Leah Vernon is an author, body-positive activist, and the first international plus-size Hijabi model. During her double master’s program, she started a blog about being a fat Black Muslim in Detroit experiencing everything from eating disorders to anti-Blackness. She has been featured in ads from Target to Old Navy and even made it to the New York Times and HuffPost. She currently resides in New York City. Her new book “The Union” is a daring dystopian novel that explores the power of friendship in a future society built on violence and division. (Amazon, 2023)

“The Union” – A thousand years in the future, a Black elite class reigns. The lower classes toil in the fields or scrape by in blighted cities, serving their rulers in a cruel, divided world. Among the Elites is eighteen-year-old Avi Jore, born to a powerful father and destined to rule. But as she comes of age, Avi cannot help but notice the injustices in her world―the treatment of enslaved workers, the oppression of the lower classes. Her disillusionment grows when she meets Saige Wilde, a mixed-race enslaved girl whose only goal is escaping beyond the borders of their brutal nation. When Saige saves Avi from an assassination attempt, their paths become intertwined in ways they never imagined. As Saige plots her path to freedom, Avi tries to enact change from the inside but it is a complicated endeavor, fraught with danger and malice. Together, their efforts could spark a revolution―and underscore the staggering power of friendship.

Publisher Note: This title was previously self-published as “Impure.” This edition of “The Union” includes substantial editorial revisions.