“The Wondrous Lives and Loves of Nella Carter” by Brionni Nwosu

Richly imaginative and provocative, The Wondrous Lives and Loves of Nella Carter (Lake Union 2025) is a time- and continent-spanning novel with social significance. Just as Octavia Butler’s Kindred revealed the depths of humanity’s racism through time travel, so does this debut novel by Brionni Nwosu. But the story goes far beyond exposing negative qualities of humanity. It reveals why there is always light even in the darkness.

When Nella Carter, an enslaved woman in Georgia, meets Death, she doesn’t cower. She bargains. Death insists that life isn’t worth living. People are evil. Racism and cruelty are rampant. Nella counters that there is still reason for joy, that people can be worth saving. That life can be worth living and people are more good than bad. She asks Death to let her live long enough to prove it to him. He grants her immortality.

But that wish means she will experience not only joy and love, but loss and heartbreak—over and over again. All while keeping her terrible secret: that she isn’t aging and dying like everyone else.

Then, in one of her lives she meets Sebastian Moore, and she can’t keep her secret any longer. She shares everything with him. But can she bear to lose him the way she has lost everyone else she has ever known? Can she renegotiate her bargain with Death? Can she convince Death that life and love are worth risking everything for?

The Wondrous Lives and Loves of Nella Carter is an uplifting story that offers not only history, but also a renewal of faith in humanity. The characters are nuanced and the magical realism works well to unfold the novel’s themes. Nwosu proves herself to be a talented writer and SLR hopes to read more of her work in the future.

Brionni Nwosu

Brionni “Bri” Nwosu is a writer who believes in the power of community, connection, and living with intention. Born and raised in Atlanta, she now lives in Nashville with her husband and three kids. Before turning to fiction, she spent over a decade as an educator, instructional coach, and graduate advisor, training and supporting new teachers across the country. Named after two book characters, she was destined to fall in love with storytelling—a passion that led her to become a 2021 We Need Diverse Books Mentee, where she worked with the acclaimed author Rajani LaRocca.