"If Freud called woman 'the dark continent of man' then the sexuality of black women has truly been the dark continent of the African-American tradition. To read so very much of African-American literature before 1970 is to presume that black women did not experience sexual intimacy, or even discuss it. This pioneering collection by Tricia Rose is as significant to the African-American autobiographical tradition as the depiction of Janie's evolving sexuality in Their Eyes Were Watching God was to African-American literature."

Henry Louis Gates Jr., New York Times-bestselling author of Stony the Road

“Tricia Rose reminds us of the transformative power of conversation in her terrific collection of oral histories: Longing to Tell. And, like great conversation, the book is provocative and inspiring... As with any genuine work, the stories linger. One might say that Rose found herself 20 remarkable black women, but it's more likely that ordinary black women are in dire need of this kind of time and attention and space. Rose's skills as an interviewer and editor are evident. Turns of phrase, tenor and tone convey character as much as the women's opinions and biographical information. Rose deftly crafts narratives that hold together not only detail by detail, but also by what is left unresolved... Rose's book is best enjoyed slowly, one woman's story at a time.”

Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, Newsweek, author of Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble and Coming of Age in the Bronx

"A brave, honest, groundbreaking book on black women's sexuality. If there is one book you must read on the subject, Longing to Tell is the one. The intimate lives of African-American women have been shrouded in secrecy or wrapped in myth. Tricia Rose's oral histories capture the complexity of an aspect of our lives about which there has been too much silence. We need more stories like these."

Beverly Guy-Sheftall, Spelman College, coauthor of Gender Talk: The Struggle for Women's Equality in African-American Communities

“A powerful and pioneering work. For the first time we hear the painful and poignant voices of black women in all their humanity and complexity. Do not miss this path-blazing book!"

Cornel West, Cornel West, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair, Union Theological Seminary

“Heartbreaking, inspiring, and brutally honest...as compelling as it is sorely needed."

Publisher’s Weekly

"Longing to Tell is a landmark book in black letters and scholarship. For the first time, we hear the loving, bracing, hurting, humorous, wise, angry, hopeful—and above all honest—voices of black women speaking about sexuality and intimacy. Rose's introduction and afterword brilliantly chart the challenging terrain that black women must navigate in embracing healthy and mature sexual selves."

Michael Eric Dyson, author of Why I Love Black Women