BOOK CLUB PICK #2
This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories That Make Us
by Cole Arthur Riley
Reading together August 3 – September 27, 2026
ABOUT THE BOOK
Cole Arthur Riley is the writer and creator behind Black Liturgies. This Here Flesh is a luminous meditation on dignity, wonder, rest, and liberation — told through the stories of her father, her grandmother, and her own becoming.
The book moves through fifteen contemplations: dignity, place, wonder, calling, body, belonging, fear, lament, rage, justice, repair, rest, joy, memory, and liberation. It is an invitation to slow down and reconnect with your body, your story, and yourself.
This summer read is our exhale. Gentle. Beautiful. And we are doing it together.
WHY WE CHOSE IT
I chose this book because summer should feel like an exhale.
We have been carrying a lot, sis. We have been holding it all together for everybody. And I wanted us to have something tender this season — something that lets us slow down and breathe.
This book is pure poetry. It moves through dignity. Through wonder. Through the honest, tender things we do not always say out loud. And it lands in rest, joy, and liberation. That is the whole journey — from knowing you are worthy to walking in freedom.
And look at how it ends. We open this book in the heat of summer, and we close it right as fall begins. The season turns while we are still in these pages. The very last chapter we read together is called Liberation.
That is not an accident. That is the whole point. We do not just finish a book this summer. We walk into fall free.
— Kia
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cole Arthur Riley is a writer and poet, and the creator of Black Liturgies — a project that integrates spiritual practice with Black emotion, Black literature, and the Black body. This Here Flesh is her debut and a New York Times bestseller. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Guernica, The Boston Globe, and The Washington Post.
THE READING SCHEDULE
Eight gentle weeks. Read at your own pace.
Week 1 · Aug 3 | Preface + Chapter 1 | Dignity
Week 2 · Aug 10 | Chapters 2 + 3 | Place & Wonder
Week 3 · Aug 17 | Chapters 4 + 5 | Calling & Body
Week 4 · Aug 24 | Chapters 6 + 7 | Belonging & Fear
Week 5 · Aug 31 | Chapters 8 + 9 | Lament & Rage
Week 6 · Sep 8 (Tuesday – Labor Day) | Chapters 10 + 11 | Justice & Repair
Week 7 · Sep 14 | Chapters 12 + 13 | Rest & Joy
Week 8 · Sep 21 | Chapters 14 + 15 | Memory & Liberation
HOW IT WORKS
📱 Weekly Memos: Every Monday, you will receive a text with a link to that week’s discussion content — the focus, a reflection, a scripture, and a discussion question.
💬 Community Discussion: Bring your answers to our private She Flourishes Book Club Facebook Group. That is where the real conversation happens all season long.
🌸 Read at Your Own Pace: No Zoom calls this summer — just gentle reading and sisterhood. Move through the book at whatever pace fits your summer.
READY TO JOIN?
Joining is simple. One text and you are in.
Text BOOKCLUB to 833-817-9003
Once you are registered, you will receive a welcome memo with everything you need — including how to join the Facebook Group where we gather all summer.
Gather · Grow · Bloom