch to follow

Nicole Dennis-Benn, beloved and award-winning author of Here Comes the Sun, returns to Greenlight to present her searing new novel about the injustices—big and small—that immigrants, the working class, and women face every day. Patsy flows effortlessly between the story of the titular Patsy, who emigrates from Jamaica to New York in search of a freedom she’s never known, and the story of Tru, the daughter she leaves behind. While Patsy finds herself ironically working as a nanny after fleeing from parental expectations at home, Tru attempts to build a relationship with her father, though she never stops wondering where her mother has gone. As Dennis-Benn depicts the lives of Patsy and Tru over the course of a decade, the two women remain connected through their desire for a freedom beyond that which is available to them. Current U.S. poet laureate Tracy K. Smith joins Dennis-Benn in conversation at Greenlight, followed by a festive reception to celebrate the book’s launch.