Standalone Novels
| Title | Published | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| What We Lose | 2017 | Buy |
Zinzi Clemmons grew up between the United States and South Africa, and that dual perspective shapes her writing. What We Lose, her debut novel, follows a young biracial woman processing her mother’s terminal illness while grappling with what it means to belong to two countries and neither fully.
The book’s structure is unconventional — short chapters, interspersed photographs, charts, and essayistic passages — giving it the feel of a collage rather than a traditional novel. Clemmons has also worked as an editor and teacher, and her literary voice reflects a willingness to experiment with form while staying grounded in emotional honesty.