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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
This novel drew me in completely. Set in 1967 Alabama, during the Vietnam War and Civil Rights movement, it follows Katia Daniels, a determined director of a group home for Black boys. Her fight to improve their lives is both inspiring and deeply moving. Katia’s emotional journey keeps you cheering for her until the very end—a powerful, unforgettable story.
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
So preachy and poorly written. Not for me!
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This novel drew me in completely. Set in 1967 Alabama, during the Vietnam War and Civil Rights movement, it follows Katia Daniels, a determined director of a group home for Black boys. Her fight to improve their lives is both inspiring and deeply moving. Katia’s emotional journey keeps you cheering for her until the very end—a powerful, unforgettable story.
Just when I thought I wasn’t connecting with the characters, the tears began to flow!
Katia is a selfless woman who, with the support of her mother, invites two boys from the group home she manages to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with her extended family. The bond between Katia and the boys, Chad and Pee Wee, is both beautiful and heartbreaking.
Katia also faces the impact of the Vietnam War on her family when her twin brothers are reported missing. One returns home struggling with mental health challenges, while the family continues to hold out hope for news of the brother who remains missing.
While dealing with these heavy responsibilities, Katia reconnects with a handsome, kind man from her past, who offers her friendship while hoping for something more.
". . . I had boys who needed me— yet they weren’t my boys. I only had them temporarily and then they went on their way. But hearing Pee Wee beg me to somehow create a situation where I could parent him and Chad broke my heart wide-open. I wanted it, but this was a dream that had no chance of coming true."
Katia is a selfless woman who, with the support of her mother, invites two boys from the group home she manages to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with her extended family. The bond between Katia and the boys, Chad and Pee Wee, is both beautiful and heartbreaking.
Katia also faces the impact of the Vietnam War on her family when her twin brothers are reported missing. One returns home struggling with mental health challenges, while the family continues to hold out hope for news of the brother who remains missing.
While dealing with these heavy responsibilities, Katia reconnects with a handsome, kind man from her past, who offers her friendship while hoping for something more.
". . . I had boys who needed me— yet they weren’t my boys. I only had them temporarily and then they went on their way. But hearing Pee Wee beg me to somehow create a situation where I could parent him and Chad broke my heart wide-open. I wanted it, but this was a dream that had no chance of coming true."
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
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:
No
This one hit me in the feels.
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
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
Untethered by Angela Jackson-Brown has my entire heart. This was such an emotional read, and it resonated with me on a personal level. Katia is a caregiver in every aspect of her life at the detriment to herself, and I relate to this so much. I felt so seen as a social worker, a daughter, mother, friend, and wife. Black women have to be so strong all the time, but when do they get to be happy and just experience all that life has to give? My heart ached for Katia because she was so used to being everything for everyone that when the opportunities presented for her to accept help and support, she just wouldn't allow herself too. She was always worried about how to show up for others. I just wanted her to get to the place where a soft life was waiting for her.
If you've read Jackson-Brown before, then you know her historical fiction hits every single time. Her writing style is engaging and emotional and her characters stay with you long after her stories are done. Peewee and Chad gripped me from the beginning, and I grew so protective of them. No children should ever have to experience all that they had to endure at their age. I also appreciated how this story was so different from the author's previous work. It was still at its core historical fiction but it focused more on the themes than history. It was a deep dive into the failures of foster care system, PTSD in veterans, addiction and trauma, internalized anti-blackness, especially when it pertains to natural hair, the strong Black woman trope, faith and motherhood.
Some of my favorite quotes were:
• "Children belong in safe places."
• "Integration didn't equal fair treatment."
• "I understood more and more why the two of them had bonded. Pain recognized pain."
• "He needs to tell his story to you and his sister. That is how we heal. Silence is what kills us slowly."
If you love stories with incredible writing and a plot that will take you on an emotional roller coaster, then grab a copy for yourself and a bookish friend. Thank you to @harpermuse @hearourvoicestours for the gifted copy and tour opportunity.
If you've read Jackson-Brown before, then you know her historical fiction hits every single time. Her writing style is engaging and emotional and her characters stay with you long after her stories are done. Peewee and Chad gripped me from the beginning, and I grew so protective of them. No children should ever have to experience all that they had to endure at their age. I also appreciated how this story was so different from the author's previous work. It was still at its core historical fiction but it focused more on the themes than history. It was a deep dive into the failures of foster care system, PTSD in veterans, addiction and trauma, internalized anti-blackness, especially when it pertains to natural hair, the strong Black woman trope, faith and motherhood.
Some of my favorite quotes were:
• "Children belong in safe places."
• "Integration didn't equal fair treatment."
• "I understood more and more why the two of them had bonded. Pain recognized pain."
• "He needs to tell his story to you and his sister. That is how we heal. Silence is what kills us slowly."
If you love stories with incredible writing and a plot that will take you on an emotional roller coaster, then grab a copy for yourself and a bookish friend. Thank you to @harpermuse @hearourvoicestours for the gifted copy and tour opportunity.
🎧 Audiobook Review
Untethered by Angela Jackson-Brown
Pub Date: 12/3/2024
This was my first read by rhe author and it will not be my last. Captivating, emotional and devastating are just a few of rhe emotions I felt reading this historical fiction novel. Set in the racist South in the 1960's Katia a single African-American woman is trying to find her place in this hectic cruel world. She runs a boys home for black boys who mostly nobody wants, yet she wants them to feel loved and cared for. She wants love but is too scared to want it since she can't have children of her own. Katia also has twin brothers that went to fight in the Vietnam War with only one returning home broken. But through it all this story shows a strong Katia trying to overcome all the roadblocks coming at her, her family and protecting her boys all at the same time. In true fashion, caring the weight of the world on her shoulders.
The audiobook narration was amazing, the narrator was able to bring each character to life all while making the story feel incredibly intimate. I cannot recommend Untethered enough. The was such a poignant, beautiful read that told a story that needed to be told.
Thank you to Angela Jackson-Brown, and NetGalley for providing the ALC.
Untethered by Angela Jackson-Brown
Pub Date: 12/3/2024
This was my first read by rhe author and it will not be my last. Captivating, emotional and devastating are just a few of rhe emotions I felt reading this historical fiction novel. Set in the racist South in the 1960's Katia a single African-American woman is trying to find her place in this hectic cruel world. She runs a boys home for black boys who mostly nobody wants, yet she wants them to feel loved and cared for. She wants love but is too scared to want it since she can't have children of her own. Katia also has twin brothers that went to fight in the Vietnam War with only one returning home broken. But through it all this story shows a strong Katia trying to overcome all the roadblocks coming at her, her family and protecting her boys all at the same time. In true fashion, caring the weight of the world on her shoulders.
The audiobook narration was amazing, the narrator was able to bring each character to life all while making the story feel incredibly intimate. I cannot recommend Untethered enough. The was such a poignant, beautiful read that told a story that needed to be told.
Thank you to Angela Jackson-Brown, and NetGalley for providing the ALC.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ♾️/ 5.0 (I HIGHLY recommend)
𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: ♾️/ 5.0 (I HIGHLY recommend)
“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒗𝒖𝒍𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒌. 𝑰𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏.”
“…𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖…𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒔, 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅.”
🄱🄾🄾🄺 🅁🄴🅅🄸🄴🅆
Wow! I do not even know where to start! I enjoyed this book so much and it was so much more than I ever expected! This is my second read by Angela Jackson-Brown, and I AM A FAN!!
I just love her writing style, the way she builds her characters, the realism in her stories. I loved it all.
𝑼𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 is a heavy and emotional read but it is also a story of love, lost, and found family. In 𝑼𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅, we meet Katia Daniels who is the Executive Director at a group home for at risk boys. As of late, work has been overwhelming for her. At the beginning of the story, we find her at her wits end with this job. Will she have to quit work or will it even matter if she gets fired? In addition to her issues at work, Katia is lonely. Though she has her mom, her brothers are off at war and her “gentlemen caller,” who she really has no interest in, is not really fulfilling all of her needs. Katia wants more. She deserves more. But will she ever find true happiness?
This story took me on an emotional roller coaster ride. I laughed, I cried, I got angry, I felt encouraged, and my heart filled with joy by the time it was all over. Angela Jackson-Brown knows how to draw the reader in and she builds a world that allows her readers to be fully immersed in the narrative. The setting of the story is the 1960s during the Vietnam War and the author did such an amazing job with the story that I was able to see and feel like I was there. I loved the musical references (i.e. Nina Simone) and I loved the feel of the small town and all of the other settings in the book.
In addition to her excelled world-building, Angela Jackson-Brown did a stellar job with her characters. Katia Daniels is my shero. Though life gave her rotten lemons, boy was she able to make some sweet lemonade. Katia was selfless, supporting, loving, strong, and a true inspiration to me. I just loved the way she stood up for her boys at the group home. She understood the racial dynamics and how, even though they were technically “kids,” society would see and treat them like men (seeing them as a threat). One of my favorite scenes in the book was when she defended Chad Montgomery (a young boy at the group home) against one of the counselors who was working at the group home. Katia was not afraid to stand up for him by letter the counselor know “I will not allow you or anyone else to disrupt their routine or their peach of mind…Neither your needs or the needs of the foster care system will ever supersede the needs of my boys.” Man, at this time, I was her biggest cheerleader, cheering “yes girl, you go girl, you better let her know not to mess with you and those boys!”
I wont spoil it too much but I have to say that I just LOVED the way Katia’s relationship with Seth Taylor was written. Again, I do not want to spoil it but it was a slow burn that was worth the payout! That man loved him some Katia and his patience, and understanding was so beautiful to watch. He gave her what she needed at the right time. He was her friend when she needed a friend, her strength when she had none and her protector when it was necessary. I just loved it all! There were so many times in the story that I wanted her to get out of her own way so she could find true happiness and I must say, I was over the moon happy with the ending we were given.
Overall, I HIGHLY recommend this book! It is an inspirational, beautiful, love story (romantic & familial (found family as well) but it is also a story of self-love and self-worth.
🄰🅄🄳🄸🄾🄱🄾🄾🄺🅁🄴🅅🄸🄴🅆: I had the opportunity to listen to the audio version of this story and I must say that the narrator Karen Murray did a phenomenal job bringing not only Katia but all of the characters to life. I especially loved her portrayal of Pee Wee.
🆆🅷🅰🆃 🆃🅾 🅴🆇🅿🅴🅲🆃
🌹Historical Fiction (Vietnam War)
🌹Found Family
🌹Black Love
🌹Second Chance at Love
🌹Mature Main Characters
🌹Mental Health Rep
🌹Plus Size Rep
🌹Infertility Rep
🌹Foster Care System Rep
🆀🆄🅾🆃🅴🆂 🆃🅷🅰🆃 🆁🅴🆂🅾🅽🅰🆃🅴🅳 🆆🅸🆃🅷 🅼🅴
❤️ “Dear Creator, today I need mercy.”
❤️ “You deserve happiness, Katia. Large helpings of Happiness.”
❤️ “Integration didn’t equal fair treatment. “
❤️ “I am not my circumstances. Even when it feels like all hope is lost, I am still a winner.”
❤️ “Time will be the best healer.”
❤️ “Good things don’t just happen. We make things good by being intentional.”
❤️ “ He needs to tell his story to you and his sister. That is how we heal. Silence is what kills us slowly.”
❤️“I never should have accepted crumbs when I deserved the entire cake.”
❤️ “Life is too short, and death is too long for people to not be with the one they love.”
❤️ “Sometimes one broker person just needs to hear from another brother person.”
❤️ “We’re all looking for love and acceptance. Nobody is better than anybody else.”
❤️ “The last few months had forced me to acknowledge that I also needed to be vulnerable and taken care of sometimes, and needing those things didn’t make me weak. It merely made me human.”
❤️ “It’s okay for you to not be strong sometimes.”
❤️ “It means nothing to talk about God if we aren’t living godly lives.”
❤️ “I h-h-have more gr-gr-grannies…Gran is th-th-the main one but m-maybe it’s okay if I-I-I have more?”….”You deserve all the grannies and all the aunties there are…”
❤️ “Let yourself be happy, Katia, and don’t settle for less than what God has for you. Be brave. Just like He said.”
❤️ “I need you to pray like you have never prayed before.”
❤️ “I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me.”
❤️ “You don’t have to be okay with me…You can be as vulnerable as you need to be. I know this is a lot. You shouldn’t have had to go through this alone….Kat—I care about you.”
❤️ “My goal was always to encourage them to feel their feelings but also to figure how to harness those emotions into something that ultimately serve them in a positive way.”
❤️ “I did this because you need to be reminded of the legacy you’ve created.”
❤️ “…I have been working very hard not to fall in love with you…but in spite of my efforts, I fell hard.”
❤️ “You are kind and generous and unselfish and beautiful and sexy and thoughtful…”
❤️ “The blessings just kept pouring on me like summer rain.”