When it comes to delivering book reviews, nobody serves them better than one of the most respected voices in publishing, Kirkus. Long known for brutal honesty with eagle-eyed, razor sharp reviewers, authors know that a single word or an entire sentence has the power to make or break someone’s career. That’s because in the literary world, Kirkus is synonymous with being authoritarian as it relates to publishers, librarians, booksellers, and, oh, serious readers.
So receiving a mention and a favorable exploration are more than just a pat on the back by the esteemed American book review magazine. Let’s be clear that it has been hard earned. It’s no wonder (no pun intended) that Dr. Christian’s book, It’s No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown’s Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy, received both in recognizing her ability to bring Moy’s quiet genius to life! Not bad for her first major review with the book and her first Kirkus recognition.
Kirkus acknowledges the forthcoming biography and the way it reclaims a pivotal figure in music and in Motown history whose contributions were long overshadowed. “A pioneering musician rescued from obscurity” is how Kirkus declares it.
The online review was released Friday, August 29, and the printed version will be published in the October magazine.
Dr. Christian’s distinctive background as a seasoned professional journalist and academic scholar positions her to conduct research through an intersectional lens at the crossroads of media, education, popular culture, and historical inquiry. Her aim has been to do restorative work through education where she strives to address erasure when dominant narratives overlook marginalized, underrepresented female and minority voices in media and in entertainment.
It’s No Wonder, which serves as more than a biography but also as a historical corrective, challenges through an immersive and culturally anchored approach who controls the narrative and determines how history is shaped when her story is excluded.
February 10, 2026, is the official release date, but preorders are available now.
For more information, contact the following: Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director of Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo, at Tara.Kennedy@hbgusa.com
So receiving a mention and a favorable exploration are more than just a pat on the back by the esteemed American book review magazine. Let’s be clear that it has been hard earned. It’s no wonder (no pun intended) that Dr. Christian’s book, It’s No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown’s Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy, received both in recognizing her ability to bring Moy’s quiet genius to life! Not bad for her first major review with the book and her first Kirkus recognition.
Kirkus acknowledges the forthcoming biography and the way it reclaims a pivotal figure in music and in Motown history whose contributions were long overshadowed. “A pioneering musician rescued from obscurity” is how Kirkus declares it.
The online review was released Friday, August 29, and the printed version will be published in the October magazine.
Dr. Christian’s distinctive background as a seasoned professional journalist and academic scholar positions her to conduct research through an intersectional lens at the crossroads of media, education, popular culture, and historical inquiry. Her aim has been to do restorative work through education where she strives to address erasure when dominant narratives overlook marginalized, underrepresented female and minority voices in media and in entertainment.
It’s No Wonder, which serves as more than a biography but also as a historical corrective, challenges through an immersive and culturally anchored approach who controls the narrative and determines how history is shaped when her story is excluded.
February 10, 2026, is the official release date, but preorders are available now.
For more information, contact the following: Tara Kennedy, Publicity Director of Grand Central Publishing and Da Capo, at Tara.Kennedy@hbgusa.com
