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rdebner's review
5.0
Taking place in the very end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, this novel follows Ivoe Williams and her family from Texas to Missouri, as Ivoe struggles to find her place in the world, as a black woman, as a journalist, and as a race woman. It is also a timely book, as Ivoe reflects on and calls out the disappearing of black men in this country -- disappeared by incarceration and death. It is also a story of the women in Ivoe's life: her mother, Lemon, who time and time again holds her family together with ingenuity; her sister, Irabelle, who stands up for her right to be a musician - but then may throw it away; her aunt, May-Belle, a healer; Berdis, trained as a classical musician; and Ona, her mentor, friend, and later her lover.
ladiijenni's review
5.0
This is the hyperbole of feminist fiction. LaShonda Katrice Barnett takes you on a journey saturated with historical facts that begins in the 1890s and ends in 1925. From Jim Crow laws in the South, the Christian influence of HBCUs, the Great Migration of the North which details the horrors of mass incarceration, union representation for blacks, and the lynching of the North which included a fictionalized of a lynching that occurred in Omaha during the Red Summer of 1919.
I found it important that Barnett made the protagonist Ivoe a lesbian who falls in love with her Journalism teacher, Ona, as many early 20th century feminists were lesbian or bisexual, but that history is often forgotten.
I found it important that Barnett made the protagonist Ivoe a lesbian who falls in love with her Journalism teacher, Ona, as many early 20th century feminists were lesbian or bisexual, but that history is often forgotten.
sanareading's review
5.0
this is definitely one of my favorite books, if not my favorite. barnett writes beautifully - the prose is so wonderful that reading it, regardless of content, brought a smile to my face. the story is executed flawlessly. the characters develop so naturally throughout the book, and i loved reading the progression of ivoe and ona's relationship. i love this book. i can't wait to see what barnett writes in the future
brittdbean's review
5.0
This is such a beautiful book. The relevance is maddening. A story of love and desire, Jam on the Vine is a call to be more not just do more. I loved this book and its amazingly resilient characters who exemplify the complexities of being tenacious enough to be great!
beverleefernandez's review
4.0
I think this book is awesome! I love reading stories that inspire a person to be greater- by greater I mean, fighting against obstacles to achieve a goal that benefits everyone. There's always a lesson to be gleaned from the past...one must know where they've been, in order to know where they should go.
crankylibrarian's review
4.0
A fascinating and gripping novel of life as a female African American journalist in the early 20th century. A perfect complement to the age of "intersectionality", Jam on the Vine features Muslim characters, gay and bi-sexual characters, and feminist characters, unafraid to speak out and to be themselves. Like role model Ida B. Wells, Ivo and Ona, the heroines of Jam on the Vine take on racism without apology.
keenanmaree's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Violence
berniemck's review
5.0
Reading this book was such a pleasure. There were quite a few interesting characters and I enjoyed getting to know each one of them, after reading their individual stories. A black family in the south, is navigating it’s way through life in the South, in spite of obstacles, that stem from Jim Crow. I enjoyed the parallel stories in this book. They converged and kept me engaged. This book has been on my TBR list for a really long time. I am really happy I read it. I would recommend this book. I can’t imagine anyone not liking it.