All We were Promised by Ashton Lattimore

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars 

Pages: 368 pages
Published: April 2024

All We Were Promised is the debut historical fiction novel by Ashton Lattimore, an award-winning journalist and former lawyer. The book is set during the pre-Civil War era in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and features three female protagonists serving as soldiers for justice: Charlotte, who has escaped slavery with her father, who is hiding in plain sight while his daughter poses as his housemaid; Nell, a well-to-do aspiring abolitionist; and Evie, a freedom-seeking friend from the plantation that Charlotte and her father absconded. All three of these characters' lives collide in Philadelphia where they help each other to make the ideal of freedom a reality because none of us are free unless we are all free (Fannie Lou Hamer). 

The premise of the story is not new. There have been many non-fiction and fiction stories that covered the topic of Black people who knew they did not belong to anyone and fought for something different. Additionally, the phenomenon of passing (e.g., Imitation of Life, Did You Hear about Kitty Karr, and Passing, etc.) is touched on with the relationship between Charlotte and her father. But overall this books is about American's greatest ill - its participation in the transatlantic slave trade. Do we need another book about slavery? Yes, let us continue to tell the stories and learn from history lest we repeat them, especially in today's society when the historical facts are being skewed to pacify those who cannot accept the atrocities that occurred in these United States of America. 

I truly enjoyed reading this story. I think the author did a wonderful job with portraying the horrendous acts of one group of people treating another group of people as property without being overly graphic. Her research into the actual, historical event of the burning of Pennsylvania Hall within days of its grand opening was not only handled well, but was so compelling it enticed me to seek out more about this true event. Lattimore also did a great job of created in-depth characters in Charlotte, Nell, and Evie. She also presented Charlotte's father in such a way that I was truly angry with this fictional character. To me, he was simply a slavemaster of another kind. When a book evokes emotion and provokes action, I tend to label it a good one. 

My only critique was the lack of development of some of the secondary characters and plots - like that of the relationship between Alex and Nell. I would have loved to know more about the Darcel, who befriended Charlotte as well as Irene and Daniel, who she left behind at the plantation and were mentioned by name several times throughout the book but had no fleshed-out back story development. 

Recommendation: This novel had strong themes of justice, grief, and belonging. The ending was a little abrupt, and I feel like there could have been so much more to it. My hope is that Lattimore writes a sequel to All We Were Promised because there are so many promises unfulfilled in this first writing. If she does write a follow-up story, I'll be first in line to get a copy. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok

Rating: 5 of 5 stars 

Pages: 288 pages
Published: October 2023

Anne Bogel of the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club raved about The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok during her 2023 Fall Book Preview event. I thought the synopsis sounded intriguing, so when Book of the Month offered it as a selection I chose it for my monthly subscription box. 

In short, the novel tells a believable yet fictional tale of a young woman, Jasmine, who escapes her abusive husband in China in search of her daughter who she believed to have died during childbirth. Her husband told her this horrible tale because of China's One Child Policy. Because of his position in the government, he only wanted - and could only afford - a male descendant. Jasmine learns her daughter has been adopted by a white American couple - Brandon and Rebecca - living in New York. So, she puts herself into impossible-to-overcome debt and absconds to the U.S. in search of the daughter she never knew with plans to recover her and for them to make a life of their own together. 

Each chapter is told either from Jasmine's first-person perspective or from the third-person perspective when developing and defining Rebecca's character. Both women are as different in personality and socioeconomic status as in the way their stories are presented. I struggled for most of the book with this, not fully understanding the change in perspective. However, later in the book, a plot twist is revealed that adds clarity to this incongruent approach. 

Overall, the story is relatively short - just shy of 300 pages, but there are so many details offered up with such beautiful prose that one cannot rush reading this book. My favorite thing about reading, especially fiction, is a beautifully-constructed sentence, and Kwok peppers these thought-provoking passages throughout her novel resulting in an engaging story that captures, commands and captivates the reader's attention. Some of my favorites are: 

Why was it that women had to pay the price for men’s desires? -p. 85
 

I was trying to hold on to the illusion that I could work in a place like this and do it on my own terms, but I already knew, deep inside, that Opium was going to infiltrate my skin, soak into my pores until I wouldn't be able to tell where I ended, and it began. Walk often enough by the river's edge and your shoes will get wet. -p. 126


In China, I’d seen posters warning girls of the danger of becoming leftover women, women that no one wanted. Leftover like scraps on a table, uneaten food, both sacrilege and wasteful, something that should have nourished our country squandered and turned into rubbish: unwanted, purposeless, of no use to anyone. -p. 167-168


When you love the house, you just love the crows on the roof as well. -p. 211

Recommendation: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. In hindsight, I would not have read it near Christmas as it was sad in its themes, but it did provide a ray of hope in the uplifting, but not totally neatly-packaged, ending. This is a book you read not for a highly actionable plot, although there was some of that, but the journey in following the characters and their storylinles. I'd highly recommend this book for the lone reader or for invigorating discussing with a book club. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars 

Pages: 320 pages
Published: July 2020

All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle is about Hubert Bird, a Jamaican expat living in England. During the latter portion of his life, he finds himself a widow miles apart from his daughter who lives in Australia and just as far apart emotionally from his estranged son. However, Hubert has been lying by putting on false pretenses about his life - painting a picture of an active, senior lifestyle. However, when, by happenstance, he meets his neighbor, a young single mom named Ashleigh, Hubert’s lonely life is turned upside down and he gets a much more exciting life than he ever could have imagined. 

The thing I liked the most about this book is that it so relatable. I can’t think of a single person who hasn’t experienced a sense on loneliness at one point or another in his or her life, so the imagery that Gayle is able to develop through his prose is easily imagined. 

“It was a kiss that didn’t say goodby so much as hello.” 

“Extraordinary things can happen to ordinary people like you and me, but only if we open ourselves up enough to let them.” 

My only critiques about this book are the dialect in which Hubert spoke. I understand the need for the colloquial nature of Hubert’s conversation to make his Jamaican ethnicity seem more authentic. However, it seemed overdone and far-fetched that he would continually speak using “me” rather than “I” after having lived a successful life in England. Additionally, the author shows us that he knows the proper English way to speak, he just doesn’t, which seems lazy and contradictory to someone who worked so hard not only in his professional life but his romantic one with Joyce. Additionally, the reveal about Rose seems to come out of nowhere. I suppose this is a very real possibility, but it really didn’t flow in the book. It seemed like a last-minute Hail Mary to assist the book in closing. And finally, if I had my druthers, I’d rather the story had ended at chapter 49. I don’t really think the “Eighteen Months Later” epilogue was needed to complete the story.

Recommendation: I don’t think this book is about the story so much as it’s about the message it represents. It was published in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time where I suspect many people were experiencing some type of loneliness. However, the message is evergreen and can be appreciated at any time. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

Read More