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Memphis
On sale
7th April 2022
Price: £19.99
‘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
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
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Reviews
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
This vivid debut novel examines the tragedies, joys, and deep connections of one extraordinary Memphis family . . . A powerful family saga from a promising writer
This poetic, multigenerational story is set in the ancestral Memphis home a mother and her daughters flee to to escape the father's violence. Spanning 70 years, and told through a variety of voices, this powerful debut novel encompasses race, class, and the legacy of trauma
This beautifully written debut will transport, challenge and transfix you . . . The novel is an ode to the city and the Black women living there. There's a great sense of the women's enigma and enchantment, humour and fortitude
A stunning debut, a deeply affecting portrait of familial bonds. Rich with indelible black women and Southern charm
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
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
An incredible read
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
Black American literature at its finest . . . a symphony of stories
A rhapsodic hymn to Black women
Stunning . . . a spectacular debut rich with Southern charm . . . a celebration of sisterhood and life
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
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
I love this book. I couldn't put it down. You will fall in love with these women who gather strength from one another's care amidst a world of heartbreak, racism, and violence. Filled with Fifties music, this book went straight to my heart
This book was stunning. The characters were vivid and alive, and the weaving between tales was thematic and effortless
A real celebration of Black women living in Memphis - deals with complex issues of race, class, love and loss in a beautiful way
I loved these larger than life, exuberant female characters
This book had me gripped from the start - incredibly moving!
A superb book by an author who knows how to write brilliant characters
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
I fell in love with this book and its characters . . . I can't wait to read more from this author
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
Richly impressionistic . . . Stringfellow demonstrates he erratic movements of history, the false starts and reversals and, yes, the moments of progress that are reflected in the haphazard march toward realizing King's vision for America