Reviews

Multigenerational multivoice books are my sweet loves and this one is spectacular. Very much in conversation with Homegoing, The Mothers and The Turner House, Memphis reveals the lives of three generations of women as they navigate the pain and trauma inflicted by the men in their lives (and the world at large). Memphis is a character all its own. I could have bathed in the lyrical prose here! Poets turning to fiction so often results in luminous writing and here it’s just sentence after sentence, jewel after jewel. My only criticism would be the eldest generation was a little underdeveloped and I would have loved to know Hazel better. Apart from that this is storytelling of the highest order where the trauma is there without being exploitative, the characters are vibrant and alive and the sentences are good enough to eat.

knitswhilereading's review against another edition

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challenging emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

amarachie's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

emmabeckman's review against another edition

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4.0

I really really liked this one! I think it could have been 5 stars if I had read it with my eyes, as one of the things that pushed it down a bit was that I had a bit of a hard time keeping track of whose perspective we were reading and when it was set while listening to the audiobook, especially at the beginning. But I really liked the writing and I liked the way that the narrative was told. I also really liked the way real life events were incorporated into the story. I think if you liked Homegoing or the Vanishing Half, you would really like this one as well.

bugsie's review against another edition

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5.0

i loved this book so much. while the different storylines are super captivating, the female characters are what really sealed the deal for me. they are not only likable and interesting, but also incredibly admirable. i don't think i've ever read a book before whose characters i loved this much.

veneziadjem's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.5

jimijeffersonreads's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

5.0

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