Reviews with content warning for Rape - Memphis

Memphis was so beautifully written. While the book deals with a range of very heavy and emotive subjects, at its heart is the celebration of strength and resilience of Black women, family and community and this left me smiling throughout.
The protagonists - three generations of North women, a Black family living in Memphis, Tennessee - were so well developed that I felt very connected to them, their experiences, struggles, grief and triumphs and this even extended to some of the peripheral characters who did not have chapters written from their perspective.
The timeline was not linear and and spanned across multiple decades and the 3 generations which sometimes left me momentarily distracted and having to recap.
I understand this was the author's debut novel and I will be eagerly awaiting her next!

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frankieclc's review against another edition

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has content that I was really struggling to read

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jordynkw's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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taliaalongi's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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lela's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Really incredible book. Stringfellow touched on so much in this book, with sisterhood, family/maternal lineage and history, and an examination of artistic gifts and who has the privilege to explore and hone them at the forefront.
The writing is beautiful and often heartbreaking, she was so successful in the use of a nonlinear structure that never felt confusing or awkward. The cast of fully fleshed-out women was a treasure to read about.

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t0wana's review against another edition

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clotalksbooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Powerhouse of a book. A lyrical masterpiece.

Tragedy and beauty sit side by side. I've rarely read something that is in one breath harrowing and the next bringing me joy. If you were to simplify what this plot is about, I'm going to be honest and say I would have read with trepidation. I know this world is atrocious. But this book is magic in that it shows you also the love in this world.

I truly cared about this family, through all the generations. The sibling relationships were a particular favourite, though I admit I'm a bit jealous.

A terrific debut, and I will eagerly read everything by this author.

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