Jamila Minnicks

The only thing I like more than nonfiction is 20th Century historic fiction - so this book was set up to be quite the treat for me! And I really liked the story, the characters felt whole and realistic. The historic connections were interesting and relevant. The story made sense and connected beautifully to the historic time. I enjoyed the lyrical and rhythmic writing. The audio performer was excellent. My only misgivings are that sometimes I was distracted by stretches of superfluous and convoluted descriptions. Only at a certain points - and perhaps too many - where the similes and metaphors stacked up chock-o-block that the overall impression simply lost it's beauty. At those points the descriptions were gratuitous beyond irritating. It made what could have been an awesome 5-star book into something less.… (mere)

New Jessup, Alabama, is the opposite of a "sundown town", where Black people cannot stay overnight. The fictional New Jessup's Black founders self-segregated and founded a community that offers comfort and opportunity to all its Black residents, which is threatened by the rise of the Civil Rights movement. Orphaned Alice is a refugee from a town where she escapes attempted rape by her landlord by purchasing a bus ticket as far as she can go. Upon arrival in New Jessup, she is startled at the lack of segregated signage, or any signage, to instruct her as to where she can or can't walk, work, or breathe freely. She falls in love with Raymond, son of one of the town's founding fathers, but is still yearning for her sister Rosie, who has disappeared in Chicago. She's also concerned about the nascent civil rights movement's interest in desegregating the state and their insulated, safe town. Alice knows that progress needs to be march on, but is fiercely defensive of the cocoon of her safe space. The outside world does, of course, intrude, and New Jessup needs to make important decisions. The relationship of Alice and Raymond is so solid and loving that the reader retains a pervasive fear for their, and New Jessup’s, future. Excellent lyrical writing of a world that may or may not have existed.… (mere)