Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) And If I Die Before I Wake: A Memoir Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) And If I Die Before I Wake: A Memoir
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) And If I Die Before I Wake: A Memoir Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) And If I Die Before I Wake: A Memoir

And If I Die Before I Wake: A Memoir

By George M. Johnson

$30.99

Publication Date: November 10, 2026

+ -
Add to cart
Availability: Out of stock, but more on the way Pre-orders ship after the publication date.

Ages 18 And Up

A groundbreaking adult memoir that continues author-activist George M. Johnson's story for 15 years following their NYT-bestselling debut and the #1 most banned book in America, All Boys Aren't Blue.

They may be the author of the #1 most banned book in America, but George M. Johnson isn't finished telling their story yet. Written with unflinching emotion and unapologetic boldness, And If I Die Before I Wake is nothing short of a testimony -- one the world desperately needs to hear.


George M. Johnson is no stranger to death. In this debut adult memoir, readers are invited to witness as they navigate an HIV diagnosis, alcoholism, tremendous loss, and nationwide book bans over the span of 15 years. Through the highs and lows of life in the spotlight, they have clung to family and community like never before -- finding their most authentic self along the way.


Drawing inspiration from Toni Morrison, Jesmyn Ward, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, And If I Die Before I Wake explores grief, trauma, sexuality, and the Black family through the lens of transformation, healing, and hope. Poetic, grounded, and bursting with signature humor, this is New York Times-bestselling author George M. Johnson more bold, more brave, and more daring than ever.

About the Author

George M. Johnson (they/them) is an Emmy nominated, award-winning, and bestselling Black nonbinary author and activist. Their debut memoir, All Boys Aren’t Blue, was a New York Times bestseller and garnered many accolades. It was the #1 most banned book of 2024 in the United States, according to the American Library Association. For their work fighting book bans and challenges, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) honored George with its Free Speech Defender Award, and TIME Magazine named them one of the “100 Next Most Influential People in the World.” They also wrote Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I'd Known and There's Always Next Year with Leah Johnson. Originally from Plainfield, New Jersey, they now live in Los Angeles, California. iamgmjohnson.com

Format: Hardcover with dust jacket

Pages: 224

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Publication Date: November 10, 2026

ISBN: 9780374395261

Add to wishlist / Add to compare

Linden Tree Books

Copyright 2026 Linden Tree Books - Powered by Lightspeed