“This is the rarest and finest kind of storytelling, where both the tradition and innovation get plucked by the most audacious artistry I’ve experienced in a long, long time. You read this and see there’s literally nothing narratively Citchens can’t do with her skill, her will. We have never in our reading lives experienced such an imagination, a gumption, a breathing Mississippi, and a craftsperson this locked in at this stage of her career. My god, we are lucky.”—Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy

“It’s rare that a debut author produces a work of such tenderness and ferocity, but that’s what Addie Citchens has done in her unforgettable In the Image of the Beast. Rich with metaphor and thrumming power, it tells a vivid and unforgettable story of two Mississippi Black women. If Citchens didn’t exist, the South would invent her. But she does exist and our common literary soil is enriched because of it.”—Maurice Carlos Ruffin, author of The American Daughters

“I loved this brilliant novel. In the Image of the Beast is a must-read. Addie Citchens tackles misogyny with urgency, humor, authenticity, and unflinching honesty. Citchens has crafted an unforgettable work of art that exalts the beauty and strength of Black womanhood against the backdrop of the patriarchy. Thought-provoking and entertaining, this incandescent novel will stay with readers.”—Annell López, author of I’ll Give You a Reason