🌟 BOOK REVIEW🌟 🌟 💫 Tara M. Stringfellow's debut "Memphis" gives you an insight into the city with a rich cultural history, while subtly highlighting the progression of African American history through the eyes of 3 generations of North Family and 5 strong female protagonists, across 7 decades. The book though relevant is not for casual reading- the 3 generations are connected at their core through violence- the grandmother, Hazel, having lost her husband shortly after becoming the first black detective in the historic black neighborhood of Douglas. Hazel's daughter Mariam is a domestic abuse survivor, who escapes trying to give her daughters a life that she and black women in the past deserved but never got. The history and present are told through the eyes of 10-year-old Joan, who represents the resilience of the 3 generations, as she survives her share of abuse to find relief in her art and paintbrush. As does August, Mariam's sister, who sees her only son suffer the consequences of his actions- and finds healing in her music and hair salon. The confidence Mya, Joan's sister, shows in standing up for her sister or vulnerability after hearing of her father's loss, just sums up the plethora of emotions the author has packed in this 252-page pocket dynamite. The back-and-forth narrative did get a tad confusing at times, but the author smartly encompasses historical events- from World War II to the death of black girls in Birmingham Alabama in 1963-1968 assassination of Dr Martin Luther King to the 9/11 Pentagon bombings- and this does help in associating the progression of the story. This was a powerful story and when Joan eventually succeeds in achieving her dreams, you sense the sweet satisfaction which you always want when closing a book. Recommended. #bookreview #bookstagram #memphis #bookrecommendations #taramstringfellow #blacklove #blackwomen #blacklivesmatter #music #poetry #debut #bookphotography #booklover #booknerd #thedialpress https://www.instagram.com/p/CkR0e-VrAX7/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
