Rae Giana Rashad writes literary fiction rooted in Texas, often layered with historical and speculative elements.
Her debut novel, The Blueprint, was a finalist for the PEN Open Book Award and Writers’ League of Texas Book Award. Her second novel, Sweet Water, is forthcoming from Harper in 2027.
Rooted in Houston’s Third Ward, Sweet Water unfolds through a 1980s prison letter written by the daughter of a blues singer to the daughter of the man she’s accused of killing. The story moves in call-and-response across generations, exploring what we inherit from the women who came before us. It’s a novel that wants to be listened to as much as read. The song begins.