The Book of Chuck: A Novel

An extraordinary new novel about family, legacy, and an inherited curse, from National Book Award–nominated author LaToya Watkins.

Set across Texas and spanning four generations, The Book of Chuck is a gimlet-eyed exploration of birthright and belonging through the story of one family in which certain members possess clairvoyant powers.

“Pa, no go. Him burn.” When baby Nannie utters these prophetic words in 1936, she marks herself as cursed. Her ability to see death before it happens forever changes the course of her life—and the lives of her descendants.

Forty years later, Chuck is about to become a father. Determined to build a loving home unlike the one he was born into, he begins visiting his estranged mother, Nannie, in search of answers. But instead of drawing him closer to the life he wants, Nannie begins pushing him away from it.

At the cusp of a new millennium, Baby is facing a major upheaval. Her mother is packing up their home and moving them into a religious community convinced the world is ending. But when Baby begins experiencing startling visions of death, she starts investigating her family history, piecing together what she can about her father, Chuck, and the secrets surrounding her lineage.

What was once understood as a curse becomes an indelible connection to the past, forcing Baby to reconsider everything she thought she knew about love, parentage, inheritance, and prophecy.