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afloodofbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Jane Edwards stopped truly speaking when she was eleven, after a traumatic experience that saw the source of her greatest secret and guilt, and all the Black residents of her town expelled under the cover of night. Jane and her family find solace in Awenasa, an all-Black town. But 12 years after the incident, and their move the Awenasa, the construction of a dam threatens the safe haven her family, and many others call home.
Jane will do anything to protect her family and community, including following the river to a submerged world of myths and gods not too far from her own.
Penelope brings together the stories of Oscarville, Georgia and Kowaliga, Alabama, two Black towns that were drowned between the 1930s and 1950s by man made reservoirs, to rewrite history with a fantastical twist that draws on Black history, folklore, and African Diasporic traditions and gods. This book was beautifully written as we come to know Jane, her family, and the town and citizens of Awenasa, their stories, the struggles they face(d), and the secrets they keep. I was completely swept up in the beauty of New Ilé, a mythical city built by the gods to give their children the lives and futures they deserved. The details in this book were gorgeous and I really felt connected with Jane and felt the power of the gods as they worked to save Awenasa and solve their own problems. It was a lovely reminder that freedom is not just a physical thing, but mental as well. Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for a digital ARC of Daughter of the Merciful Deep!
Jane will do anything to protect her family and community, including following the river to a submerged world of myths and gods not too far from her own.
Penelope brings together the stories of Oscarville, Georgia and Kowaliga, Alabama, two Black towns that were drowned between the 1930s and 1950s by man made reservoirs, to rewrite history with a fantastical twist that draws on Black history, folklore, and African Diasporic traditions and gods. This book was beautifully written as we come to know Jane, her family, and the town and citizens of Awenasa, their stories, the struggles they face(d), and the secrets they keep. I was completely swept up in the beauty of New Ilé, a mythical city built by the gods to give their children the lives and futures they deserved. The details in this book were gorgeous and I really felt connected with Jane and felt the power of the gods as they worked to save Awenasa and solve their own problems. It was a lovely reminder that freedom is not just a physical thing, but mental as well. Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for a digital ARC of Daughter of the Merciful Deep!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gun violence
Moderate: Pregnancy, Racism, and Racial slurs
There are memory throwbacks that tell the story of a man being lynched for a crime he did not commit.millenial_sam_reads's review
4.0
Daughter of The Merciful Deep Book Review
In the story we follow Jane who is struggling to let go of her past and the trauma that comes with it to live for her future. Jane must figure out how to let go of her past to help save her town and the people that she loves. This story takes place in an all African American town in the 1930’s. This book gives us strife, anger, heartbreak, racism, but it also gives us a sense of community, belief, and hope at a time that felt almost hopeless. I loved the way Leslye weaved African folklore into the book and making it come alive thru the pages. This historical fantasy book had a great mix of real life and fantasy that you don’t lose one for the other.
This book exceeded my expectations. I was a bit nervous the first couple of chapters as I was gaining my understanding of what was happening in the book, but it is truly a beautiful book. Leslye has a wonderful way of writing that is almost poetic. If you enjoy historical fantasy books, then look no further this is the book for you.
**Thank you to NetGalley, publisher, and author for allowing the opportunity to and review this book as an ARC. All my reviews and comments are my honest opinions. **
In the story we follow Jane who is struggling to let go of her past and the trauma that comes with it to live for her future. Jane must figure out how to let go of her past to help save her town and the people that she loves. This story takes place in an all African American town in the 1930’s. This book gives us strife, anger, heartbreak, racism, but it also gives us a sense of community, belief, and hope at a time that felt almost hopeless. I loved the way Leslye weaved African folklore into the book and making it come alive thru the pages. This historical fantasy book had a great mix of real life and fantasy that you don’t lose one for the other.
This book exceeded my expectations. I was a bit nervous the first couple of chapters as I was gaining my understanding of what was happening in the book, but it is truly a beautiful book. Leslye has a wonderful way of writing that is almost poetic. If you enjoy historical fantasy books, then look no further this is the book for you.
**Thank you to NetGalley, publisher, and author for allowing the opportunity to and review this book as an ARC. All my reviews and comments are my honest opinions. **
strin012's review against another edition
4.0
I met Leslye Penelope in the fall of 2022 at a women writers fair in Maryland. That was when I learned about and heard her discuss her book, The Monsters We Defy, which I loved. The book and audiobook are both outstanding. When we met, she asked where I was from, and I told her I was from Alabama. She then shared with me that she was working on the manuscript that would eventually become this book, a tale based on the towns that were flooded to generate power across the southeast, including one near my hometown. Since that conversation, I have been patiently waiting for this novel to come out, and I’m glad to say the wait was well worth it. Daughter of the Merciful Deep is a novel. I will definitely be recommending to my fellow Alabamians and other book loving friends. The story and characters were compelling and beautifully rendered in this book, and helped get me through a reading slump.
In particular, I loved the relationship between sisters, Jane and Grace, and appreciated the portrayals of life in a small town, as well as examining the reasons people stay in, leave, and return to small communities. The depictions of community and nosiness disguised as concern were both hilarious and a little too true for comfort. I will say that I found the multiple timelines in the beginning of the story to be a little difficult to follow, but I don’t know that there would have been a better way to convey that information to the reader, all of which is necessary to understand the full picture later in the story. I would also recommend to readers that they flip to the back of the book to read the author’s note before beginning the book. While it does contain a light spoiler, I think the scene setting in the author’s note helps the reader better grasp some of what is going on in the background of the story and understand Jane’s character a little bit better as well.
Overall, I would recommend this book to people who enjoy fantasy, tales about small towns, depictions of tight-knit communities, and people who need a little magic in their life.
In particular, I loved the relationship between sisters, Jane and Grace, and appreciated the portrayals of life in a small town, as well as examining the reasons people stay in, leave, and return to small communities. The depictions of community and nosiness disguised as concern were both hilarious and a little too true for comfort. I will say that I found the multiple timelines in the beginning of the story to be a little difficult to follow, but I don’t know that there would have been a better way to convey that information to the reader, all of which is necessary to understand the full picture later in the story. I would also recommend to readers that they flip to the back of the book to read the author’s note before beginning the book. While it does contain a light spoiler, I think the scene setting in the author’s note helps the reader better grasp some of what is going on in the background of the story and understand Jane’s character a little bit better as well.
Overall, I would recommend this book to people who enjoy fantasy, tales about small towns, depictions of tight-knit communities, and people who need a little magic in their life.
plush's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is my first Leslye Penelope novel, which after finishing this one, feels like quite a ridiculous misstep on my part. This was phenomenal, and I am so happy that I decided to open and read it.
Blurb:
Jane Edwards hasn’t spoken since she was eleven years old, when armed riders expelled her family from their hometown along with every other Black resident. Now, twelve years later, she’s found a haven in the all-Black town of Awenasa. But the construction of a dam promises to wash her home under the waters of the new lake.
Jane will do anything to save the community that sheltered her. So, when a man with uncanny abilities arrives in town asking strange questions, she wonders if he might be the key to saving her town.
I was enthralled reading this book. Penelope’s writing is nuanced and lyrical. Her narrative voice has a distinct folklore/fairytale atmosphere to it. A lot of this book revolves around water and rivers (go figure) and the prose mimics the ethereal sway of a river.
Our main character Jane is a delight. She feels appropriately naive and curious, while cautious and wary. I felt like she was very well fleshed out. There isn’t any doubt how she feels about a subject, and I feel like I know her. She seems like she’s about to step off the page and offer commentary on her story.
The imagery throughout the novel is powerful. I teared up more than once at different moments. I had goosebumps for much of the end of the novel. I think the third act of this book really shines. I loved all of this book, but the ending was especially well done.
Much of this book is centered around the unforgivable discrimination and destruction around black communities and black success following the outlawing of the slave trade. While this novel is fiction, the discrimination and prejudice depicted are not. I think the author did an incredible job at showcasing how even if you do everything right, society can still say you’re wrong.
This was truly so good, and I can’t believe I haven’t read more from the author before this. Absolutely worth picking up.
4.5/5 stars
Thank you so very much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication. The opportunity is greatly appreciated, but does not change the content of my review.
Blurb:
Jane Edwards hasn’t spoken since she was eleven years old, when armed riders expelled her family from their hometown along with every other Black resident. Now, twelve years later, she’s found a haven in the all-Black town of Awenasa. But the construction of a dam promises to wash her home under the waters of the new lake.
Jane will do anything to save the community that sheltered her. So, when a man with uncanny abilities arrives in town asking strange questions, she wonders if he might be the key to saving her town.
I was enthralled reading this book. Penelope’s writing is nuanced and lyrical. Her narrative voice has a distinct folklore/fairytale atmosphere to it. A lot of this book revolves around water and rivers (go figure) and the prose mimics the ethereal sway of a river.
Our main character Jane is a delight. She feels appropriately naive and curious, while cautious and wary. I felt like she was very well fleshed out. There isn’t any doubt how she feels about a subject, and I feel like I know her. She seems like she’s about to step off the page and offer commentary on her story.
The imagery throughout the novel is powerful. I teared up more than once at different moments. I had goosebumps for much of the end of the novel. I think the third act of this book really shines. I loved all of this book, but the ending was especially well done.
Much of this book is centered around the unforgivable discrimination and destruction around black communities and black success following the outlawing of the slave trade. While this novel is fiction, the discrimination and prejudice depicted are not. I think the author did an incredible job at showcasing how even if you do everything right, society can still say you’re wrong.
This was truly so good, and I can’t believe I haven’t read more from the author before this. Absolutely worth picking up.
4.5/5 stars
Thank you so very much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication. The opportunity is greatly appreciated, but does not change the content of my review.
smalone825's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ejetheartist's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I could not put this book down! What a great read that evoked so much emotion and imagination for me. I immediately fell in love with Jane and the Awenasa. The connections to black history and African traditional spirituality made this an inspiring book to read during black history month. Ties made to inspire triumph over atrocities in American Black history were well thought out and well done. There are several characters to fall in love with and others you will automatically have negative feelings towards, but I won't spoil it. I personally recommend Daughter of the Merciful Deep and would love to read any other stories out of New Ile.
kpeninger's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Leslye Penelope really should be getting more attention as an author. This is the second book I've read from her that I would classify as historical fantasy, and I remain impressed at her ability to create a compelling, interesting story that also manages to educate the reader, as it's based on real history. I knew vaguely of the drowned Black towns, but did not realize how ubiquitous it was in the 30s-50s. Though this was a fantasy novel, the fact that it was based in these realities has made me want to read more on the history that inspired it.
I really think that one of the author's main strengths as a writer is her characters. I adored all of these characters; Jane is a fantastic protagonist, though I will sayI don't feel super great that her disability was miraculously cured towards the end of the book; I recognize that it was a physical manifestation of her guilt, but I wish that her using her vocal cords had been more of a gradual process. I thought she was perfectly capable of using her voice even when her voice was in sign language . I thought her relationship with Grace was beautifully drawn, and Grace herself was an interesting mystery. I loved how the sisters grew together throughout the novel, despite the complications in their relationship. The rest of the characters were great as well; the Braithwaite family as a whole was really intriguing, and I loved the contorted dynamics between Daniel and the rest of the family. The small town ladies and gentlemen were also really fun to see, adding great texture to the piece.
I also loved the incorporation of African traditions, and some of the tensions and questions between the African religions depicted and Christianity. It is not necessarily unusual to find books these days that delve into and explore African folklore, religions, and traditions and utilize the stories and characters and gods from those backgrounds; it is less usual to see all of that in a story that interacts with Christianity as well, and not in a negative way. I was impressed by the balance that the author struck in acknowledging the power and importance of both of those traditions to the Black community in the United States, while simultaneously not shying away from the fact that Christianity was imposed, historically.
There were elements of this book that felt less polished, though. I did feel like the plot overall was a bit clunky and less well connected than I would like. At times it felt like a straightforward historical fiction novel, at times it felt like a fantasy novel, and only upon occasion did the two elements feel cohesive, like they were serving the same story. I also felt like the conclusion was a bit rushed; the last twenty percent of the book or so felt like it was scrambling.
Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed this. More people need to be reading Penelope's books; she is truly a talented writer who is writing unique, interesting stories. Many thanks to NetGalley for an eARC; all opinions are my own.
I really think that one of the author's main strengths as a writer is her characters. I adored all of these characters; Jane is a fantastic protagonist, though I will say
I also loved the incorporation of African traditions, and some of the tensions and questions between the African religions depicted and Christianity. It is not necessarily unusual to find books these days that delve into and explore African folklore, religions, and traditions and utilize the stories and characters and gods from those backgrounds; it is less usual to see all of that in a story that interacts with Christianity as well, and not in a negative way. I was impressed by the balance that the author struck in acknowledging the power and importance of both of those traditions to the Black community in the United States, while simultaneously not shying away from the fact that Christianity was imposed, historically.
There were elements of this book that felt less polished, though. I did feel like the plot overall was a bit clunky and less well connected than I would like. At times it felt like a straightforward historical fiction novel, at times it felt like a fantasy novel, and only upon occasion did the two elements feel cohesive, like they were serving the same story. I also felt like the conclusion was a bit rushed; the last twenty percent of the book or so felt like it was scrambling.
Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed this. More people need to be reading Penelope's books; she is truly a talented writer who is writing unique, interesting stories. Many thanks to NetGalley for an eARC; all opinions are my own.
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