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A review by mbladams
Carolina Built by Kianna Alexander
4.0
This was my second historical fiction read of December, and while it started off a little choppy, I grew to appreciate the story in the end. Being a North Carolinian, it was fascinating to learn about Josephine Napoleon Leary, who was an early real estate entrepreneur in Edenton and other towns in coastal North Carolina in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like the author, I am sad (but not surprised) that our North Carolina history classes never mentioned Leary, even though her accomplishments were quite groundbreaking for her time.
Jo comes from a hardworking family who were former slaves. Jo remembers life as an enslaved person, but is proud of her accomplishments since then. As the book begins, she has just married Archer Leary. They are both barbers, and plan to open their own barbershop. But Jo has other plans as well - she wants to own property. Archer - whose nickname is Sweety - can (and does often) pass as white, giving them an advantage in the racist atmosphere of the 187os. When they look at a property in Elizabeth City that Archer plans to buy, the real estate broker refuses to honor the advertised promise to take half the asking price at sale and the rest paid over time because Sweety's wife is colored. But Jo has $500, and purchases the property outright. This begins a lifelong passion for acquiring and developing real estate.
The book jumps from vignette to vignette of Jo's life. Sometimes, this makes the book seem choppy. In addition, the dynamic between Jo and Archer can get repetitive. Archer struggles with accepting a wife who is self-reliant and not happy being a "traditional" wife, staying home with the kids and taking care of the house. Despite his chronic insecurities, his love of his wife comes through.
Despite the choppiness and the repetitive themes, the story is a very interesting one. I loved learning about Jo and look forward to looking for her building the next time I visit Edenton.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this interesting book!
Jo comes from a hardworking family who were former slaves. Jo remembers life as an enslaved person, but is proud of her accomplishments since then. As the book begins, she has just married Archer Leary. They are both barbers, and plan to open their own barbershop. But Jo has other plans as well - she wants to own property. Archer - whose nickname is Sweety - can (and does often) pass as white, giving them an advantage in the racist atmosphere of the 187os. When they look at a property in Elizabeth City that Archer plans to buy, the real estate broker refuses to honor the advertised promise to take half the asking price at sale and the rest paid over time because Sweety's wife is colored. But Jo has $500, and purchases the property outright. This begins a lifelong passion for acquiring and developing real estate.
The book jumps from vignette to vignette of Jo's life. Sometimes, this makes the book seem choppy. In addition, the dynamic between Jo and Archer can get repetitive. Archer struggles with accepting a wife who is self-reliant and not happy being a "traditional" wife, staying home with the kids and taking care of the house. Despite his chronic insecurities, his love of his wife comes through.
Despite the choppiness and the repetitive themes, the story is a very interesting one. I loved learning about Jo and look forward to looking for her building the next time I visit Edenton.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this interesting book!