Natashia Deón

This is the debut novel by Natashia Deón. It tells the stories of two black women, Naomi, in 1840s Georgia and her daughter, Josey, in the 1860s in Alabama. Naomi flees the murder of a slaveowner, finding a refuge of sorts in a rural brothel. There, she has a contentious relationship with the brothel owner, but her impulsivity and naivety lead her into danger. Later, her daughter, blonde and troubled, experiences the dangers of being legally free, but living in the South.

This was an show more interesting novel that didn't lack for drama, but had a lot more melodrama than I would have liked. While Naomi was flawed, but willing to act, her daughter spent her life needing to be cared for and her decisions made for her, first by her guardian and then by her husband, making her a not very interesting character to spend half of a novel reading about. I also have some questions about some of the behaviors of a few of the characters and of whether that would have been at all likely in the antebellum south, but the two stories didn't lack for momentum. show less

i found this an incredibly strong novel, and a mind-blowingly excellent debut. deón is a hugely talented writer - her scenes and characters are incredibly vivid and visceral. right from the first page, i knew this was a story that was going to crush my heart. and yet, it is so necessary and compelling - it has to be read. while there are horrors within the book, there are also beautiful moments, along with huge amounts of sensitivity and heart. the crescendo leading to the ending is so show more intense, even though we know the outcome from the beginning of the story.

the new york times ran a terrific review, which says everything far better than i can. here is a small excerpt:

“Not every woman got the same strong.”

I wondered, in some way, if this wasn’t the key to the whole book. None of its women do have the same strong. But they all have some version of it, and it’s enough to get by.

[The Character of] Naomi opens the book by explaining that justice is getting what you deserve, mercy is being spared the bad you deserve, and grace “is getting a good thing, even when you don’t deserve it.” It is what she would have named her daughter — Grace — if she’d been given the chance. The book takes place at a time in our history when the moral ledgers were never in proper balance. Justice, mercy and grace were in dreadfully short supply. How “Grace” resolves is not for me to say. But as it flies toward its conclusion, Ms. Deón has found haunting ways to explore — and deliver — all three.*

* excellent review from the new york times (there are a few spoilers): https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/20/books/review-natashia-deons-grace-a-tale-of-s... show less

I struggled at times with this novel - the nonlinear storyline threw me for a loop a few times - but by the end, I was really impressed by how the plot came together. Overall, this was a thought-provoking novel that doesn't hide the brutality of slavery while also showing characters who take agency over their own fate.

I read this book over a period of several weeks as its emotional depth is staggering. Deon illustrates the ways that love and pain shape our lives, our relationships, and our legacies.

Blunt and nuanced, this novel hits hard and leaves lasting bruises.