About Upstate | Praise For Upstate


“Baby, the first thing I need to know from you is do you believe I killed my father?”

So begins Upstate, a powerful story told through letters between seventeen year-old Antonio and his sixteen year-old girlfriend, Natasha. Set in the 1990’s in New York, Antonio writes from jail where he stands accused of murdering his father. His and Natasha's world has been turned upside down, and their young love is put to the test. Antonio fights to stay alive on the inside; on the outside, Natasha faces choices that will change her life. Over the course of 10 years, they share a desperate correspondence. Often, they have only each other to turn to as life takes them down separate paths, wondering if they will ever find their ways back to each other.

Startling, real and filled with raw emotion, Upstate is an unforgettable coming-of-age story that explores a turbulent decade, soul deep love, unbearable heartache and undeniable hope. As Catcher in the Rye and The Color Purple spoke to a generation of readers, Upstate is destined to speak to a whole new generation. It is a novel that America has been waiting for.


Praise for Upstate:

“Buckhanon’s debut novel captures the young lovers’ anger, hope and frustration. The letters are fluid, candid and colloquial…a moving and uplifting story of love and hope in the face of adversity.” – Publisher’s Weekly

“Wild and beautiful. . .told using the epistolary form with brilliant skill not seen since The Color Purple.”
Sapphire, national bestselling author of PUSH

“Heart-wrenching and true. . .I’d read it again just for the power of the language.” Dorothy Allison, National Book Award Finalist and national bestselling author of Bastard Out of Carolina and Cavedweller

“A modern love story that is real and raw in its humor and tragedy.” Zelda Lockhart, winner of The Hurston/Wright Award and author of Fifth Born.

"A literary gem. Upstate is a stunning debut. Completely unforgettable." E. Lynn Harris, New York Times bestselling author of Invisible Life and What Becomes of the Brokenhearted

“Kalisha Buckhanon has unleashed brilliance in this debut novel. Upstate is creative, raw and honest.” Darnella Ford, author of Rising and Crave.

"Upstate is intimate, wrenching ... a story about love, surviving love, and the forgiveness that only love brings."
Achy Obejas, author of Memory Mambo and We Came All the Way from Cuba So You Could Dress Like This?

"Upstate by Kalisha Buckhanon is a gripping debut by a very talented young author. The story is richly detailed, and offers a fascinating glimpse into a gritty lifestyle that is grossly misunderstood, condemned, and dismissed.” Mary Monroe, author of God Don't Like Ugly

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