Critical Praise

"Shawne Johnson tells this tale in an entirely original voice; her style seeming to pay homage to the era that serves as its backdrop, with phrasing that captures the rhythm of the Black Panther rhetoric…Totally fresh, intimate, and familiar with everyday details…Getting Our Breath Back is an unhurried song, purposefully reiterative, with triumphs, heartaches, awakenings, and acts of love."

——Rolling Out: Urban Style Weekly

"The characters are compelling, and Johnson's use of lyrical language draws readers into the story."

——Black Issues Book Review

"Beautifully poetic, Getting Our Breath Back is as intense as the period that serves as its backdrop and a wonderful triumph for Ms. Johnson."

——Bernice L. McFadden, bestselling author of Sugar

"A rawer Waiting to Exhale, punctuated by powerful human moments."

——Kirkus Reviews