You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Pregnancy
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Grab tissues!!! Deeply sad while fully beautiful. Katia was inspiring in how she handled one crisis after another, always fully professional and proud. A lot of us women can certainly learn from her. But she also frustrated me because, like so many women, she was always putting herself behind everyone else in her life. I was so glad she was surrounded by other women who encouraged her to want more for herself and to be brave enough to face her deepest wants and shame.
The story takes place in Alabama, so yes, it addresses institutionalized racism and sexism. It's not a focal point of the book, but it's also not shied away from. I appreciated the author giving Katia a couple of great white female allies. The sisterhood has to stay strong! Not every white woman was an ally, but it was so important that she had these women in her corner because they were there at critical junctures. Without their presence at these specific moments, it would've been highly likely escalation would've led to greater heartache and violence.
All the youth in the story are so loveable and deserving of love. I want to hug every single one of them and look them in the eyes while telling them that they are worthy and capable.
Leon added little to the story, but my goodness. Ok, so he was actually functional in helping Katia move forward in her life, but that was only after she was forced to let go of him. Her mother's reaction, though, was just so funny to me. Her mother was a great mom. She reminded me of my mom.
My favorite kind of book is when all the loose ends are tied up, and all the loose ends are tied up in this one. Hurray!
The story takes place in Alabama, so yes, it addresses institutionalized racism and sexism. It's not a focal point of the book, but it's also not shied away from. I appreciated the author giving Katia a couple of great white female allies. The sisterhood has to stay strong! Not every white woman was an ally, but it was so important that she had these women in her corner because they were there at critical junctures. Without their presence at these specific moments, it would've been highly likely escalation would've led to greater heartache and violence.
All the youth in the story are so loveable and deserving of love. I want to hug every single one of them and look them in the eyes while telling them that they are worthy and capable.
Leon added little to the story, but my goodness. Ok, so he was actually functional in helping Katia move forward in her life, but that was only after she was forced to let go of him. Her mother's reaction, though, was just so funny to me. Her mother was a great mom. She reminded me of my mom.
My favorite kind of book is when all the loose ends are tied up, and all the loose ends are tied up in this one. Hurray!
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
emotional
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:
No
This novel is set in Alabama in 1967, and the protagonist, Katia, is a single, Black woman who runs a group home for Black boys in the foster care system. Katia's life is all about caring for others-- her charges at the home, her mother who lives with her, and her younger brothers, one of whom is MIA in Vietnam-- and when a terrible series of events hits her from multiple directions, she starts to understand her own need to be cared for. I shed many tears through this reading, witnessing the realities of this life, albeit through fiction. I found a lot of the language somewhat anachronistic for the time, though. What sticks with me the most at the end of the book is the community that Kat was surrounded by, who found ways to support her even when they, too, were burdened by systems designed to hurt them. A mostly happy ending allows the characters to be in a joyful place when we leave them, which was comforting.
3.5 rounded up. 3.5 stars rounded up. I have mixed feelings about this one, but I’ll start by saying I’m excited to read more from Jackson Brown. This book convinced me that whenever I’m in the mood for a character-driven story, I’ll be reaching for her work.
What this book does well is dive deep into the life of its protagonist, Katia—a grieving, vulnerable, and, at times, self-loathing woman. She’s relatable and recognizable, while also displaying immense strength and care for those around her, often to both her benefit and detriment.
The story tackles heavy topics, including grief over losing her father, supporting her mother, longing for her missing twin brother, and caring for her other brother, who has returned from war. Katia is also the director of a foster home for young Black children, all while navigating her dating life and grappling with her inability to have children. I expected heavy themes, especially with the foster care system and the systemic failures that often affect children.
While I was drawn to the these deeper topics, the execution left me torn. By the end, the heavier moments didn’t land as strongly as I’d hoped, and some felt underexplored. The story leaned heavily on Katia’s feelings of inadequacy, particularly around motherhood and her relationships, which sometimes felt repetitive. When a character dies, for example, it felt rushed and almost unnecessary to the narrative making it hard to fully grieve them.
I also struggled with the genre blending. At times, it felt more like a romance novel disguised as something else. The ending—a sappy romantic resolution—felt out of sync with the rest of the book. While some readers will find relief in seeing Katia finally appreciated by someone who recognizes her value, it didn’t entirely work for me.
That said, Katia’s connections with the young boys in her care, her family, and her friends are deeply felt. I just wish we’d gotten perspectives from other characters, like her brother Mark, whose experience with war and its aftermath is only shown secondhand. The same goes for Mason and Chad, whose voices brought innocence and vulnerability to the foster care storyline.
Lastly, the historical fiction aspect didn’t always feel convincing. Without a few dated references, much of the story could have taken place today. While the author touched on racism and abuse in Katia’s work environment, as well as the stacked challenges faced by Black children in foster care, I think there was room to expand on these themes and firmly ground the story in its intended era.
Overall, while I didn’t love the book, I did like it. It’s rich in emotion and complexity and would make an excellent book club pick. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author in the future.
Thank you much to NetGalley for this egalley!
What this book does well is dive deep into the life of its protagonist, Katia—a grieving, vulnerable, and, at times, self-loathing woman. She’s relatable and recognizable, while also displaying immense strength and care for those around her, often to both her benefit and detriment.
The story tackles heavy topics, including grief over losing her father, supporting her mother, longing for her missing twin brother, and caring for her other brother, who has returned from war. Katia is also the director of a foster home for young Black children, all while navigating her dating life and grappling with her inability to have children. I expected heavy themes, especially with the foster care system and the systemic failures that often affect children.
While I was drawn to the these deeper topics, the execution left me torn. By the end, the heavier moments didn’t land as strongly as I’d hoped, and some felt underexplored. The story leaned heavily on Katia’s feelings of inadequacy, particularly around motherhood and her relationships, which sometimes felt repetitive. When a character dies, for example, it felt rushed and almost unnecessary to the narrative making it hard to fully grieve them.
I also struggled with the genre blending. At times, it felt more like a romance novel disguised as something else. The ending—a sappy romantic resolution—felt out of sync with the rest of the book. While some readers will find relief in seeing Katia finally appreciated by someone who recognizes her value, it didn’t entirely work for me.
That said, Katia’s connections with the young boys in her care, her family, and her friends are deeply felt. I just wish we’d gotten perspectives from other characters, like her brother Mark, whose experience with war and its aftermath is only shown secondhand. The same goes for Mason and Chad, whose voices brought innocence and vulnerability to the foster care storyline.
Lastly, the historical fiction aspect didn’t always feel convincing. Without a few dated references, much of the story could have taken place today. While the author touched on racism and abuse in Katia’s work environment, as well as the stacked challenges faced by Black children in foster care, I think there was room to expand on these themes and firmly ground the story in its intended era.
Overall, while I didn’t love the book, I did like it. It’s rich in emotion and complexity and would make an excellent book club pick. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author in the future.
Thank you much to NetGalley for this egalley!
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
My first book of 2025 and it was amazing! I loved our FMC and her selflessness. Her kindness was that of saint. Even with the issues she dealt with personally and with her family, she never let that stop her from caring for the boys within the home she ran. Listening to how she cared for the boys and how she taught them was just a joy to listen to. They knew with her she had their backs when no one else did. Now, the things that those boys had gone through and was going through was heartbreaking. I loved Chad and PeeWee, especially little PeeWee! But, while I loved this one it also broke my heart!
If you have not read this one, you should definitely put this on your TBR for a soon and not a later! The audiobook was phenomenal. Loved it so much!
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Yes
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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:
N/A
Vietnam War era historical fiction is one of my favorite subgenres.
This book takes place in Troy, Alabama during the fall of 1967. The main character, a Black woman named Katia Daniels, has an emotionally taxing career. She's the executive director of a group home for, in the parlance of the day, Negro boys. All the group home's residents have been neglected and/or abused prior to their arrival. Adding to her stress, one of Katia's younger brothers serving as a Marine in Vietnam has been reported missing in action.
Most of the book revolves around Katia, who is childless and unmarried, and her efforts to help Chad and Pee-Wee, two of the group home's residents. Chad, a teenager, was taken away from his mother after he reported being sexually and physically abused by her numerous boyfriends. His mom was addicted to heroin and alcohol and turned a blind eye to the abuse. Chad's social worker comes to the group home with news that Chad's mother wants to regain custody, and Chad threatens to run away from the group home if they try to force him to go back to her.
On a routine outing from the group home, Pee-Wee and Katia witness Chad being kidnapped by his mom and her boyfriend/Chad's abuser. Pee-Wee, Chad's middle-school-aged best friend, is inconsolable. Chad's life is cut short by tragedy, leaving Katia, Pee-Wee, and the other residents and staff at the group home to cope with their rage and grief.
The story is well-written and pulls you in. I choked up at several points. Even though the book is set in the past, the themes about parental substance abuse and the vulnerability of children in the foster care system are still relevant today.
This book takes place in Troy, Alabama during the fall of 1967. The main character, a Black woman named Katia Daniels, has an emotionally taxing career. She's the executive director of a group home for, in the parlance of the day, Negro boys. All the group home's residents have been neglected and/or abused prior to their arrival. Adding to her stress, one of Katia's younger brothers serving as a Marine in Vietnam has been reported missing in action.
Most of the book revolves around Katia, who is childless and unmarried, and her efforts to help Chad and Pee-Wee, two of the group home's residents.
On a routine outing from the group home, Pee-Wee and Katia witness Chad being kidnapped by his mom and her boyfriend/Chad's abuser. Pee-Wee, Chad's middle-school-aged best friend, is inconsolable. Chad's life is cut short by tragedy, leaving Katia, Pee-Wee, and the other residents and staff at the group home to cope with their rage and grief.
The story is well-written and pulls you in. I choked up at several points. Even though the book is set in the past, the themes about parental substance abuse and the vulnerability of children in the foster care system are still relevant today.
challenging
emotional
sad
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:
No
emotional
hopeful
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