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intorilex 's review for:

Yonder by Jabari Asim
4.0

Yonder is a book about stolen people trying to survive the maltreatment of thieves. Despite their mistreatment and tragedies they witness they strive to find meaning in their life and spiritual beliefs. Compelling and insightful, it reads like a oral history being passed on to a new generation.

I'm glad I decided to listen to this on audio, the story does contain graphic scenes of torture, rape and death. It was hard to keep reading at times, and I had to take breaks because I was overwhelmed with emotion thinking of my ancestors. Through my ancestry I know that my distant relatives were slaves in South Carolina. Although this is fiction, it was a refreshing reminder that I come from strong too.

I would recommend this book to readers who:
-enjoy multilayered stories of people going through impossibly hard things
-want to learn more about African American slaves beliefs and experiences
-can deal with triggering descriptions of humans being treated in the most inhumane ways possible