The Alchemy of Noise: A Novel

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

A disproportionate number of black Americans are killed and arrested vs. their white and Hispanic counterparts.

Police stops are disproportionately experienced (and feared) by black drivers.

Social media has proven that there is tremendous interest and appetite for stories and discussions on and around issues of race, bias, privilege, etc.

According to Nielson sales data, while childrens books reign as most popular, following right behind is Adult General Fiction, Adult Romance, and Adult Suspense/Thriller.

AUDIENCE:

Males and females, from teens on up, who are drawn to contemporary, realistic, dramatic fiction with culturally diverse characters and plotlines that mix both the personal and sociopolitical

Members of the black community who are open to and/or curious about ally inputhow a white author depicts this particular story as it relates to salient topics of police profiling, prejudice, privilege, etc.

Social and political influencers interested in these same themes illuminated and discussed from varied points of view

Book groups and clubs looking for provocative, even controversial fiction that inspires meaningful conversation and dialogue

Readers interested in a contemporary interracial love story that has a star-crossed element that inspires a rooting for them emotional response

Reviews

2019 Readers' Favorite Awards Gold Medal Winner in Fiction (Literary)
2019 Best Book Awards Finalist in Fiction (Literary)
2019 International Book Awards, Finalist, Fiction (Multicultural)
2020 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award Fiction Silver Medal Winner in Multicultural
2019 Foreword Indie Finalist in Adult Fiction: Multicultural
2019 Nautilus Book Awards Silver Winner in Fiction

Wilkes prose is cautious and empathetic, probing at the edges of politeness, taboo, and uncomfortable truth. . . the directness and openness with which the author explores the topic, as well as its continuing relevance, make this a novel that will still read as daring to many.
Kirkus Reviews

Wilkes story will satisfy readers with its emotional depth and strong characters, making for a memorable novel.
Publishers Weekly

A story on fresh beginnings marred by police brutality, The Alchemy of Noise tests the limits of love. Lorraine Devon Wilkes sharp interracial romance strikes at the heart of contemporary race issues with thoughtful, vulnerable characters who excavate their own beliefs to reaffirm whats worth fighting for.
Foreword Reviews

The writing is emotive and highly descriptive, painting snippets of life for Chris as he struggles with the everyday racism and assumptions put upon young black men all across America, and Sidonies struggle to connect and understand is intelligently handled. Neither of them is perfect, but together they find something special of their own. Wilkes superb pacing and frank dialogue guide us through every harrowing moment as they fight hard to protect it. Overall, The Alchemy of Noise is a highly entertaining and engaging piece of drama which shines a light on pivotal issues of today.
Readers' Favorite

12 Cant-Miss Books by Women to Read This YearIn this devastating and touching new novel from Lorraine Devon Wilke, two unlikely lovers find themselves in the middle of a corrupt investigation that will change their lives forever.
Brit + Co

This is not a run-of-the-mill love story. But Lorraine Devon Wilke is not a run-of-the-mill writer. The Alchemy of Noise, a powerful interracial romance with rich, cinematic quality, is gritty, clever, and superbly crafted, sustaining a gut-wrenching level of tension until the final page.
Jane Davis, award-winning author of Smash All the Windows and nine other titles

Every character was authentic. Sidonie and Chris have great depth; theyre real-life people, and I wanted them to overcome, for their love to prevail. The plot line was great as well. The microaggressions, the hidden and overt racism, the passive-aggressive low-key racismit was all in there, all very plausible and realistic. The book is a sort of Racism 101, an eye-opener for allies.
Regina McRae, BLM activist, award-winning baker/owner of NYC bakery Grandmas Secrets, and author of Taking the Cake: Your Ultimate Cake Guide

Beautifully written, perfectly balanced, and evenly paced, The Alchemy of Noise, Devon Wilkes story of love, redemption, and racial conflict in the shadow of contemporary urban America, is a tour-de-force from an author at the top of her game.
Mark Barry, author of The Night Porter and Carla

A powerful novel that wraps the love story of a mixed-race couple in a ripped from the headlines narrative, The Alchemy of Noise is alternately touching, painful, sweet, and enraging. With its exploration of race and privilege and stunning, unexpected plot twists, it demands your attention from beginning to end.
Susie Singer Carter, award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter of My Mom & the Girl and Soul Surfer

An impactful story about race, equality and love, The Alchemy of Noise has quickly become a highly-buzzed-about read in the vast community of female writers.
Working Mother magazine

Reading this combination love story and page-turning legal drama, I was particularly moved by the exploration of the psychological and emotional impacts of racism on each of the characters. The Alchemy of Noise dives into those issues in new, unexamined ways, and as a professional working in the field of PTSD and family trauma, I found that element to be a powerful and authentic driver of this very topical story.
Nancy Locke Capers, writer/producer and licensed psychotherapist

A fascinating book, really, really quite something . . . a real Chicago novel. I do find something quite courageous about this book. Its not only terribly provocative and moves like a freight train, but it's a very, very, very ambitious book.
Rick Kogan, senior reporter for the Chicago Tribune and host of WGN Radio's After Hours with Rick Kogan

Infused with beauty, humor, and pain, The Alchemy of Noise is a modern American love story that asks if love can bridge the distance between two Americas. Author Lorraine Devon Wilke writes with authenticity, insight, sensitivity. Her characters Sidonie and Chris (and the loved ones in their orbit) stayed with me like old friends whose success I am rooting for but is in no way guaranteed in a world where skin color may be destiny.
Laura Nicole Diamond, author of Shelter Us and Deliver Me

The story of Sidonie, a white woman, and Chris, a black man, is a well-written and compelling tale of love that offers a glimpse into the unique experiences couples face in interracial relationships. When allegations of criminal activity are lodged against Chris, the two are forced into a confusing and frightening reality that shakes them to their very cores. The Alchemy of Noise is an intense emotional journey, and Wilke masterfully guides us through it with laughter, tears, and thought-provoking insight.
Kimberley A. Johnson, author of Peytons Choice and The Virgin Diaries

The Alchemy of Noise is an honest, empathetic, and powerful look at racial tensions in modern America, explored through one interracial couples burgeoning relationshipand how it plays on the concerns and assumptions of their friends and families. The writing is excellent, the characters full and real and conflictedjust like life.
Laurie Boris, author of The Call: A Baseball Novel and A Sudden Gust of Gravity

Lorraine Devon Wilke's The Alchemy of Noise includes brushstrokes of nightlife, music, the club worldtrue-ringing elements that too often in the lit game are swung at and missed. Her portrait of Chicago as a representation of contemporary urban culture is so vivid it stands as a character all its own.
Junior Burke, author of A Thousand Eyes and Something Gorgeous

An entertaining while scathing commentary about race relations in America, The Alchemy of Noise is an entertaining love story and so much more. The authors take on inherent and systemic racism, something her characters are challenged with daily, sounds authentic and credible. In that regard, it is an important book that deserves a larger audience. The book itself is a pleasure to read with believable dialogue, fully developed characters and exceptionally good diction, something thats becoming increasingly rare. The plot is well crafted, and try as I might I couldnt find one scene that didnt develop character or advance the plot, or both.
Rod Raglin, Reedsy Discovery

The Alchemy of Noise is a novel in which boy meets girl, and essentially it has a love story at its heart. But it is so much more than that . . . The exploration of all the relationships in this novel is excellentthe characters rich and rounded, the way they react and interact absorbing. It is very well written. Its intelligent, educational, and eye-opening, though still easy to read, the prose flowing and drawing you in. The Alchemy of Noise is an excellent novel I thoroughly enjoyed and dont hesitate for a moment to recommend.
Georgia Rose, author of The Grayson Trilogy

Devon Wilke weaves The Alchemy of Noise with an intelligent pen of compassion and soulfulness. Her characters are all relatable, and you will find yourself transported inside the torn social fabric of our contemporary world to first-person perspectives of family matters, addiction, police brutality, and racism. . . . Deftly executed with grace and the authors own keen sensibilities, the story left me wishing it would never end.
JanniStyles1

Author Bio

Lorraine Devon Wilke is an accomplished writer in several genres, a Chicago native, and third of eleven children. In 2010 she launched her arts & politics blog,Rock+Paper+Music, and since 2011 she has been a popular contributor atHuffPost and other news and media sites. Known for her sass and sensibility, her work has been reprinted and excerpted in academic tomes, nonfiction books, and literary journals; a catalogue of select articles can be found atContently.com. Both her award-wining novels, After The Sucker Punch and Hysterical Love, are available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. After leaving Illinois with a rock band heading west, Devon Wilke landed in Los Angeles, where she still lives with her husband, attorney/writer/producer, Pete Wilke. Shes working on a fourth novel, a rock-and-roll dramedy titled A Minor Rebellion, while continuing her endeavors as a photographer, singer/songwriter, and actress. To learn more, visit www.lorrainedevonwilke.com.