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"My father is black and my mother is white and my brother is a vegetable." When Emma Boudreaux's older brother winds up in a coma after a freak accident, she loses her compass: only Bernie was able to navigate--if not always diplomatically--the terrain of their biracial identity. And although her father and brother are bound by a haunting past that Emma slowly uncovers, she sees that she might just escape.

In exhilarating prose, The Professor's Daughter traces the borderlands of race and family, contested territory that gives rise to rage, confusion, madness, and invisibility. This astonishingly original voice surges with energy and purpose.

Reviews

A thoughtful, satisfying mediation on race and family history, Raboteau's novel is that rare debut by a young author that stands out not for its stylistic swagger or precocity, but for its SIMPLE GRACE and ABSOLUTE WISDOM.  --Publisher's Weekly, starred review

"Raboteau is A GORGEOUS WRITER, one whose prose is not only delicious but empathic--she writes emotion in a way that just works." -- Bookslut

"Raboteau tackles racism and racial violence in her dark, twisting semi-autobiographical novel, The Professor's Daughter. But what sets this PROFOUND debut apart and should ensure its success is not only its thematic cultural relevance but the immediacy and authenticity of its narrative."  -- Elle

"Emily Raboteau's prose is GENEROUS and precise, yet it is also LUSH and SENSUAL and SMART, without any tricks of forced irony. These qualities alone would make The Professor's Daughter memorable, but what sets it apart is its honest portrayal of characters who are entirely real because their author has summoned the courage to write nakedly and honestly about them. This is a MOVING and significant work by a truly gifted and important new writer among us."
--Andre Dubus III

"Raboteau's lyrical yet clear writing style lends itself well to this story, which is often both TERRIFYING and BEAUTIFUL... A book with resonating themes and a POWERFUL storyline, The Professor's Daughter is a strong debut from a talented writer."
--Bookpage