A Celebration of Books,
Writers & LIterary Excellence

Save the Date


Gaithersburg
Book Festival

May 18, 2024

10am – 6pm

Bohrer Park


Donna Hemans

Latest Title: The House of Plain Truth
The House of Plain Truth
The House of Plain Truth by Donna Hemans

A lyrical, lush, evocative story about a fractured Jamaican family and a daughter determined to reclaim her home.

When Pearline receives grave news about her ailing father, she abruptly leaves Brooklyn for her childhood home in Jamaica. But Pearline isn’t prepared for a tense reunion with her sisters or for her father’s startling deathbed wish that she repair their long-broken family legacy and find the sister and two brothers no one has seen in more than 50 years.

Moving through time and place, from modern-day Brooklyn and Montego Bay to 1930s Havana and back again, The House of Plain Truth is a journey through generational secrets and a family coming to terms with its past.

Inspired by the author’s own history, this soulful novel explores a fascinating story of immigration, divided loyalties, and what one woman must sacrifice in her attempt to find home.

About Donna Hemans

Donna Hemans is the author of three novels, “River Woman,” “Tea by the Sea” and “The House of Plain Truth.” Her short fiction and essays have appeared in Electric Literature, Ms. Magazine, The Rumpus and Crab Orchard Review, among others. She received her undergraduate degree in English and Media Studies from Fordham University and an M.F.A. from American University. She lives in Maryland, and is also the owner of DC Writers Room, a co-working studio for writers based in Washington, D.C.

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Instagram: @donna_hemans

Twitter: @donna_hemans

Author Schedule:

Venue(s):

Gertrude Stein Pavilion

Presentation Start Time:

4:15 pm

Presentation End Time:

5:05 pm

Signing Time:

5:15 pm

Presentation Authors:

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