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Memphis

a vivid Southern debut paying tribute to an indelible family of females, longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2023

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Memphis

By: Tara M Stringfellow
Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo, Karen Murray, Tara M Stringfellow
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'Tara Stringfellow will be an author to watch for years to come . . . A stellar debut' Jacqueline Woodson, bestselling author of Red at the Bone

A spellbinding ode to Memphis, as well as a celebration of the strength and defiance of three generations of a Southern black family who live there.

Joan can't change their past
But she can create her future

Joan was only a child the last time she visited Memphis. She doesn't remember the bustle of Beale Street on a summer's night. She doesn't know she's as likely to hear a gunshot ring out as the sound of children playing. How the smell of honeysuckle is almost overwhelming as she climbs the porch steps to the house where her mother grew up. But when the front door opens, she does remember Derek.

This house full of history is home to the women of the North family. They are no strangers to adversity; resilience runs in their blood. Fifty years ago, Hazel's husband was lynched by his all-white police squad, yet she made a life for herself and her daughters in the majestic house he built for them. August lives there still, running a salon where the neighbourhood women gather. And now this house is the only place Joan has left. It is in sketching portraits of the women in her life, her aunt and her mother, the women who come to have their hair done, the women who come to chat and gossip, that Joan begins laughing again, begins living.

Memphis is a celebration of the enduring strength of female bonds, of what we pass down, from mother to daughter. Epic in scope yet intimate in detail, it is a vivid portrait of three generations of a Southern black family, as well as an ode to the city they call home.

(P) 2022 Penguin Random House Audio©2022 Tara M Stringfellow African American Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction
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Critic reviews

If ever there was a novel that reflects how the past can shape us, and how we can change our own story, it is this stunning debut . . . this beautifully written, inspiring story is full of hope and memorable characters (Books of the Year)
I fell in love with this book and its characters . . . I can't wait to read more from this author (Books of the Year)
Written with the grace of a poet, Memphis is as hopeful as it is heartbreaking. I fell in love with this family, from Joan's fierce heart to her grandmother Hazel's determined resilience. Tara Stringfellow will be an author to watch for years to come . . . A stellar debut
In luminous, lyrical prose, Tara Stringfellow sings the song of the North women - and the North men - with wisdom, humor, and deep humanity. Memphis is an American epic, a tribute to life in all of its sorrow and joyful resilience
An evocative, compelling tale . . . Tara M Stringfellow assembles an endearing and unforgettable cast of characters who find strength in vulnerability, safety in art, and liberation in telling the truth. This is a shining, splendid testimony in the vein of Gloria Naylor, Delores Phillips, Ayana Mathis, and Honorée Jeffers
Memphis is at once a sprawling generational epic and an intimate character study . . . There is sorrow in these pages, but there is also joy and wit and warmth . . . incredibly satisfying [and] deeply affecting
A stunning debut, a deeply affecting portrait of familial bonds. Rich with indelible black women and Southern charm
Black American literature at its finest . . . a symphony of stories
A rhapsodic hymn to Black women
Ferocious and compassionate . . . Stringfellow deftly weaves the voices of four vivid, formidable and funny women over three generations . . . Memphis reaches back to literary mothers and towards potential daughters, honouring the strength, creativity and resilience of Black women
I fell in love with this book by the end of the second paragraph. This story truly touched my soul. A talented new author who is definitely one to watch
Charting the story of three generations of women from a family in Memphis, this debut delivers an epic yet intimate history of black womanhood - ideal for fans of The Vanishing Half and An American Marriage
If ever there was a novel that reflects how the past can shape us, and how we can change our story, it's this stunning debut . . . this beautifully told and inspiring story is full of hope
An accomplished debut
Engrossing . . . beautifully written prose, unforgettable characters, messages of sisterhood and community . . . The author shows tremendous insight into the effects of violence on Black women in America, told from a captivating Southern female perspective (Best Books of 2022)
All stars
Most relevant
Not knowing what to expect when I downloaded this book. I am completely in awe now that I have finished listening. I will return to it again and again.

Totally Engaging

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I found it slow at the beginning, but once I was in I was hooked. loved the characters of Hazel, Joan, May n August. Wanted to hear more from them n also would have liked Jack's n Maryam's characters to b fleshed. Especially in relation to their marriage - love, abuse n its end. Questions burning in my mind - how did Jack rise up in the military a black man? what were the challenges he faced? These characters were alive in my mind and will stay with me for a while after the end of this book. Good job Miss Stringfellow

An enjoyable read

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life stories woven through time and generations, with the struggles of black lives in the south through segregation and civil rights. An intimate view of what it means to be a black woman,which was a privilege to read.

beautifully woven story, just like a quilt.

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A lovely generational saga. I was invested in this book. Listened to it via audiobooks.

Family Saga

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From start to finish I was enraptured. The weaving of the story telling was enthralling.

Stunning

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