“Rise to the Sun” Torches the Illusion of Perfection

by Arriel Vinson

For more than a year, we were unable to safely spend time near others. Some of us forgot what it was like to hug one another or see our families and friends, and unfortunately, that’s still a reality for many of us. But Leah Johnson, bestselling author of You Should See Me in a Crown, imagined and wrote Rise to the Sun, her second novel, which is set at the Farmland Music and Arts Festival. Olivia, who just experienced a tragic breakup and is now an outcast at her school, flees to Farmland with her best friend to forget it all. Toni is one week away from college and reckoning with the loss of her musician-turned-roadie father, in hopes that the festival guides her like it used to guide her dad.

When circumstances force them to work together, they realize they need each other, and music, more than they thought. Rise to the Sun is about the different ways we grieve, the different ways we figure out how to be together, and the different paths we decide to take. It’s about forgiving ourselves for mistakes, shedding the idea of perfection, and finding love in spite of (or because of). The novel does what Johnson does best—exploring the ways all relationships (familial, romantic, platonic) shape us and our decisions. Bitch spoke to Johnson about messy Black girls, how live music creates a bond of its own, and how to move through grief.Enter your email address here…

Read the full interview @bitchmedia: https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/leah-johnson-on-queer-love-rise-to-the-sun