A review by lit_vibrations
Some Soul to Keep: A Short Story Collection by Fiction › Mystery & Detective › GeneralFiction / Mystery & Detective / GeneralFiction / Short Stories (single author)

emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Special thanks to the author, @stmartinpress, & @netgalley for my gifted copy‼️

When I say this was by far one of the best historical short story collections I’ve come across recently I MEAN IT‼️ Some Soul to Keep was the perfect title because she only left me with a little bit the way she snatched mine with this book. I was wondering why I never saw anyone really talk about it and now realize it’s because it’s a gem from the past. A MUST READ ONE TOO.

✨Sisters of The Rain - Superior was a strong character the amount of betrayal she endured from her husband and so called friends was unimaginable. 

✨The Life You Live (May Not Be Your Own)- Neither Molly nor Belle had a good man. Gravy thought he did some getting a younger woman and got treated the same way he did his wife. 

✨Red-Winged Blackbirds- This one moves quickly and I felt bad the way Birdie lost her parents. Spent her whole life wanting to be loved and to love someone almost died a virgin. When she found Reva she knew she was meant to be her daughter. Reva’s situation started out just as bad.

✨About Love and MoneyLove’s Lore and Money’s Myths- This one was so crazy siblings left to fend for themselves cause dad’s in prison and mother passed away. Oh but the twists in this one will get you. The way they talked about sex was funny too and knowing the reason Doctor’s wife was cheating on him. 

✨Feeling for Life- this one might get to you our MC was born blind, mother passed away, abandoned by her siblings at the church, and had a baby by the pastor. This story was the icing on the cake. 

I love that everything was so fleshed out, well-written, and detailed with southern dialect making each story sound so authentic. The  unforgettable characters, the suffering of Black women and their trauma, heartbreak, struggle, and pain felt so real. I wasn’t left with unanswered questions but definitely wanted more. If you’re a fan of Alice Walker, Mary Monroe, or Latoya Watkins definitely think you’d enjoy this collection.