A review by redcupbookclub
Jam on the Vine by LaShonda Katrice Barnett

5.0

How historical fiction should be done!!! The backstory that the author offered really lays the foundation for how the story unfolds. Although on the surface the book is about the need for the creation of the national Black press, it touches on so much more. Jim Crow. How segregation and racism destroys the Black family. Why mentorship is so important. It helps bust the myth of the runaway Black father. The author also chronicles the inevitable push-back that Black activists receive from White mainstream, and from some in the Black community.
One of the most beautiful aspects of the book however, is the relationship between Ivoe and her former teacher. It is one of the few times that a lesbian relationship has been given a thoughtful, balanced and natural place within the story; without being fetishized. I love this book.