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Book Review
May. 30th, 2024 01:24 pmMemphis
by Tara M. Stringfellow
This generational saga about three generations of Black women was lovely and hopeful and heartbreaking all at once. The story centers around Joan, a teenager growing up in the family's ancestral home in Memphis where she lives with her mother Miriam, aunt August, and sister Mya. Threads of violence, joy and sorrow flow through the family history. Joan's grandfather Myron bbuilt the home for his wife Hazel just after the war. Myron subsequently became the first Black homicide detective in Memphis, only to be lynched for it. Hazel raised her daughters, became a nurse, and got active in the civil rights movement. Miriam brought her daughters back to Memphis after fleeing her husband's abuse. She followed in her mother's footsteps and also became a nurse. Joan grows up amidst this history and all its sorrows and joys, her strong talent for art giving her a way to navigate and transcend her family's legacy and pain.
Memphis is beautifully written and very emotional without being sentimental. Stringfellow's non-linear narrative structure, in which the chapters jump between years and characters, is incredibly effective. I do wish there had been a chapter or two from Mya's perspective, but that is a minor complaint. A lot happens, but it is the characters that really make this novel. I loved Joan's dedication to her hart and her determination to pursue it. I really liked August's ability to perservere in both her life and in her love for her family. I really liked Miriam and August's relationship, too. It was full of compassion and companionship.
by Tara M. Stringfellow
This generational saga about three generations of Black women was lovely and hopeful and heartbreaking all at once. The story centers around Joan, a teenager growing up in the family's ancestral home in Memphis where she lives with her mother Miriam, aunt August, and sister Mya. Threads of violence, joy and sorrow flow through the family history. Joan's grandfather Myron bbuilt the home for his wife Hazel just after the war. Myron subsequently became the first Black homicide detective in Memphis, only to be lynched for it. Hazel raised her daughters, became a nurse, and got active in the civil rights movement. Miriam brought her daughters back to Memphis after fleeing her husband's abuse. She followed in her mother's footsteps and also became a nurse. Joan grows up amidst this history and all its sorrows and joys, her strong talent for art giving her a way to navigate and transcend her family's legacy and pain.
Memphis is beautifully written and very emotional without being sentimental. Stringfellow's non-linear narrative structure, in which the chapters jump between years and characters, is incredibly effective. I do wish there had been a chapter or two from Mya's perspective, but that is a minor complaint. A lot happens, but it is the characters that really make this novel. I loved Joan's dedication to her hart and her determination to pursue it. I really liked August's ability to perservere in both her life and in her love for her family. I really liked Miriam and August's relationship, too. It was full of compassion and companionship.
