An unforgettable novel about eternal life, epic love, and the impossible hope that we're still worth saving.

Advance Praise

“The Wondrous Lives and Loves of Nella Carter is unlike any novel I’ve ever read—

and I say that with the utmost praise. 

Brionni Nwosu is a truly gifted storyteller and I can’t wait to read what she writes next.”

—Camille Pagán, bestselling author of Good for You

“A deft tale of love, loss, and reinvention, Nella Carter will have readers eagerly 

turning pages to the very end. A stunningly lovely debut!”

—Nicole Glover, author of The Conductors

In THE WONDROUS LIFE AND LOVES OF NELLA CARTER (Lake Union Publishing; December 1, 2025) (Hodderscape UK; December 4, 2025), debut novelist Brionni Nwosu has penned an exquisite portrait of a young woman at the crossroads of life and death who embarks on an extraordinary journey across time.

Nwosu, a writer, educator, and creative who lives in Nashville, poses the question: if Death gave you forever, would you still find reasons to believe in humanity? 

“This book gave me the opportunity to explore history through the eyes of a formerly enslaved woman—not through her trauma, but through her triumphs, her travels, and her unyielding hope, explains Nwosu. “I’ve always loved speculative stories that cross time and space, but rarely saw a Black woman like Nella at the center. With this book, I wanted to change that.

In THE WONDROUS LIFE AND LOVES OF NELLA CARTER, readers are swept up into the epic story of Nella Carter. Born enslaved in eighteenth-century Georgia, Nella still believes in the will to survive amid the most untenable of conditions, in the glory of life, and in the ultimate goodness of the human race. When Nella Carter strikes a deal with Death to prove humanity’s worth, she’s granted immortality – but across continents, centuries, lovers, and lifetimes, she must decide whether the human heart is resilient enough to be worth saving, or too fragile to survive.

With each new incarnation, Nella records the joys and losses, and the friendships and heartbreaks, throughout her lifetimes. When she meets handsome and passionate professor Sebastian Moore―the first man to whom she has ever revealed her secrets―Nella yearns for the mortality that escapes her. She can’t bear to leave this love behind.

As Death keeps watch, has Nella’s journey come to an end? Or is a new one just beginning?

With hauntingly breathtaking travels from Savannah, New Orleans, Paris, and London to New York, Montgomery, and Buenos Aires, combined with spellbinding prose, Brionni Nwosu weaves a dazzling tale about beauty, hope, endurance, and endless loves. Fans of Tia Williams’ A Love Song for Ricki Wilde, V.E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Esi Edugyan’s Washington Black, and Erin Crosby Eckstine’s Junie will delight in THE WONDROUS LIFE AND LOVES OF NELLA CARTER.

For review copies, interview requests or additional information, please contact Jennifer Richards

at Over the River Public Relations: Jennifer@jrichardspr.com; 201-242-9637.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brionni Nwosu is a joyful creative based in the musical city of Nashville, where she enjoys making memories with her husband and three children and crafting compelling stories to share with the

world. An educator by training, Brionni has spent more than a decade supporting students and teaching teachers how to teach, all while shaping her stories on the side. A 2021 We Need Diverse

Books mentee under Rajani LaRocca, Brionni writes bold, heartfelt fiction that explores connection, purpose, and what it means to live a life well. Learn more at www.brionninwosu.com.

THE WONDROUS LIFE AND LOVES OF NELLA CARTER by Brionni Nwosu

Lake Union | December 1, 2025 | Historical Fantasy;

Black Women’s Fiction; Magical Realism; Debut Fiction

Hardcover | $28.99 | ISBN#: 978-1662530883| 381 pp.

Paperback | $16.99 | ISBN#: 978-1662530890| 381 pp.

Kindle eBook | $28.99 | ISBN#: 978-1662530876 | 381 pp.

Audiobook | $30.09 | ASIN#: B0FB5RSHLG | 11 hours