Memphis
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- Create Date：2022-04-05 08:21:37
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Tara M. Stringfellow
- ISBN：0593230485
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Summary
A spellbinding debut novel tracing three generations of a Southern Black family and one daughter's discovery that she has the power to change her family's legacy。
In the summer of 1995， ten-year-old Joan， her mother， and her younger sister flee her father's violence， seeking refuge at her mother's ancestral home in Memphis。 Half a century ago， Joan's grandfather built this majestic house in the historic Black neighborhood of Douglass--only to be lynched days after becoming the first Black detective in Memphis。 This wasn't the first time violence altered the course of Joan's family's trajectory， and she knows it won't be the last。 Longing to become an artist， Joan pours her rage and grief into sketching portraits of the women of North Memphis--including their enigmatic neighbor Miss Dawn， who seems to know something about curses。
Unfolding over seventy years through a chorus of voices， Memphis weaves back and forth in time to show how the past and future are forever intertwined。 It is only when Joan comes to see herself as a continuation of a long matrilineal tradition--and the women in her family as her guides to healing--that she understands that her life does not have to be defined by vengeance。 That the sole weapon she needs is her paintbrush。
Inspired by the author's own family history， Memphis--the Black fairy tale she always wanted to read--explores the complexity of what we pass down， not only in our families， but in our country: police brutality and justice， powerlessness and freedom， fate and forgiveness， doubt and faith， sacrifice and love。
In the summer of 1995， ten-year-old Joan， her mother， and her younger sister flee her father's violence， seeking refuge at her mother's ancestral home in Memphis。 Half a century ago， Joan's grandfather built this majestic house in the historic Black neighborhood of Douglass--only to be lynched days after becoming the first Black detective in Memphis。 This wasn't the first time violence altered the course of Joan's family's trajectory， and she knows it won't be the last。 Longing to become an artist， Joan pours her rage and grief into sketching portraits of the women of North Memphis--including their enigmatic neighbor Miss Dawn， who seems to know something about curses。
Unfolding over seventy years through a chorus of voices， Memphis weaves back and forth in time to show how the past and future are forever intertwined。 It is only when Joan comes to see herself as a continuation of a long matrilineal tradition--and the women in her family as her guides to healing--that she understands that her life does not have to be defined by vengeance。 That the sole weapon she needs is her paintbrush。
Inspired by the author's own family history， Memphis--the Black fairy tale she always wanted to read--explores the complexity of what we pass down， not only in our families， but in our country: police brutality and justice， powerlessness and freedom， fate and forgiveness， doubt and faith， sacrifice and love。
Reviews
Jo Dervan
，
The North family had lived in Douglass， one of the black sections of Memphis for many years。 Myron had married Hazel， the daughter of a popular black seamstress， right before he was drafted in 1943。 When he returned from WWII ， he built a home for Hazel and joined the Memphis police department。 Hazel was the first black woman admitted to the nursing program at Rhoades college and worked for many years in a local hospital。 It took many years for Hazel to become pregnant with her first child， Miri The North family had lived in Douglass， one of the black sections of Memphis for many years。 Myron had married Hazel， the daughter of a popular black seamstress， right before he was drafted in 1943。 When he returned from WWII ， he built a home for Hazel and joined the Memphis police department。 Hazel was the first black woman admitted to the nursing program at Rhoades college and worked for many years in a local hospital。 It took many years for Hazel to become pregnant with her first child， Miriam but before the child was born， Myron died tragically。 Years later Hazel gave birth to a second daughter， August。Then the story switched to Miriam and the young Marine she married。 When that marriage ended， Miriam moved back to the house in Memphis with her two daughters。 August had a troubled son and was operating a hair salon in the house。 This story spans the years from the 1937 until 2003。 During that period， many events including MLK JR’s assassination， the civil rights movement， the attacks on 911） impacted the lives of the Norths。 When this story began， Memphis was a racially separated Southern city and there was animosity between blacks and whites。 Over the years the laws about segregation were repealed but the North family and their neighbors still experienced overt racism and remained in their black community。Their neighborhood， Douglass， was filled with caring neighbors who took care of each other in good times and bad。 Memphis is currently one of the most segregated cities in the South。 The author uses the experiences of the North family to show how blacks are treated unfairly in Memphis and other parts of the country。 She also shows the resilience of the family and their neighbors。 Readers will remember the North family and their trials for a long time。I received this ARC from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Arlena
，
Title: Memphis Author: Tara M。 StringfellowPublisher: Random House Publishing GroupReviewed By: Arlena DeanRating: FiveReview:"Memphis" by Tara M。 StringfellowMy Assessment:All that's left to say about 'Memphis' featured three generations of the North family: Hazel with her daughters， August and Miriam。。。Miriam's daughters， Mya and Joan。This author gives the reader quite an exciting account of three generations was indeed quite a description of that what happened to each of the women as they fac Title: Memphis Author: Tara M。 StringfellowPublisher: Random House Publishing GroupReviewed By: Arlena DeanRating: FiveReview:"Memphis" by Tara M。 StringfellowMy Assessment:All that's left to say about 'Memphis' featured three generations of the North family: Hazel with her daughters， August and Miriam。。。Miriam's daughters， Mya and Joan。This author gives the reader quite an exciting account of three generations was indeed quite a description of that what happened to each of the women as they faced some horrible issues that dealt with 'heartbreak， racism， poverty， violence， trauma， family secrets， abuse， grief， joy， forgiveness， love， and opportunity while living in this city of Memphis。Be prepared for a rather uncomfortable read with some very complex characters that will have one shaking their heads as one reads about these three generations。 However， it was imperative to see how these women could take 'charge of their families and worked hard to break these dysfunctional cycles。' By the end of the read， one will see how well this author brings it all out。。。' powerful， raw， and honest read' as there were different POVs provided as the story went through different timetables， which was beautifully done， giving one still an easy read to follow。'Memphis' was indeed a heartbreaking and heartwarming story with 'hopes， dreams and even with horrors' that you will have to pick up this excellent read and see for yourself how well this author brings it all out to the reader。I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley for an honest review。 。。。more
Aoife McMenamin
，
3。5 ⭐️Published this week， Memphis is an engrossing tale of three generations of Black women from Douglass， Memphis。We meet matriarch Hazel， her daughters Miriam and August， and Miriam’s daughter Joan， who has within her grasp the power to change her family’s legacy。 Spanning seventy years， we get a sense of what these women have had to endure and sacrifice over the course of their lives: injustice， police brutality， racism， domestic abuse， rape， single parenting， the fight for civil liberties， 3。5 ⭐️Published this week， Memphis is an engrossing tale of three generations of Black women from Douglass， Memphis。We meet matriarch Hazel， her daughters Miriam and August， and Miriam’s daughter Joan， who has within her grasp the power to change her family’s legacy。 Spanning seventy years， we get a sense of what these women have had to endure and sacrifice over the course of their lives: injustice， police brutality， racism， domestic abuse， rape， single parenting， the fight for civil liberties， access to education， PTSD of a spouse， 9/11， and the ties that bind families together in spite of trauma and past recriminations。 The story is told in a non-linear narrative which I usually like but on this occasion I felt the timeline was a little too jumbled and distracted from the story。 There wasn’t a big reveal at the end that warranted the choppy timeline。 There’s a decision that Miriam makes early on in the book that I struggled with too but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book。 I loved the sisterly bond between Miriam and August， and between Joan and her little sister Mya and I’d recommend it。 An immersive debut， beautifully written with some brilliant female characters。 *Content warning ⚠️: there is a harrowing scene concerning the rape of a child。 There isn’t a graphic description but it is disturbing and I felt it warranted a warning。 Sincere thanks to the author， the publisher John Murray Press and @netgalley for an advance copy of this book。 Memphis will be published this Thursday 7 April。 。。。more
Emily
，
Firstly， thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review。 This book publishes in just a few days！ I haven't seen much hype surrounding this book and I feel like there should be more hype！ I can't believe that this is a debut。 When I saw the multiple POV's and different years attached， I panicked a little。 This sort of set up in a book needs to be done correctly or it will turn off a lot of readers。 Thankfully， Stringfellow did an excellent job with this！ I Firstly， thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review。 This book publishes in just a few days！ I haven't seen much hype surrounding this book and I feel like there should be more hype！ I can't believe that this is a debut。 When I saw the multiple POV's and different years attached， I panicked a little。 This sort of set up in a book needs to be done correctly or it will turn off a lot of readers。 Thankfully， Stringfellow did an excellent job with this！ I didn't feel disoriented or "whiplashed" with the alternating。 One thing I liked with the alternating timeline/POV， it felt like it would be a flashback and the main timeline is 1995 with August/Miriam/Joan。 This is also your typical generational saga with big issues like domestic abuse， sexual abuse， police brutality， familial bonds， African American stories。 For a debut author， this book packs a punch！ She will definitely stay on my radar for her next books！ I rated this 4 stars because the story does lag around halfway with too many descriptions/internal monologues。 This book would be perfect for fans of: Sue Monk Kidd， Kristen Hannah， Angie Thomas， family sagas， generational sagas， African American stories 。。。more
Faith Hurst-Bilinski
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Tracing generations of a Southern Black family， this book reminds the reader of how closely connected we still are to times when lynchings were still a thing。 It only takes three generations to find it in this family。 Joan has to face and take back her family's legacy。 I especially loved hearing the different voices of each character and time。 It is all beautifully written with such rich characters you feel like you know them。 Tracing generations of a Southern Black family， this book reminds the reader of how closely connected we still are to times when lynchings were still a thing。 It only takes three generations to find it in this family。 Joan has to face and take back her family's legacy。 I especially loved hearing the different voices of each character and time。 It is all beautifully written with such rich characters you feel like you know them。 。。。more
Karen
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My nose has been in Tara Stringfellow’s debut novel， Memphis， since yesterday morning！ I have cried。 I was angry。 I laughed。 I admired three generations of strong women。 First， make sure that you use the family tree in the front of the book。 I wish it was in larger print （for those using an e-reader）。 I took a screenshot so I could see names and dates clearly。 I liked how each chapter had the name of the narrator and the year。 The book does skip around。 For me， it was useful to take a few notes My nose has been in Tara Stringfellow’s debut novel， Memphis， since yesterday morning！ I have cried。 I was angry。 I laughed。 I admired three generations of strong women。 First， make sure that you use the family tree in the front of the book。 I wish it was in larger print （for those using an e-reader）。 I took a screenshot so I could see names and dates clearly。 I liked how each chapter had the name of the narrator and the year。 The book does skip around。 For me， it was useful to take a few notes as there are several characters。 My mother would fall in Hazel’s generation。 I related to Miriam and August’s generation， and my kids would be a part of Joan and Mya’s generation。 Each woman met with obstacles to overcome。 I especially liked the interaction with Miss Dawn and how sometimes she was a pseudo “mother” and Mr。 Stanley who owned the local grocery helped guide and protect Miriam and August The story line with August’s son， Derek， was hard to read and might be a trigger for some readers。 Joan was my favorite character。 I think this book would be great for book clubs。 My thanks to Random House-The Dial Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book。 The opinions in this review are my own。 。。。more
LaShawn Wiltz
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Unfolding over 70 years， Memphis is the multigenerational story of the North women: Hazel， Miriam， August， and Joan。 It takes place in Memphis Tennessee and is told through alternating perspectives and timelines。Our story starts when Miriam， the mother of Joan and Mya escapes her abusive husband to live with her sister August in their hometown of Memphis， TN。 The family is no stranger to tragedies since Miram and August lost their father （the first black Memphis detective） to a racially motivat Unfolding over 70 years， Memphis is the multigenerational story of the North women: Hazel， Miriam， August， and Joan。 It takes place in Memphis Tennessee and is told through alternating perspectives and timelines。Our story starts when Miriam， the mother of Joan and Mya escapes her abusive husband to live with her sister August in their hometown of Memphis， TN。 The family is no stranger to tragedies since Miram and August lost their father （the first black Memphis detective） to a racially motivated murder。 What is so good about this book is how beautifully written it is。 The story is told through alternating perspectives and timelines。Sometimes these types of books tend to trip me up but I was so invested in each character that it enhanced the story rather than took away from it。 This book is a must-read。 Thank you to The Dial Press and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Bookish Blonde
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I'll be honest: I've really struggled to write this review。 Not because I was unsure about it - quite the opposite！ I couldn’t have loved it more， but I genuinely don't think I have the words to do it justice。 Never one to shy away from a challenge， I'll try， but let me begin by saying everyone should read this story。 Everyone。 Stringfellow's family drama tells the story of three generations of North women - tough， and in many ways hardened， black women living in Memphis from the 1930s to the ea I'll be honest: I've really struggled to write this review。 Not because I was unsure about it - quite the opposite！ I couldn’t have loved it more， but I genuinely don't think I have the words to do it justice。 Never one to shy away from a challenge， I'll try， but let me begin by saying everyone should read this story。 Everyone。 Stringfellow's family drama tells the story of three generations of North women - tough， and in many ways hardened， black women living in Memphis from the 1930s to the early 2000s。 Each chapter explores the struggles of these women in their various times through an expertly woven tapestry of different narratives。 This style is one of the most impressive parts of this book， and something that must have taken such precise planning！ We see the most significant moments in their lives through different eyes and each one so thoughtfully portrayed。 Yet at no point did this feel convoluted or forced; Stringfellow's easy style and natural voice came through in each of her characters effortlessly。Hazel， the eldest of the North women， her daughters Miriam and August， and Miriam's daughters Joan and Mya are all perfectly formed characters， flawed but understandably so， and I found myself rooting for each and every one of them。 I laughed with them， particularly the incredibly feisty August and Mya， and cried with them - not something books often make me do - and felt every emotion in between thanks to Stringfellow's stunning portrayal of their experiences。I think what I love most about this book， though， is that it is not just a family drama。 We have so many of those， and many excellent ones， but this is so much more。 It is a story with unrivalled passion about the unbreakable bond between women， particularly sisters， the shattering cruelty of war， racism， and sexism， and the unwavering bravery and sacrifice of a community， particularly those involved in the Civil Rights Movement。 All in all， this truly is a classic in the making and a book I feel I will come back to time and time again。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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This is a lovely， and at times distressing， layered family saga that moves between 1937 and 2003。 Three generations of women tell their stories。 Hazel， her daughters August and Miriam， and Miriam's daughters Joan and Mya all give their voices to this tale that shifts in time but is set almost entirely in Memphis。 And then there's their neighbor Della。 The city changes with time， and not always for the better。 There are secrets in this family as well as a legacy of abuse， but there's also joy。 An This is a lovely， and at times distressing， layered family saga that moves between 1937 and 2003。 Three generations of women tell their stories。 Hazel， her daughters August and Miriam， and Miriam's daughters Joan and Mya all give their voices to this tale that shifts in time but is set almost entirely in Memphis。 And then there's their neighbor Della。 The city changes with time， and not always for the better。 There are secrets in this family as well as a legacy of abuse， but there's also joy。 And there are men， some good， some bad， but this is about the women。 Every character stands out on the page。 It's an accomplished debut。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 Very good read。 。。。more
Whitney
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 #goodreadsgiveaway This story follows 3 generations of black women in Memphis and details the trials of their lives。 From love and loss， family relationships， surviving rape， being part of the Civil Rights Movement， and finally growing up to be strong independent women。I received an ARC copy of this book and was a little hesitant as it is not something I generally gravitate to。 The storylines were difficult and powerful and it was beautifully written。 As a woman， I found myself cheering on the 3 #goodreadsgiveaway This story follows 3 generations of black women in Memphis and details the trials of their lives。 From love and loss， family relationships， surviving rape， being part of the Civil Rights Movement， and finally growing up to be strong independent women。I received an ARC copy of this book and was a little hesitant as it is not something I generally gravitate to。 The storylines were difficult and powerful and it was beautifully written。 As a woman， I found myself cheering on the 3 generations and rooting for their success。 As a white woman， I knew going into this that I wouldn't be able to completely grasp their struggles， but it was definitely a worthwhile read。 。。。more
Sarah at Sarah's Bookshelves
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[4。5 stars]This debut， multi-generational family saga is a story about women doing what they need to to make it in their lives while not relying on men…and overcoming the damage men have done to them。 Ten year old Joan， her mother， and her younger sister take refuge from their father's violence at her mother’s family home in Memphis。 Joan delves into her family history and uses art to help process her emotions。 Stringfellow is a poet and it shows in her writing， which is absolutely breathtaking [4。5 stars]This debut， multi-generational family saga is a story about women doing what they need to to make it in their lives while not relying on men…and overcoming the damage men have done to them。 Ten year old Joan， her mother， and her younger sister take refuge from their father's violence at her mother’s family home in Memphis。 Joan delves into her family history and uses art to help process her emotions。 Stringfellow is a poet and it shows in her writing， which is absolutely breathtaking （the Acknowledgements section is a thing of beauty）。 You can deeply feel North Memphis and Stringfellow paints a vivid picture of the evolution from pre-World War II to present day。 This is very much a character-driven story and I did wish for slightly more story propulsion， but I loved how Stringfellow centered the women in this family。 An impressive start to Stringfellow's career as a novelist and I can't wait to see what else she does。 。。。more
Shari
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Tara M。 Stringfellow’s debut novel Memphis is a stunning work of literary fiction。 Memphis traces the story of the North family women in Memphis， Tennessee across three generations: Hazel， Miriam， August and Joan。 Their lives， loves， dreams， talents， struggles and tragedies are told through chapters that alternate and intersect between characters and across time。I loved how Stringfellow told the story of these strong， Black women through their passions of song， art， textiles， food， and dance。 It Tara M。 Stringfellow’s debut novel Memphis is a stunning work of literary fiction。 Memphis traces the story of the North family women in Memphis， Tennessee across three generations: Hazel， Miriam， August and Joan。 Their lives， loves， dreams， talents， struggles and tragedies are told through chapters that alternate and intersect between characters and across time。I loved how Stringfellow told the story of these strong， Black women through their passions of song， art， textiles， food， and dance。 It made their experiences so tangible and steeped in Southern tradition。Be sure to read the Acknowledgements section at the end。 Normally this section of a book is a non-descript list of people the author wants to thank but Stringfellow’s Acknowledgements is a story in and of itself。Trigger warning: Be advised that the book contains some themes of trauma， rape and other violence。Thank you to The Dial Press and NetGalley for this #gifted advanced e-reader copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Erin
，
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- The Dial Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review。 A stunningly beautiful non-linear narrative about several generations of Southern Black women as they face the trials and tribulations of a seventy-year period。 I absolutely adored this debut novel and felt that each female character stood out to me in the narration。 No one voice drowning out another。 Author Tara M。 Stringfellow is definitely on my radar and I will keep an eye Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- The Dial Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review。 A stunningly beautiful non-linear narrative about several generations of Southern Black women as they face the trials and tribulations of a seventy-year period。 I absolutely adored this debut novel and felt that each female character stood out to me in the narration。 No one voice drowning out another。 Author Tara M。 Stringfellow is definitely on my radar and I will keep an eye out for future titles。 Expected Publication 05/04/22Goodreads review published 04/04/22#Memphis #NetGalley 。。。more
Andrea （Chicagobooklover）
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This is a coming of age debut novel about three generations of women living in the south and how they persevere and thrive despite the traumas that have affected them all。 This is a story about abuse， assault， and racism but also about resilience， joy and overcoming obstacles passed down from generation to generation。What pulled me in immediately was the beautiful writing。 The author has a way of using such descriptive language to set the scene so you can imagine how these characters are feeling This is a coming of age debut novel about three generations of women living in the south and how they persevere and thrive despite the traumas that have affected them all。 This is a story about abuse， assault， and racism but also about resilience， joy and overcoming obstacles passed down from generation to generation。What pulled me in immediately was the beautiful writing。 The author has a way of using such descriptive language to set the scene so you can imagine how these characters are feeling in the moment。 This book is told in a non-linear fashion that weaves you back-and-forth in time between the characters to help understand how the past shapes are present。 Each character has a powerful story to tell and I was fully invested in each of their lives。 In the end， it’s about the celebration of the strength of each generation and the friendships and community that is forage despite the trauma they experience。One piece of advice would be to pay attention to the characters and the perspective that is being told in each chapter。 While I did not find it hard at all to keep track， I sometimes found myself referring back to the family tree at the beginning of the book to set myself on relationships and dates。 Because of this， I would definitely recommend the book over audio。TW: while this book does deal with some hard topics it does not go into graphic detail about events （which I was concerned about and have a hard time with） but rather uses the experiences to further the story。Thank you to @thedialpress and @netgalley for this advance copy。 。。。more
Susan
，
Memphis is a poignant story about the North family。 They are black， and throughout a period which spans from 1937 to 2003， we witness their lives from the home base of their patriarchal home， through the alternating narration of three generations of women。 Hazel， Miriam， August， and Joan are all characters who create hope by recognizing and using their god given gifts， and they all exhibit strength and perseverance in the midst of heartbreak， trauma and racism。 Some parts of this book are hard。 Memphis is a poignant story about the North family。 They are black， and throughout a period which spans from 1937 to 2003， we witness their lives from the home base of their patriarchal home， through the alternating narration of three generations of women。 Hazel， Miriam， August， and Joan are all characters who create hope by recognizing and using their god given gifts， and they all exhibit strength and perseverance in the midst of heartbreak， trauma and racism。 Some parts of this book are hard。 Really hard。 However， the author’s writing is absolutely beautiful， truly gorgeous。 Tara M。 Stringfellow moves the story along by repeatedly returning to various years in the past and then moves forward to the current day。 There is time to regroup。 There is time to reflect。 The characters and the themes within this book will stay with me for a long time。Memphis deserves all the stars。 Tara M。 Stringfellow’s acknowledgements must not be missed。 Her personal connections to the novel will clench your heart。 Thank you to The Dial Press and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Amina Makele
，
Memphis is a multi-generational family saga about Black women in the American South。 Set against a sweeping backdrop of the biggest historical events in the 20th century， this is a story of pain and love and the incredible strength of African-American women。This novel is pure beauty。 I cannot recommend it highly enough。From the very first line， you can tell that the author is a poet。 The writing is haunting and lyrical， with descriptions you could eat。 But， most importantly， I LOVED the characte Memphis is a multi-generational family saga about Black women in the American South。 Set against a sweeping backdrop of the biggest historical events in the 20th century， this is a story of pain and love and the incredible strength of African-American women。This novel is pure beauty。 I cannot recommend it highly enough。From the very first line， you can tell that the author is a poet。 The writing is haunting and lyrical， with descriptions you could eat。 But， most importantly， I LOVED the characters。 They made me cry and scream and laugh all at once。This book has an unusual structure， with multiple POV characters and a non-linear timeline。 This could be disconcerting for some readers and I wish we could have sunk into some of the storylines more。 However， if you allow yourself to go with the flow， I promise you won’t regret it。I’d recommend it to lovers of ‘Sing， Unburied， Sing，’ by Jesmyn Ward， ‘The Vanishing Half’ by Brit Bennett and ‘Black Cake’ by Charmaine Wilkerson。Thank you to ED PR and John Murrays for a #gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 Read my full review on aminasbookshelf。com / IG @aminasbookshelf 。。。more
Ashley
，
This is a beautiful story that spans three generations of a Black family in Memphis。 Joan， her mother and her younger sister have been victims of her father’s violence and head to Memphis to live。 Joan’s grandmother also knows violence because her grandfather was lynched days after he became the first Black detective in the city。 There are many different perspectives of the women in this family。 The story weaves back and forth creating a plot that connects the past and the future。 This is a book This is a beautiful story that spans three generations of a Black family in Memphis。 Joan， her mother and her younger sister have been victims of her father’s violence and head to Memphis to live。 Joan’s grandmother also knows violence because her grandfather was lynched days after he became the first Black detective in the city。 There are many different perspectives of the women in this family。 The story weaves back and forth creating a plot that connects the past and the future。 This is a book full of family， forgiveness， difficult life experiences， and justice portrayed through these strong female characters。 。。。more
karlaisallbooked
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This stunning novel follows the lives of three generations of Black women in Memphis， TN。 Through segregation， loss， survival， resilience and ultimately hope。I was riveted by this book within the first few pages and completed it within 24 hours。 The ladies and their story were that engaging。 This debut book for Tara M。 string fellow is amazing and is a must read for everyone！Thank you to NetGalley and Randomhouse Publishing Group for the e-ARC for an honest review。
Adanna
，
Memphis moves fluidly between multiple time periods and points of view to tell this multigenerational family’s tragic and traumatic story。 The North women — Hazel， Miriam， August， and Joan — are all interesting characters in their own right but together their story is so vivid and impactful。 Despite the tragedies and barriers they experience， they persevere。 I'm in awe of these Southern Black women's strength， resilience， and determination to continue pushing forward and making their lives bette Memphis moves fluidly between multiple time periods and points of view to tell this multigenerational family’s tragic and traumatic story。 The North women — Hazel， Miriam， August， and Joan — are all interesting characters in their own right but together their story is so vivid and impactful。 Despite the tragedies and barriers they experience， they persevere。 I'm in awe of these Southern Black women's strength， resilience， and determination to continue pushing forward and making their lives better。 Memphis is heavy， but love， hope， and joy still shine through。 I love how this powerful family saga is rooted in its strong bonds of sisterhood and serves as a celebration of family and community。 I can't recommend this moving story of overcoming a generational curse enough！Due to some sensitive topics included in this book， I suggest checking out the content warnings prior to reading。Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for a digital copy of this book to read， enjoy， and review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Laura
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Memphis⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This is a multigenerational story about a strong group of women living in Memphis。 It covers their hardships and how the come back from each one。 The multiple timelines and characters took a bit to get into but I felt myself drawn to Hazel’s story， the oldest generation included。 Her and Myron’s sorry was devastating but beautiful。 The various timelines and characters did make the story feel like it wasn’t leading to one climactic event but rather just several stories woven togeth Memphis⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This is a multigenerational story about a strong group of women living in Memphis。 It covers their hardships and how the come back from each one。 The multiple timelines and characters took a bit to get into but I felt myself drawn to Hazel’s story， the oldest generation included。 Her and Myron’s sorry was devastating but beautiful。 The various timelines and characters did make the story feel like it wasn’t leading to one climactic event but rather just several stories woven together。 Fair warning that this has some tough topics like rape， abuse， and racial violence。 Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC of Memphis， coming out this April！ 。。。more
Susan
，
Three generations of Black women， Hazel， Miriam and August， Joan and Mya， are living a life sadly common for Black women: life where the men are gone for various reasons。 And while those reasons are important to not only this story but to the continuing racism in America， I'm going to focus on what is left behind， just like the book does。 I loved the support they provided each other， sometimes conditional and sometimes unconditional - just like every family， right？ I loved how historical moments Three generations of Black women， Hazel， Miriam and August， Joan and Mya， are living a life sadly common for Black women: life where the men are gone for various reasons。 And while those reasons are important to not only this story but to the continuing racism in America， I'm going to focus on what is left behind， just like the book does。 I loved the support they provided each other， sometimes conditional and sometimes unconditional - just like every family， right？ I loved how historical moments were viewed and reacted to through their eyes。 And I really just loved the individual characters。 These women became real for me！ The only struggle I had with the books was the combination of jumping timelines and multiple points of view。 I would get a bit turned around trying to remember if something had happened yet and this pulled me out of the intense world that this book inhabited。 This is a definite read！Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for a copy of the book。 This review is my own opinion。 。。。more
Miranda
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Memphis tells a story of three generations of strong， black females growing up in the south。 It follows these women as they face trauma， domestic violence， sexual abuse and poverty。 The chapters skip between generations and POV so you hear from grandmother， mothers and daughters as you get to know these women and their story better。 I can't believe that this is a debut novel - it is beautiful written。 To watch these women rise from the ashes throughout the novel and continue to pivot and find a Memphis tells a story of three generations of strong， black females growing up in the south。 It follows these women as they face trauma， domestic violence， sexual abuse and poverty。 The chapters skip between generations and POV so you hear from grandmother， mothers and daughters as you get to know these women and their story better。 I can't believe that this is a debut novel - it is beautiful written。 To watch these women rise from the ashes throughout the novel and continue to pivot and find a way to push through， often at the expense of their dreams， is both tragic and inspiring。 I would not hesitate to pick up Stringfellow's next book。Note: This book is heavy and the reader should take the TWs into consideration （DV+SA）。Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book！ 。。。more
Mark Chimel
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This was one of the books I was most excited for in 2022 and some elements worked for me while others did not。 First， it is great writing with a strong sense of place。 However， the alternating timelines， for me， made it difficult to understand the different evolving narratives and really connect with the characters。 I normally don't mind alternating timelines like this， but in this case the set up felt too choppy for me at times。 That being said， based on other reviews it appears that this aspec This was one of the books I was most excited for in 2022 and some elements worked for me while others did not。 First， it is great writing with a strong sense of place。 However， the alternating timelines， for me， made it difficult to understand the different evolving narratives and really connect with the characters。 I normally don't mind alternating timelines like this， but in this case the set up felt too choppy for me at times。 That being said， based on other reviews it appears that this aspect did work well for many others， and if it does then this is a great book。 I know this is a highly anticipated novel and I will be interested to see more of the reception once it is released。*I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Monica Fumarolo
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If you liked The Vanishing Half， then this novel is going to completely blow you away。 Simply stunning。
Liz
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Wow。 Well I basically just read this in one sitting。 An expansive novel that covers multiple perspectives over different time periods。 This is a multigenerational drama of a Black family living between Chicago and Memphis。 There are themes and of domestic abuse， institutional racism， sexual assault， but also women finding their dreams and passions through history， love， family， education and art。 This is a small book that packs a huge beautifully written and lyrical punch。
Sarah
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Wow。 I don’t think I have words to describe how much I enjoyed this book。 The writing was absolutely beautiful and at times poetic。 This book showed us the trials and tribulations of three generations of women in the North family。 But it was also a story of community and love。 It was a celebration of Black women， of their strength and beauty。 The sentences that Longfellow strings together are so descriptive。 I absolutely loved how she described so many different characters and their various shad Wow。 I don’t think I have words to describe how much I enjoyed this book。 The writing was absolutely beautiful and at times poetic。 This book showed us the trials and tribulations of three generations of women in the North family。 But it was also a story of community and love。 It was a celebration of Black women， of their strength and beauty。 The sentences that Longfellow strings together are so descriptive。 I absolutely loved how she described so many different characters and their various shades of brown skin tones。 I was intrigued by the gorgeous cover and ultimately was blown away by this book。 This is Longfellow’s debut and I’m looking forward to reading any and all future books she writes。 Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an Advanced Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Raquel
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"Motherhood is an anchor。 It has devoured me entire。 I did the best I could。 If love was enough…”Memphis， poet Tara M。 Stringfellow’s debut， is a novel tracing three generations of a Southern Black family: Hazel， her daughter Miriam， and her granddaughter， Joan。 The novel begins in 1995 as Miriam flees her abusive husband with her two young daughters in tow。 Returning to her childhood home， she reconnects with her sister， August， whose own son committed a violent harm against Joan when they were "Motherhood is an anchor。 It has devoured me entire。 I did the best I could。 If love was enough…”Memphis， poet Tara M。 Stringfellow’s debut， is a novel tracing three generations of a Southern Black family: Hazel， her daughter Miriam， and her granddaughter， Joan。 The novel begins in 1995 as Miriam flees her abusive husband with her two young daughters in tow。 Returning to her childhood home， she reconnects with her sister， August， whose own son committed a violent harm against Joan when they were younger。 Stringfellow beautifully navigates multiple timelines and perspectives， while portraying intergenerational trauma with empathy and grace。 All three women have been impacted by violence， and they all held dreams of pursuing different paths。 However， as Joan comes of age and realizes she may have a special gift， she sees a different path forward for herself and for her family。 Stringfellow includes stunning imagery of Memphis and warm relationships between the women in the novel。 The poem at the novel’s end， in which Stringfellow notes that the novel is a fairytale， has a devastating dedication that made the story even more impactful。 I am very grateful to the author for this gorgeous book and for the chance to read it ahead of its debut。 Memphis is out on April 4th from Random House。 Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the advanced readers copy！ @raquelisreading 。。。more
Anne
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Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House， I was provided an ARC of Memphis by Tara M。 Stringfellow via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 ****Coming out April 5， 2022*****⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A powerful debut novel that details:Miriam’s journey of her difficult marriage with Jax and the pain she endured from her daughter Joan’s rape。 Her second chance at life with going back to school and becoming a nurse。 August， Miriam’s sister， struggles with her son’s criminal life and having to Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House， I was provided an ARC of Memphis by Tara M。 Stringfellow via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 ****Coming out April 5， 2022*****⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A powerful debut novel that details:Miriam’s journey of her difficult marriage with Jax and the pain she endured from her daughter Joan’s rape。 Her second chance at life with going back to school and becoming a nurse。 August， Miriam’s sister， struggles with her son’s criminal life and having to live with the rape her son committed。 Hazel， August and Miriam’s mother， living with her husband’s success of becoming the first black detective only to be cut short by his violent death and the grief and pain she endured from it。Joan and Mya， Miriam and Jax’s daughters， witnessing their parent’s brutal fights。 Joan having to cope and live with being raped at age 3， while living with her rapist。 Joan coped with her struggles through her art work。When Miriam had finally had endured enough， she returns to Memphis， her home town， to live in her childhood home， in order to escape her domestic violence situation。 Miriam and her daughters， Joan and Mya move in with her sister， August， and her son， Derrick。 Joan and Mya understood they had to leave their violent father， but they still missed him。 Joan was uneasy living with Derrick， since he had raped her when she was 3 years old。 This wasn’t an ideal situation， but it was better than living with a violent man。 Will they be able to move on or will their life continue to spiral out of control？I loved how each chapter was written from a different perspective as this gave depth to the story and showed that each woman had their own struggles in life， but came out stronger in the end。 A perfect book for book clubs as it will spark good discussions！ Be sure to add this incredible book to your TBR list！ 。。。more
ElphaReads
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Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel！This family saga covering three generations of Southern Black women is powerful， unapologetic， and heartfelt。 With an anchor in Memphis， we open with Miriam North fleeing her abusive husband with her two daughters Joan and Myra， taking refuge with her sister August。 We examine the relationship between the sisters， the pain they've endured at the hands of the men in their lives and the white people that mistreat them， and look at Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel！This family saga covering three generations of Southern Black women is powerful， unapologetic， and heartfelt。 With an anchor in Memphis， we open with Miriam North fleeing her abusive husband with her two daughters Joan and Myra， taking refuge with her sister August。 We examine the relationship between the sisters， the pain they've endured at the hands of the men in their lives and the white people that mistreat them， and look at the history of their mother and the stories of Joan and Myra， who are dealing with their own struggles of loss and grief。 I liked the structure of the narrative， jumping from sister to sister to daughter to mother， and how the resilience of these Black women has been passed down through the generations even at the hands of generation trauma due to racism， misogyny， and other realities of being a Black woman in America。 I found the stories engrossing and powerful as well as hard to read at times （lots of content warnings due to spousal abuse， sexual assault， and racial violence）， but Stringfellow has a true gift for prose and characterization。 This is such a strong debut。 MEMPHIS is unflinching and wondrous， and has vibrancy to spare。 If you like generational dramas and coming of age tales， this one is not to be missed。 。。。more
Lia Roemer
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This book was absolutely phenomenal。 It was one of those books that was difficult to put down and take a break。 The writing was addictive meets hope。 A relatable yet intoxicating read。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Memphis
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Memphis&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Memphis&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0