Inspired by real-life legendary choreographer Katherine Dunham’s groundbreaking expedition into the heart of Caribbean dance culture, this uniquely captivating novel imagines the experiences of three very different women who accompany her, hoping to find their destinies—yet find themselves forced to survive a historic event …

 

Chicago, 1935. Othella is an orphaned con artist who needs to escape the city's brutal underworld … or else. Vivian Jean is a wealthy wife, student, and anthropologist eager to prove herself professionally and personally. Zinzi is a Jamaican labor union activist determined to bring change to her homeland's plantation system. Thanks to a series of fortunate mishaps and coincidences, all three join Dunham’s voyage to the Maroon village of Accompong in Jamaica’s Cockpit Country—and perhaps discover what they desperately want most …

 

Through skill and curiosity, Othella becomes a valued member of the expedition, even as she struggles to conceal her past. Zinzi's knowledge of the Cockpit allows the expedition to explore uncharted territory, even as a forbidden love and fierce resistance threaten everything she seeks to protect. As Vivian Jean’s observations help Dunham make unprecedented discoveries, she grapples with her second husband's guilt and accusations. Yet, amidst their private battles, nature presents an even greater challenge …

 

As deadly Hurricane Jérémie bears down on the island, imperiling the women’s mission—and their lives—they must form a difficult sisterhood. As the storm rages outside the small parish that is their shelter, they will need each other more than anyone or anything they’ve ever needed.

 

“Takes us from the glittering ballrooms of Chicago’s 1930’s Black Elite to the steaming, fraught sugarcane fields of Jamaica. … Where the False Gods Dwell is by turns gritty and dark; romantic and lighthearted. … A glimpse into a window of history, previously lost in the shadows.”—Rita Woods, author of The Edge of Yesterday