Starred review from April 8, 2024
Penelope (The Monsters We Defy) fuses magical realism, folklore, and African American history into a profound and rousing fantasy set in 1935 in the American South. Twelve years after armed men forced Jane Edwards and her family from their home, a traumatic event that caused Jane to lose her voice, she faces the daunting task of saving her new home in the all-Black town of Awenasa from the construction of a dam that threatens to bury the community underwater. As the threat looms, Jane encounters a man named Rob, whom she believed to be deceased, emerging from the very waters where his neighbors laid him to rest. Rob introduces Jane to an underwater realm of ancestral magic and gods—a discovery that could be the town’s salvation. Now Jane and Daniel, the son of Awenasa’s founder, race against time to persuade the community that their redemption lies in embracing magic. Along the way, Jane must reckon with her traumatic past. Jane’s character leaps off the page, buoyed by a supporting cast who breathe life into the narrative. Meanwhile, the romance that develops between Jane and Daniel adds sweetness. This potent work packs a punch. Agent: Arley Sorg, KT Literary.
Starred review from May 1, 2024
The town of Awenasa, founded by a formerly enslaved person, has become a thriving haven for Black people fleeing the lynchings and oppression endemic to the early 20th-century South. But prosperous Awenasa has drawn the eye of the powerful State Authority, which plans to drown their town with a dam upriver. Reliable, responsible, nosy Jane Edwards knows there's no hope--until a mysterious stranger comes to town and shows her that instead of giving in she can call on old gods and even older legends, invoking magic that is capable of bringing the entire "chariot" of Awenasa all the way to a Black Atlantis. Deftly combining historical fantasy and magical realism with myths and legends from the African diaspora, the novel follows Jane through her dreams, fears, and failings as she does her damnedest to save her corner of the world. VERDICT Fans of Penelope's The Monsters We Defy will be thrilled, while readers of The Deep by Rivers Solomon, In the Shadow of the Fall by Tobi Ogundiran, and The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings will find another novel that sings of hope and magic.--Marlene Harris
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
May 15, 2024
Can forces beneath the river save a town from the relentless gears of development? Jane Edwards has lived in Awenasa, an all-Black town, ever since violence displaced her and her family from their home down the river. Though Jane's past still haunts her, leaving her reluctant to take risks and unable to speak above a whisper, she is focused on the future, until the return of her sister, who all but disappeared 10 years ago, disrupts the balance Jane has created for herself. Worse, white government men have come to town, intent on flooding it out to build a dam. Following them is a man with a face from Jane's past and a present shrouded in mystery and, seemingly, magic. To save her town, Jane must remember stories and beliefs from her ancestors, discover the secrets beneath the river, and use this knowledge to unite her community. As magic entwines with the Black American experience in the early 20th century, an ode to Black communities and the way memories can last generations emerges. Later plot developments regarding Jane's disability are sometimes disappointing, but the ways she makes space to be a member of her community on her terms are positive. Awenasa also shines as a living, breathing town, full of squabbles and secrets as well as heart and love. Unflinching portrayals of racism and violence are paired with agency as Jane and her friends and family make their own choices about how to live their lives and when to make a stand. Miracles can happen--if we remember.
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June 1, 2024
Penelope's latest historical fantasy after The Monsters We Defy (2022), takes place in the Black southern town of Awenasa and follows Jane, an inquisitive yet doubt-ridden young woman who mainly communicates through ASL. Awenasa's white neighbors are building a dam that will flood the town, and only a miracle can save its residents from losing their homes. A man named Moses emerges from the river and offers just such a miracle. No one else recognizes him, but to Jane he looks just like her sister's deceased beau, whose death Jane feels is her fault. Her guilt permeates the novel, making Jane feel undeserving of happiness and incapable of enacting change. But as Jane learns more about Moses, she discovers a magic brimming within her and ventures with her sister to a fantastical city beneath the river. While Penelope addresses the harrowing real-life facts of drowned Black towns, magic and Jane's growth offer hope and levity. With its foundation in history, enchanting underwater scenes, and endearing townsfolk, this original novel should appeal to readers of both fantasy and historical fiction.
COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.