itsccreads's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.0
kittykornerlibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, my, what a beautiful, painful, wonderful book. You can tell right away that Jeffers is a poet, her language is beautiful and evocative. This book is divided between historical fiction and contemporary fiction. The historical fiction parts deal with the experience of African-American and Native American people who live in a land that white people named Georgia. The contemporary fiction parts are mostly told in first person from the point of view of Ailey Garfield, a descendant of these families and who goes to graduate school to do archival research about slavery in the South. This was beautifully written, with unforgettable characters. I will read it again. I am happy I bought this so I can go back to it whenever I want.
all1thegr8's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
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? No
3.5
A beautiful tale of one Black family’s lineage and a woman’s growth into fully understanding her roots.
Incredible writing and storylines. Jeffers makes great use of 797 pages; although the book is certainly long, it’s length feels appropriate for the depth and vastness of its contents (creating meaningful storylines for over 300+ years of characters & discussing themes of their life is not easy!)
Think I will need significant time to digest this novel. While it’s depth and vastness can be an asset, these qualities can also make it difficult to discern critical takeways, at least immediately.
Incredible writing and storylines. Jeffers makes great use of 797 pages; although the book is certainly long, it’s length feels appropriate for the depth and vastness of its contents (creating meaningful storylines for over 300+ years of characters & discussing themes of their life is not easy!)
Think I will need significant time to digest this novel. While it’s depth and vastness can be an asset, these qualities can also make it difficult to discern critical takeways, at least immediately.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Slavery, Abortion, Infidelity, Racism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Death, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Grief, Drug use, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, and Suicide attempt
madlpine's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse
athenaleigh's review against another edition
So many repeat descriptions of child sexual abuse, rape etc
christinapzhou's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-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
lgood's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. A new favorite.
ravenclawomanistcyborgwitch's review against another edition
5.0
A beautiful kaleidoscope of black women lineage. Heartbreaking, sad, but hopeful. Master class of character development.
birt48's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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