'Love, Rita' is a deeply intimate and richly layered memoir that pays tribute not only to a beloved sister but to the strength and complexity of Black womanhood. Bridgett M. Davis invites readers into her family's world with warmth, candor, and unflinching honesty as she reflects on her relationship with her older sister Rita - a dazzling, ambitious, joy-filled woman whose life was shaped by both personal drive and structural inequities.

What makes this memoir so powerful is the way it weaves the deeply personal with the unmistakably political. Davis doesn't just shy away from examining how systemic racism, chronic stress, and health disparities shaped the lives of Black women like Rita. Yet the book never loses its emotional center: this is a love story between sisters, filled with admiration, frustration, laughter, and grief.

Through family photos, personal letters, and vivid storytelling, Davis captures Rita in all her dimensions: as a whip-smart child, a trailblazing adult, and a fiercely loyal sister. The result is a narrative that feels both timeless and urgent - an exploration of legacy, joy, loss, and what it means to keep someone alive through memory.

Highly recommend for readers of memoirs that are both tender and thought-provoking. This one stays with you.

Rita is one of my favorite poets and it’s so lovely to read about her through her sisters eyes. I think anyone who is a fan of Rita’s work should read this. It’s written with so much love.

Bridgett’s writing is truly captivating. Her skill in drawing out emotions through her prose is remarkable and made this story a pleasure to read. I loved getting to know Rita.