Grace

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 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 show more 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 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.

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 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 show more 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

This novel is about the brutality of chattel slavery and features a real cast of colorful characters and odd balls; black, white and POC.
The novel begins with Josey's birth and the murder of her mother, Naomi. After her body has died, Naomi's spirit? soul? is 'flashing' through her life and via these flashes we learn her and Josey's story.
Naomi is born on a slave breeding plantation. Her Momma is the 'massa's' best breeder and as such he gives her what he considers, special treatment. 'massa' is clearly poor white trash and has severe anger issues, having shot a white man because he could and paid no penalty for doing so. The countless enslaved peoples he killed is implied but not detailed.
He brings men, mostly black but some white, to show more Momma and tells her she needs to have boys, not more girls or he will turn to Naomi's older sister, Hazel. The babies are sold as infants and girls don't bring as much money as boy do.
Momma and Hazel have managed to hide Naomi's existence from 'massa'.
One horror filled evening 'massa' comes to make good on his promise to Momma about Hazel, as her last birth was twin girls. In the chaos 'massa' discovers teenage Naomi.
So begin Naomi's adventures and the story weaves magically between Naomi and Josey's life.
The characters in this novel practically breathe, they are so well written. show less

Wow! There were times when my mouth was wide opened, I wiped tears, I screamed, and was angered. The author tells the story of different generations and supporting characters over time and in different locations and she does it well. You have to pay attention but if you do you will be rewarded. I listened to this book on audio and the narrator was MAGNIFICANT!

*I received this copy from a giveaway on Goodreads.*
I enjoyed the story line and plot of this book. It was built around the life of a black slave and her daughter right before the civil war (in the 1850s I believe). It felt very historically accurate to me and although the storytelling style was brutal it was very truthful as well.
The book did a good job of covering the life of both the mother and the daughter, however, I found the way it skipped around the timeline very confusing. Sometimes it would be a flashback, other times it would be in the present. Because of this, it took me a while to notice that the mother also died in like the first part of the book (literally in the prologue). Part of the reason it took me so long to read show more and understand the book (mostly the people the book was referencing and the timeline) was because of the language used.
It is accurate for the time period but because I am used to the 21st-century manner of speaking it took me awhile to get into a rhythm and actually properly understand what the characters were saying. Most of the problem was in the dialogue as, again, it is historically accurate for the time but very hard to understand. I didn't tend to have a problem with the regular text except when it switched time period and occasionally point of view.
All in all, this is a good historical novel for those looking for a book with accurate grammar and word choice for the time period and a realistic look at how slaves were treated during this time period. show less