'Memphis: A Novel' by Tara M. Stringfellow is a poignant and evocative story that spans multiple generations of strong black women living in the south. The book provides a deep historical insight into the lives of these women, portraying their struggles, triumphs, and the complexities of their relationships. The writing style is described as rich and vivid, painting a vivid picture of the deep south and the characters within the story.
The novel weaves together the lives of characters like Joan, Miriam, August, Hazel, and Della, exploring their experiences, challenges, and growth over time. Through the perspectives of different generations of a gifted family from Memphis, the book delves into themes of family, history, and the unique experiences of black women in the heart of Memphis. The author's storytelling is captivating, with a mix of humor, sadness, and reality that keeps readers engaged till the very end.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for Memphis include themes of racism, domestic abuse, and incest, making it a sensitive read for some audiences.
From The Publisher:
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A spellbinding debut novel tracing three generations of a Southern Black family and one daughter's discovery that she has the power to change her family's legacy.
"A rhapsodic hymn to Black women."- The New York Times Book Review
"I fell in love with this family, from Joan's fierce heart to her grandmother Hazel's determined resilience. Tara Stringfellow will be an author to watch for years to come."-Jacqueline Woodson, New York Times bestselling author of Red at the Bone
LONGLISTED FOR THE ASPEN WORDS LITERARY PRIZE
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Boston Globe, NPR, BuzzFeed, Glamour, PopSugar
Summer 1995: Ten-year-old Joan, her mother, and her younger sister flee her father's explosive temper and seek refuge at her mother's ancestral home in Memphis. This is not the first time violence has altered the course of the family's trajectory. Half a century earlier, Joan's grandfather built this majestic house in the historic Black neighborhood of Douglass-only to be lynched days after becoming the first Black detective in the city. Joan tries to settle into her new life, but family secrets cast a longer shadow than any of them expected.
As she grows up, Joan finds relief in her artwork, painting portraits of the community in Memphis. One of her subjects is their enigmatic neighbor Miss Dawn, who claims to know something about curses, and whose stories about the past help Joan see how her passion, imagination, and relentless hope are, in fact, the continuation of a long matrilineal tradition. Joan begins to understand that her mother, her mother's mother, and the mothers before them persevered, made impossible choices, and put their dreams on hold so that her life would not have to be defined by loss and anger-that the sole instrument she needs for healing is her paintbrush.
Unfolding over seventy years through a chorus of unforgettable voices that move back and forth in time, Memphis paints an indelible portrait of inheritance, celebrating the full complexity of what we pass down, in a family and as a country: brutality and justice, faith and forgiveness, sacrifice and love.
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4.5 stars
Longlisted for the Women’s Prize 2023.
A story of three generations of women who are part of the town Memphis, Tennessee. The narration jumps back and forth between these women, Hazel, August, Miriam, Joan and Mya. Their lives goes on altering with changing times, the evolution of racism (not eradication) and domestic abuse. Along the way each and every one becomes the stronger version of oneself.
I loved the characters, each one so intense. Also loved the narration of the city's physical and cultural landscape, evoking a sense of place through vivid descriptions of its streets, buildings, and neighborhoods through time. The author brings to life the people and places of Memphis with a keen eye for detail.
Amazingly written, definitely one of the best reads of the year.
Happy Reading!
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