Reviews

Acts of Forgiveness by Maura Cheeks

claudiaslibrarycard's review

challenging emotional hopeful 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

Acts of Forgiveness is a character driven story about one family and their experience when the Forgiveness Act passes, issuing reparations to citizens who can prove a direct relation to someone who was enslaved. This story combines aspects of historical and literary fiction to tell an emotionally resonant story in an unspecified future, making it very relatable and poignant as the impacts of chattel slavery cannot and will not dissipate without large scale reckoning. 

The novel primarily focuses on Willie Revel, a woman in her thirties who gave up a budding journalism career ten years ago to help her father with the family construction business. Now she is a single mother living with her parents and the business is again at a serious juncture- it seems their only option to remain financially solvent is to take a large project with a white man who vocally opposes reparations. Willie spends much of the story grappling with her morals and the financial necessities, as she also undertakes the significant task of tracing her families roots when it seems her parents and grandfather have nothing helpful to tell her. 

There is an aspect of family secrets and unraveling that hidden thread, but the focus of this story is the Revel family. From Willie's parents to her fifth grade daughter, Maura Cheeks creates depth in these characters that really highlights what reparations could mean for different generations. This book is full of powerful and beautiful writing that often made me pause and even gave me goosebumps. The Revels will be in my heart for a long time to come, and I hope you'll pick up this beautiful and important novel. 

mapo's review

challenging emotional medium-paced

4.0

Such an interesting look at a single macro level policy in this micro way. I think this is an entirely too apt analysis of what would happen if our exact world. The intricate family dynamics and American cultural read was riveting to read — even when a character makes a decision I can’t relate to in the slightest, I understand the push and pull that behind the rationale well thanks to the excellent writing. 

kikathewordnerd's review

emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

tip_be_knowin's review

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

ukponge's review

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Rape

kircranefil's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

thebookishnarwhal's review

5.0

"Acts of Forgiveness" by Maura Cheeks is a stirring debut dealing with the complexities of ambition, inheritance, and the weight of history. Set against the backdrop of the first US federal reparations program, the novel grapples with how much lineage one is willing to unearth in pursuit of redemption.

Meet Willie Revel: a single mother who sacrificed her journalism career to save her father's struggling construction company in Philadelphia. When the Forgiveness Act is proposed, offering Black families up to $175 thousand if they can prove their descent from slaves, Willie sees it as a chance for redemption but her family isn't as eager to dig up the past. Will Willie embarks on the journey to verify her family's ancestry?

Cheeks pairs powerful insight with moving prose and asks us to consider two things: one, how history shapes our identity, and two, what it truly means to leave behind a legacy. Cheeks had me reflecting on my own family histories, digging out my ancestry boxes. As a bi-racial woman, I was left to my own wonderings and the enduring impact of our choices.

Cheeks has crafted a remarkable debut who will linger in your heart long after the final page. Whether you're drawn to contemporary fiction, literary exploration, or stories that resonate with the human experience, this novel is a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books of Random House Publishing Group for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

jackie1324's review

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

litgirlliv's review

reflective medium-paced

3.5

I love the idea of a novel that advances the reparations movement, but I don’t think this will be the novel that catalyzes change. First, only the latter half of the book appears meaningfully dedicated to reparations. Second, and relatedly, it misses numerous opportunities to inspire vision and reflection. What is the case for reparations? How does the movement gain traction? What are the results? This book likely would have benefited from an editor who more familiar with the reparations movement and better positioned to refine a vision for reparations. A stronger editor would have also pruned the meandering subplots that do not further the book’s thesis or resolve. That said, the writing still is lovely and engaging.

unlyke_li's review

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0