Welcome to Litsy!

Multiple time lines follow several members of a family. In 1924 Josephine is a landowner who escaped enslavement. We hear her story as a child working with her parents and also as an adult running her own farm.
In 2017 Ava, Josephine‘s granddaughter, has decided to take the position of caregiver to her other elderly grandmother, who is white. Ava and her son King move in and have to adapt to Martha‘s fall into dementia.
Complicated, emotional.

Ava is a single mom in 2017, struggling after job loss, when her wealthy white grandmother asks for her help as she suffers dementia (and her racism starts becoming more visible). Ava‘s ancestor Josephine is born into slavery then later runs a successful farm. We follow both their stories as they work hard to live within their times and race. This is really good. And I think the cover is gorgeous! (And the pic is thanks to a power outage.)

I really enjoyed this book. The main character had to grapple with her mixed ancestry and try to find her place in all of it while living with her white grandmother. 4/5

This book will stick. Author Sexton does a powerful job of linking slavery, Jim Crow, and current incidents of microaggressions against Black people to show they are all rooted in the same thing: white supremacy. I think if I read that sentence before I read the book I would have thought “yeah, that‘s obvious” but Sexton‘s storytelling is on point. The cover quote is misleading. This story isn‘t about racial tension; it‘s about white supremacy.

If this book were a movie, it would be directed by Jordan Peele.

^^ What‘s a miracle? There‘s a cost to that truth. —Josephine to Charlotte

Ava, biracial single mother in need, turns to white grandmother in contemporary New Orleans. Ancestor Josephine‘s mother led the Revisioners, slaves whose prayers, intentions & songs had miraculous powers. Deep connections over generations from Josephine to Ava. Strong characters, but structuring seemed off w/ interesting ideas left to drop. Reflects dulling of memory, spaces in family history left unexplained & unknowable? Fierce motherhood. 2019

MWS is so good at creating suspense! Like her 1st novel, this also follows a family over generations. This one has a modern storyline about a biracial woman living with her white grandmother, her greatx4 grandmother on her mother's side as a child and as an adult. All storylines visit the relationship between Blacks and whites, all three are quite different. There were elements missing in the modern story that I wished to have seen visited.

It took me a bit to get into this, & especially to settle into Josephine‘s voice (in the 1924 & 1855 sections), but once I did it went quickly.

It‘s racism captured with a thread of horror: mental illness, dementia, & hallucinations; Spanish moss swinging from trees, shaped like dead bodies; & most gruesome of all, the KKK. They are the terrifying ghosts, while unseen spirits are more of a calming, steady presence, offering strength & vision.👇🏻

“Those stones I toss, nothing special about them. Pick them off the ground and smooth them, burn sage and say a prayer, make them holy. Anything you can touch, you can make holy.”

“You were a slave, weren‘t you?”
I raise my head. “More like they were enslavers, girl.”

I was shopping for my match. These socks weren‘t in their size but they *were* in mine, soooo...🙈🎃

Can you blame me?!
#spookyseptember

Trying to finish this book before Book Club at 8. Taking pictures of my feet isn‘t helping. 😆

My morning is booked. 📚

Mug choice inspired by @ferskner & her “Gilmore Girls” obsession.

Featuring: Library Mouse (‘cause she‘s so gosh-darn cute & she never gets any screen time).

Up next.

Sunshine and a book. ☀️📚☀️📚 #thebest

Josephine was born a slave but works to become a land owner and community staple. In the future, her many greats granddaughter still deals with many of the same issues as she did.

Exquisite atmosphere. Excellent buildup of tension. The stories of Josephine and Ava are both compelling. Hope, freedom, and survival. Definitely recommend.

Three strong, resilient women whose lives are connected through their family and stories spanned over a century, are told through Ava and her great-great-great grandmother Josephine. A heartbreaking yet powerful and compelling story of racism, motherhood, love and loss.

This is the kind of book you'd want to savor!

Full review: https://bit.ly/2SBKvBu

Multi generational stories that centre on a families courage, spirit & endurance. It's written beautifully, poetic - with as much written between the lines than on them. There's so much tension on the page, at times I was definitely reading holding my breath. The voices feel authentic, characters full of complexity & the time & location is created with a lightness of touch. Loved it - I'm definitely diving into her previous novel soon.

Starting my new book today - sent from the lovely @DGRachel Love that it matches my tree! 🥳

Christmas has come early. I can‘t thank you enough @DGRachel A beautiful book that I‘ve read so much positive press about - signed ! And a beautiful home made festive bookworm. My heart is full. Thank you sweet friend xxxxx

Really looking forward to this one.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/05/books/review/the-revisioners-margaret-wilkers...

Aren't bookmails the best! This really made my day! Thank you #CounterpointLLC for this pleasant surprise! Can't wait to dive in! ❤️ #bookmail

“I don‘t like to compare people. It is like slamming God for making petunias and roses…”

An oddly enjoyable book. I have read tons of stories on slavery that are extremely tough reads due to the heartbreaking content. While this story was tough & upsetting at times, the author does a great job of interspersing the tragedy with love & understanding. Ava & Josephine are so powerful. I found the book to be sad at points but uplifting overall.

5/5🌟 In a word.....REMARKABLE!!
Sexton's newest novel hits you right in the gut! Remarkable writing and storytelling.
In this multigenerational novel we meet two mothers at different stages in their lives, both deeply affected by racism and white privilege. This was one of the best books I have read this year hands down! Beautiful and affecting. Your going to want to read this noteworthy novel ASAP Its out Nov 5th! #bookreview #bookstagram

Life is a hot mess this week, but at least my book mail is 🔥💯🙌🏻.