Books › You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey
You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey
240 pages
A hilarious, jaw-dropping conversation between sisters that exposes the sheer absurdity of everyday racism.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels exactly like eavesdropping on a lively, animated phone call between two incredibly funny sisters. The pacing is brisk and conversational, carrying you through a series of jaw-dropping anecdotes with the perfect blend of levity and gravity. You will find yourself laughing out loud at the razor-sharp banter, only to immediately cringe at the horrifying reality of the microaggressions being described. The mood is a unique cocktail of exasperation, absurdity, and deep familial warmth, creating a cathartic space where humor becomes a tool for survival and solidarity. It is an absolute delight for anyone who loves sharp, observational comedy and appreciates when heavy, eye-opening truths are delivered with impeccable comedic timing and undeniable heart.
- Mood
- absurd
- cringe-inducing
- cathartic
- lively
- Tone
- conversational
- hilarious
- exasperated
- sharp
- warm
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- everyday racism · sisterly bonds · the absurdity of prejudice · navigating white spaces · resilience through humor
- The writing
- Reads exactly like a lively, animated phone call between two hilarious sisters who are recounting the wildest parts of their week.
- The arc
- Moves from shocked disbelief at the sheer audacity of everyday racism to a cathartic, shared laughter rooted in sisterly solidarity.
- Who it's for
- Readers who appreciate razor-sharp comedic timing and want to explore the realities of modern racism through a lens of absurd, laugh-out-loud storytelling.
Content notes
- racism
- microaggressions
- racial slurs
About the book
Writer and performer on Late Night with Seth Meyers Amber Ruffin writes with her sister Lacey Lamar with humor and heart to share absurd anecdotes about everyday experiences of racism. Now a writer and performer on Late Night with Seth Meyers and host of The Amber Ruffin Show, Amber Ruffin lives in New York, where she is no one's First Black Friend and everyone is, as she puts it, "stark raving normal." But Amber's sister Lacey? She's still living in their home state of Nebraska, and trust us, you'll never believe what happened to Lacey. From racist donut shops to strangers putting their whole hand in her hair, from being mistaken for a prostitute to being mistaken for Harriet Tubman, Lacey is a lightning rod for hilariously ridiculous yet all-too-real anecdotes. She's the perfect mix of polite, beautiful, petite, and Black that apparently makes people think "I can say whatever I want to this woman." And now, Amber and Lacey share these entertainingly horrifying stories through their laugh-out-loud sisterly banter. Painfully relatable or shockingly eye-opening (depending on how often you have personally been followed by security at department stores), this book tackles modern-day racism with the perfect balance of levity and gravity.
Description from Open Library.
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