2020 CIBA Hearten Book Awards Finalists
"If you are interested in reading a candid, courageous, feminist portrait of what it means to live as a free black woman, No Thanks is a must read. Keturah Kendrick explores a broad range of themes that are compelling and heartfelt—relationships, friendship, marriage, motherhood, living outside the US, resisting gender norms/scripts . . . and much more. Enter and savor the gift!" —Beverly Guy-Sheftall, Anna Julia Cooper Professor of Women’s Studies at Spelman College and editor of Words of Fire: An Anthology of African American Feminist Thought "Black women do not need permission to live out loud. But sometimes we need assurance—confirmation that we are free, despite persistent attempts to make us otherwise. No Thanks is a powerful assurance. All young black women should read it; old ones, too. With this book, Keturah Kendrick powerfully illustrates the radical notion that black women can have abundant, fulfilling, and connected lives, powered by our own humanity and desires. This is the revolution and the revolutionary that we need now." —Tamara Winfrey-Harris, author of The Sisters Are Alright: Changing the Broken Narrative of Black Women in America "As a named 'pioneer' in the child-free lifestyle, I devoured this book. It’s the icing on the cake for truly understanding what a black woman faces when she announces she never wants to have or raise children. It’s similar to what anyone faces, but with more clarity to the distinct social expectations of her culture and race. I loved learning, although I winced many times from the ignorance and imposed expectations." —Marcia Drut-Davis, author of Confessions of a Childfree Woman "No Thanks presents a unique narrative of the single woman. Kendrick could have been married, but she chose not to be. She owns this and other nontraditional choices, utterly unapologetically. This book will stay with you. While you are reading it, it will feel like fun. You will have laugh-out-loud moments. But No Thanks goes way beyond mere entertainment. It is wise. It is profound. It just may change your life." —Bella DePaulo, author of How We Live Now: Redefining Home and Family in the 21st Century "As women, we so often focus on our due dates for what society deems as success instead of using our time to find our own happiness in ourselves. I challenge you to do what Ms. Kendrick did: Become braver versions of yourselves to discover your own happiness." —Single Girls Rock "A book for women (and some men), particularly those seeking to forge a different path for themselves, away from what is often termed ‘normal’." —Nonparents.com "No Thanks will challenge anyone who has only ever seen the world as black and white, bringing much-needed color into their lives. Filled with relatable stories, wit, and thought provoking essays, Kendrick’s memoir is an eye-opening book for the conventional, and a comforting source of healing and empowerment for the offbeat black women who have been relentlessly judged or exiled due to speaking their own truth and following their soul’s deepest desires." —Jaro magazine