Reviews with content warning for Pregnancy - Memphis

Some beautiful description. Took me a minute to realize the connection between the two stories. Also took me a minute to wrap my head around jumping time periods with each chapter but I got the hang of it eventually. I'm guessing the acknowledgements were narrated by the author - definitely made them that much more powerful.

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loesm's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

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laurataylor's review

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dark reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

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jordynkw's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.75

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gabichatslit's review

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3.75

“You have a gift from God. Thank Him, then get to work.” And Ms. Stringfellow, thank you for listening to your mother’s advice. Memphis is a book that sunk its teeth in and did not let go until the very moment I finished the last chapter. I laughed and cried and bristled at the raw truth in these pages. In these characters who I loved and at times could not stand. The anger I felt towards Miriam and August for not doing more to protect Joan in adolescence. My own issues with my father, whom my relationship with I saw mirrored in Joan and Jax but who shares a name with Hazel’s great love. But the love between sisters— the way My would go to war for Joan in a heartbeat. No questions asked. The abundance of love and community— Stanley giving Hazel away, Ms Dawn hosting the wedding, The neighborhood watching over the house. August hair shop and the abundance of love and laughter. This book was beautiful and heartbreaking and earnest and honest and painful. I’m so glad I picked it up and I’m glad I stuck it out, even when it hurt to get through the pages.

More thoughts:
- I think it was important that Miriam didn’t allow Jax to soften her with his apologies and stories. And remained steadfast in her leaving him/their divorce. It emphasized to Joan, who understood the nitty-gritty parts of her parents relationship better than My, that there was nothing that would make up for the abuse that Miriam had endured and that Joan saw her dad inflict firsthand. Like go seek counseling my guy but do it away from me.
- I wish Hazel had confirmed who August dad was in her later chapters even though I have an inkling as to who it was.
- I wish we got more of what went down between August and Bird, like did he leave the next morning with Jax? August had quite a few thoughts about the possibility of living and dying alone, like her mom, so how did she navigate that as Joan went off to college and My finishing school, etc.
- I think the book would’ve been enhanced a bit more by the inclusion of chapters from My’s point of view possibly. Even though I think she was mainly a comedic presence amidst the heavier moments.
- Also interlude’s maybe a page or two in length from Ms. Dawn’s perspective as she was a considerable supporting character in the narrative of the North women and had been around since Hazel had been a teenager— what did she know about the North women? how did she know what she knew? added commentary on the nature of these women. Etc
- Also Also, I think an epilogue from Joan’s perspective once she got to RCA would’ve been the cherry on top. To see her in a space of true freedom, using her craft/strengthening her gift amongst other amazing similarly focused individuals would’ve really tied it all together for me
- Also x3 I think a conversation between Miriam and Joan was needed. There were moments when Miriam (and August) were like I pray she don’t remember what happened and it’s clear she did and for years had to live with her trauma physically present in her space and they would just be tense and ignore it. So I think Miriam and her definitely needed to talk about how that affected her and Miriam apologize to her daughter for how disorienting her childhood had become. And that she was sorry that in her quest to provide for the family and get away from Jax, at times she didn’t see the weight of what her decisions did to her daughter’s wellbeing. And why it was easier for Joan to throw herself into her passion and her art as a means to escape a world she couldn’t control, whereas her art was always her domain. like I can’t get past what she said to August in the kitchen that day— “what can he do to me? Sorry, what else can he do to me?”
- Also x4, Derek needed to apologize. And maybe he did at the end and we didn’t see it bc we didn’t know that Joan agreed to send him art until My confirmed it while consoling her in the car but it should’ve been on page. And honestly I think she could’ve forgiven him without needing to be in correspondence with him. Like these were the consequences of his actions, not hers. That’s just me. I think unearthing the comb and attempting to get closure was the end all of what Ms Dawn’s instructions for her. Again that’s just me

Still, for a debut, this was a mighty book. Extremely well done.

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