Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

“Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a large-hearted, compulsively readable memoir shot through with courage and razor-sharp intelligence. Moreover, Queen’s magnificent personal reckoning helps me to ponder what new forms of relation might be possible between ourselves, our nation, and the many institutions charged with stewarding the common good.”

“Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea is yet another extension of the brilliant universe of Khadijah Queen, one where the pages are richly populated. With people, with places, with rich, granular details. And, with all of that population, still, an attention to and affection for each single part of the larger machine, which makes Queen's narrative world-building feel like it is reaching for you, demanding you to enter, and be walked through each place, each life, each passage of time. This book is a gift.” 

“Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a breathtaking act of truth-telling—a fierce, unflinching anthem for every woman who’s ever been underestimated, overworked, or overlooked. Khadijah Queen's voice is raw and wise, furious and tender, resilient and unrelenting in a way that only poets can pull off. She shows how the systems we serve, whether the military or the criminal justice system, were not built for us, nor are they capable of holding our complexity, our pain, or our power. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is for every woman who has ever been told to sit down, shut up, or smile through the pain. This isn’t just a memoir—it’s a reckoning.”

"Khadijah Queen writes with majestic grace about growing up the hard way, in sometimes searing circumstances, and then joining the Navy to pay for college. We watch in awe as she chases down her dream, undeterred by the many obstacles placed in her way, to become a literary star. This book is a testament to her grit, resolve, and unstoppable drive, and offers yet another example of Queen’s blazing talent. This memoir shimmers, it is so good."