Though Farah Jasmine Griffin did not grow up a churchgoer, she gracefully weaves the sacred with the profane in her academic memoir, Read Until You Understand, which explores her connection to the sweeping themes found within the African American literature she reveres. In doing so, Griffin makes literary analysis both accessible and relevant.

... feels like multiple books captured in a single volume, yet none could quite survive without the others.

With so many references to various source material, Read Until You Understand may be unwieldy for those looking for a quick read. This book encourages readers to stop and research the references Griffin highlights.

Part-memoir, part–literary study, this book has something for everyone.

... remarkable.

... impassioned.