"Memphis is an ode to my city and to the Black women living in it. She is my proof that a great peoples reside in the South. ... Memphis is my declaration that our lives - our beautiful, rich, full Black lives - matter so very much." - Tara R. Stringfellow
The beauty of Memphis, Ms. Stringfellow's debut novel, begins at its bold cover, continues through its powerful prose, and concludes with a cast of memorable characters. The author is a poet which is evident in her economy of words; at this time when 500-page novels are common, she tells a vivid story in only 250 pages.
The novel features three generations of strong Black women and the Memphis home that is a touchstone for their family and their neighborhood. Hazel, her daughters Miriam and August, and Miriam's daughters Joan and Mya endure devastating losses and learn to rely only on themselves. It's their unfortunate family legacy that the men in their lives fail them, often in ways beyond their control.
Historical events and aspects of the author's family, including her grandfather who was the first Black homicide detective in Memphis, a tradition of nurses in the family, and a love for quilts, are woven into the plot.
The novel covers 70 years and is told in vignettes assembled in nonlinear order, a format that mirrors the way the author learned her family stories as a child. This format was a bit disorienting at first, but once I was familiar with the characters, it took just a moment to orient myself at the beginning of each chapter.
The fabulous Book Club Kit for Memphis includes a family tree, a Spotify playlist with a song for each chapter, the novel's origin story from the author, and of course, discussion questions.
This is one of the best novels I've read in 2022 and its characters will stay with me for quite some time.
The beauty of Memphis, Ms. Stringfellow's debut novel, begins at its bold cover, continues through its powerful prose, and concludes with a cast of memorable characters. The author is a poet which is evident in her economy of words; at this time when 500-page novels are common, she tells a vivid story in only 250 pages.
The novel features three generations of strong Black women and the Memphis home that is a touchstone for their family and their neighborhood. Hazel, her daughters Miriam and August, and Miriam's daughters Joan and Mya endure devastating losses and learn to rely only on themselves. It's their unfortunate family legacy that the men in their lives fail them, often in ways beyond their control.
Historical events and aspects of the author's family, including her grandfather who was the first Black homicide detective in Memphis, a tradition of nurses in the family, and a love for quilts, are woven into the plot.
The novel covers 70 years and is told in vignettes assembled in nonlinear order, a format that mirrors the way the author learned her family stories as a child. This format was a bit disorienting at first, but once I was familiar with the characters, it took just a moment to orient myself at the beginning of each chapter.
The fabulous Book Club Kit for Memphis includes a family tree, a Spotify playlist with a song for each chapter, the novel's origin story from the author, and of course, discussion questions.
This is one of the best novels I've read in 2022 and its characters will stay with me for quite some time.
