Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - Memphis

Memphis was an absolute five-star read that combined history, love, family, and the strength of Black Women into one compelling story that I absolutely flew through. Stringfellow's descriptive writing style made every page seem so vivid and alive as I tried to imagine the homes and places where the characters go.

I normally don't like books that jump around timeline-wise, but Stringfellow's use of the characters and their history was enjoyable and easy to follow. I also don't usually like books that weave multiple major historical events into their characters' lives, but again Stringfellow's writing on things like the

Civil Rights Movement, the Gulf War, and 9/11

were done perfectly and made the characters fit so well into their various historical events. Her historical research was clearly done and done well.

All of her characters had such full and big personalities, even the side characters. I especially loved Miss Dawn and Stanley, both serving as characters who moved the plots and offered direct support for each of the characters, while still being developed as their own characters. As a Jewish person who lives in the South, I especially thought Stanley was an interesting character because he operates as such a picture of Southern Jewishness and the way it functions very differently from Northern Jewishness, including being more involved in non-Jewish communities and being considered more "assimilationist," for lack of a better term.

All-in-all, I imagine Memphis is a book I will reread in the years to come as I imagine there is more to glean from it than just from a first read!

Content Warnings

hollyd19's review

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Set largely in the eponymous Memphis and flashing between the 1950s and 1990s, this book follows the women of the North family as they navigate life and hardship.

I’ll admit that I went in with some trepidation after seeing some lukewarm reviews and the abrasive behavior from the author towards critical discussions. However, I tried to read with openness, especially considering the longlist recognition. I’m grateful I did because I found it very engaging and rich. The women centered in the narrative face impossible choices thanks to the racist society where they live and the unhealthy men in their orbits. The writing is descriptive and honest, offering complex characters with dreams, shortcomings, successes, and heartbreaks. You could come away from the book feeling like the North women faced and excessive amount of trauma, but I believe Stringfellow presents their story in such a way as to communicate that their lot was due in large part to the world they inhabited and their own personal convictions of self-worth.

My two main criticisms are mostly around Joan. I found that the parts from her perspective, especially in her youth, used language that was too mature and complex. Additionally, she was the only character written from first person and I found that a little disorienting, especially since her story doesn’t really feel like the central one (I’d argue that August is the “main” character).

Content Warnings

denw's review

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

rubl_b's review

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.0

Content Warnings

More...