NATIONALBESTSELLER-READWITHJENNABOOKCLUBPICKASFEATUREDONTODAY-AspellbindingdebutnoveltracingthreegenerationsofaSouthernBlackfamilyandonedaughter’sdiscoverythatshehasthepowertochangeherfamily’slegacy.“ArhapsodichymntoBlackwomen.“--TheNewYorkTimesBookReview“Ifellinlovewiththisfamily,fromJoan’sfiercehearttohergrandmotherHazel’sdeterminedresilience.TaraStringfellowwillbeanauthortowatchforyearstocome.“--JacquelineWoodson,NewYorkTimesbestsellingauthorofRedattheBoneLONGLISTEDFORTHEASPENWORDSLITERARYPRIZE-ONEOFTHEBESTBOOKSOFTHEYEAR:TheBostonGlobe,NPR,BuzzFeed,Glamour,PopSugarSummer1995:Ten-year-oldJoan,hermother,andheryoungersisterfleeherfather’sexplosivetemperandseekrefugeathermother’sancestralhomeinMemphis.Thisisnotthefirsttimeviolencehasalteredthecourseofthefamily’strajectory.Halfacenturyearlier,Joan’sgrandfatherbuiltthismajestichouseinthehistoricBlackneighborhoodofDouglass--onlytobelyncheddaysafterbecomingthefirstBlackdetectiveinthecity.Joantriestosettleintohernewlife,butfamilysecretscastalongershadowthananyofthemexpected.Asshegrowsup,Joanfindsreliefinherartwork,paintingportraitsofthecommunityinMemphis.OneofhersubjectsistheirenigmaticneighborMissDawn,whoclaimstoknowsomethingaboutcurses,andwhosestoriesaboutthepasthelpJoanseehowherpassion,imagination,andrelentlesshopeare,infact,thecontinuationofalongmatrilinealtradition.Joanbeginstounderstandthathermother,hermother’smother,andthemothersbeforethempersevered,madeimpossiblechoices,andputtheirdreamsonholdsothatherlifewouldnothavetobedefinedbylossandanger--thatthesoleinstrumentsheneedsforhealingisherpaintbrush.Unfoldingoverseventyyearsthroughachorusofunforgettablevoicesthatmovebackandforthintime,Memphispaintsanindelibleportraitofinheritance,celebratingthefullcomplexityofwhatwepassdown,inafamilyandasacountry:brutalityandjustice,faithandforgiveness,sacrificeandlove.
