We Cast a Shadow is the breakout debut novel from Maurice Carlos Ruffin which tells the story of a not-so-far-from-now future world in which racism is still alive and kicking in the worst ways. We Cast a Shadow introduces us to a father who is willing to humiliate himself to climb the corporate ladder in an attempt to save his biracial son from his own blackness by paying for a procedure that will “demelanize” him. Thus, we are thrown into a story that shows us the horrors of what the ugliness of racism can do to a nation and what the depths of self-hatred can do to your soul.
Although there were moments where the story lagged in the middle (Oh, but hold on! Ruffin brings it up to a head-smiling pace before you know it!), I feel it’s an important book that we will be talking about and studying for years to come. And if you dare to look close enough, we might be horrified to see our own reflection.