This first novel covers three generations of women in the North family in Memphis. With chapters alternating between the generations, the book’s plot reveals itself in a non-chronological order. The overriding themes of this book are loss, determination, and survival. Hazel is widowed while still pregnant with her first daughter; her husband, Memphis’ first black police detective and a WWII veteran, was lynched. Her daughters are talented and smart, but make poor decisions that have long-lasting effects, one marrying an abusive man and the other getting pregnant and dropping out of college. The youngest generation includes two sisters who are gifted with artistic and academic talent, and their cousin who was abused as a child and who struggles with the rising criminal element in their neighborhood. The chapters are told from each of the women’s and girls’ viewpoints, leaving the men out (they don’t get to tell their side). The novel is punctuated with events such as the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., revealing the impact it had on the community.
The writing in this book is excellent; not a word is out of place. The slang and vernacular seem natural. The plot flows, in spite of the non-chronological way of telling the story. The female characters are believable and they’re well-developed. The male characters are less well-developed, but I think that’s the point. This story emphasizes the strength of women in the black community and their ability to manage for themselves when they have to. There is also an element of tragedy. Not every plot line has a happy ending, although there is some amount of closure for each.
I really enjoyed reading this book; it’s Stringfellow’s first novel and I would definitely read future books by her (should she write more).
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