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A review by arisbookcorner
Jam on the Vine by LaShonda Katrice Barnett
3.0
"Surely by now I have racked up enough lessons in degradation for the dean of life to confer upon me a degree in bitterness." Ivoe, pg. 179
The making of a "race woman" (who seems a lot like Ida B. Wells) set during the nadir is a unique premise in and of itself. Made even more so by the cast of characters and not-Chicago Midwestern setting (well small town Texas first and then Kansas City). Each surrounding character is strongly developed and while the story jumps from inner monologue to inner monologue to me it's always clear whose speaking. The only exception would be Ivoe's sister Irabelle whose character growth seems stunted after a horrific incident (although there is another racist incident earlier on in the book that she is too young to understand the magnitude of and never revisits). The author manages to weave together so many interesting historical tidbits, whether it's the presence of Muslims in the post Reconstruction South or the multiple LGBT characters. Even the focus on Ivoe in college, there aren't many novels that discuss the curriculum of Black women's colleges or what their social lives would have been like so I enjoyed that glimpse into this underrepresented part of history as well as the surrounding activism. I'm also not trying to give to much away but Ivoe's parents have the most gut-wrenching love story and it takes the most unexpected turn and I just gobbled it up. It often seems like in Black historical novels we don't get much of a focus on passionate Black love so that was a nice touch. But with those touching moments come stomach churning ones, the author spares few details when it comes to describing lynchings, sexual assaults and revolting prison conditions. It's tough to get through but important and well worth it to see the parallels to today.
A tribute to Black newspapers, a reminder of their storied history and vital importance to the community throughout the 19th and 20th century. I only wish we had spent more time on journalistic endeavors and less on her childhood, the story drags through most of the first chunk. The love 'triangle' keeps the reader somewhat engaged but overall I think most of the 'precocious child' and even job hunting parts could have been shortened considerably. Even now although Black newspapers may be dwindling, magazines and websites seem to be chugging along or thriving and providing much needed representation while serving as a safe space. It is not a coincidence for example that Essence magazine has led the way in coverage of the missing Black girls in DC and across the country, a story that is slowly now being picked up by the "mainstream" media. I think if this book had been a bit shorter and not plodded along so much in the beginning I would have liked it a lot more but it is clear that the author is excited by her material and loves her characters, she tries to pack in as much as she can. It almost might have been better as a series or at least with a sequel to give the reader more space to breathe and savor. I look forward to her next novel (which will be more historical fiction according to an interview I read).
The making of a "race woman" (who seems a lot like Ida B. Wells) set during the nadir is a unique premise in and of itself. Made even more so by the cast of characters and not-Chicago Midwestern setting (well small town Texas first and then Kansas City). Each surrounding character is strongly developed and while the story jumps from inner monologue to inner monologue to me it's always clear whose speaking. The only exception would be Ivoe's sister Irabelle whose character growth seems stunted after a horrific incident (although there is another racist incident earlier on in the book that she is too young to understand the magnitude of and never revisits). The author manages to weave together so many interesting historical tidbits, whether it's the presence of Muslims in the post Reconstruction South or the multiple LGBT characters. Even the focus on Ivoe in college, there aren't many novels that discuss the curriculum of Black women's colleges or what their social lives would have been like so I enjoyed that glimpse into this underrepresented part of history as well as the surrounding activism. I'm also not trying to give to much away but Ivoe's parents have the most gut-wrenching love story and it takes the most unexpected turn and I just gobbled it up. It often seems like in Black historical novels we don't get much of a focus on passionate Black love so that was a nice touch. But with those touching moments come stomach churning ones, the author spares few details when it comes to describing lynchings, sexual assaults and revolting prison conditions. It's tough to get through but important and well worth it to see the parallels to today.
A tribute to Black newspapers, a reminder of their storied history and vital importance to the community throughout the 19th and 20th century. I only wish we had spent more time on journalistic endeavors and less on her childhood, the story drags through most of the first chunk. The love 'triangle' keeps the reader somewhat engaged but overall I think most of the 'precocious child' and even job hunting parts could have been shortened considerably. Even now although Black newspapers may be dwindling, magazines and websites seem to be chugging along or thriving and providing much needed representation while serving as a safe space. It is not a coincidence for example that Essence magazine has led the way in coverage of the missing Black girls in DC and across the country, a story that is slowly now being picked up by the "mainstream" media. I think if this book had been a bit shorter and not plodded along so much in the beginning I would have liked it a lot more but it is clear that the author is excited by her material and loves her characters, she tries to pack in as much as she can. It almost might have been better as a series or at least with a sequel to give the reader more space to breathe and savor. I look forward to her next novel (which will be more historical fiction according to an interview I read).