SCADshow and A Cappella Books Present Yrsa Daley-Ward – The Catch
The inaugural novel in the Well-Read Black Girl Books series, “The Catch” is a darkly whimsical tale of women daring to live and create with impunity.
A Cappella Books and SCADshow welcome acclaimed poet and writer Yrsa Daley-Ward to present her long-awaited debut novel.
Tickets are $35 and include a signed hardcover copy of “The Catch.”
Please note: Although tickets are non-refundable, if you cannot attend, your ticket still entitles you to a signed copy of the book. A Cappella Books will hold your book for one month from the event date. You may pick it up in-store or call us to request shipping.
About the Book
Twin sisters Clara and Dempsey have always struggled to relate, their familial bond severed after their mother vanished into the Thames. As infants they were adopted into different families—Clara to a successful, upper-class couple and Dempsey to a sullen, unaffectionate city councilor. In adulthood, they are content to be estranged, until Clara sees a woman who looks exactly like their mother on the streets of London. The catch: this version of Serene, aged not a day, seems to have lived a childless life—the very life she might have had if the girls had never been born.
As with most things, Clara and Dempsey cannot see eye to eye. Clara, a celebrity author known for drinking and impulsive flings, welcomes the confident and temperamental Serene into her home. Dempsey, reclusive and skeptical, is convinced the woman is a con artist. As the sisters clash over this stranger who burrows ever deeper into their lives, they spiral toward a confrontation that forces them to face their shared past.
In her riveting first foray into fiction, Yrsa Daley-Ward conjures a kaleidoscopic multiverse of daughterhood and mother-want, exploring the sacrifices women must make for self-actualization. The result is a marvel of a debut novel that boldly asks, “How can it ever, ever be a crime to choose yourself?”
About the Author
Yrsa Daley-Ward is a poet, writer, and actress. She is the author of “The How,” “bone,” and “The Terrible,” for which she won the PEN Ackerley Prize. Her work is known for its fierce clarity and emotional honesty. She lives in Los Angeles.
About the Moderator
Nic Stone is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin, the novel that launched her career in 2017 and encourages readers of all ages to examine the biases in their own lives and to have honest discussions about race in today’s world. Nic’s mission is to create books and stories that speak to kids underrepresented in YA literature today—and her aim is to not only create windows in which young people are introduced to new perspectives but also mirrors in which children see their experiences and identities fully represented. Born and raised in a suburb of Atlanta, GA, Nic grew up with a wide range of cultures, religions, and backgrounds, and constantly strives to bring diverse voices and stories to her work. All her novels have been widely embraced by teens and adults and have been the recipients of numerous accolades, awards, and starred reviews. In addition to Dear Martin, her books include Dear Justyce, Blackout, Whiteout, and middle-grade novels, Clean Getaway and How to Be a (Young) Antiracist, all New York Times bestsellers, Chaos Theory, Odd One Out, Jackpot, the Shuri (Black Panther) novels as well as Fast Pitch. Her most recent novel, Dear Manny, was published in March, and her debut adult novel Boom Town, will be published on October 14, 2025. A Spelman College graduate, Nic lives in Atlanta with her family. Find her online at nicstone.info or @nicstone.