Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

If you have any emotions whatsoever, this book will smack each of them in the face with the power of the story and the writing. The story of three generations of a black Memphis family - mainly from the women's point of view - and how racism, violence, love and anger have driven the extraordinary mother's and girls to do the best they can.

The writing style is brilliant, extremely engaging. Local vernacular used as and when, and not overused to make it a difficult read as others have done. I believe the author is a poet in her other works, and whereas this is a full blown novel the descriptions of people and places were poetic in nature.

There are some hard tales within this book; there is laughter as well. I 100% recommend this!

A very powerful Book that tells how Women of Colour have had to fight injustices from Men of their own Race along with that of White Men ever since the time of Slavery. However the North Women in this Book do everything they can to remedy this & fight back proving how strong & valuable they are to all levels of Society from Slavery days right up to today . I highly recommend Women of all Nationalities & ages Read this Book.#Fb, #Instagram, #Goodreads, #NetGalley #Amazon.co.uk ,#<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/358a5cecda71b11036ec19d9f7bf5c96d13e2c55" width="80" height="80" alt="100 Book Reviews" title="100 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>!

An absorbing, realistic debut featuring three generations of women in the same family. The familial bond is the heart of this book - the strength of these incredible Black women stems from it and is underlined by it. Trigger warning: there are difficult themes - rape, domestic abuse, poverty, racism, and more - but each is handled sensitively, and this is not a one-sided book: the characters are well-rounded, so we also see them experience happiness; we see their desires and ambition; and we can laugh along with their day-to-day joy. A thoroughly recommended read that will leave you waiting (im)patiently for Stringfellow's next book.

What a beautiful book. It travels through three generations of black women, rather inconsistently one can say, years changed as per their own accord, but not once I felt like flipping through to find out the other character's story, there was no precedence, I just liked taking whatever the book was offering, whenever it was offering it. It felt like the author was painting three canvases simultaneously and you're sitting in the audience watching her take her time and leisure to paint one, then move on to another, then another, then back to the first, there's an order that only the painter knows, and you're too much in awe of her talent to tell her to paint one completely, because you somehow know that order has a relevance, something that you know little by little, which each stroke here and there.

The first generation includes Hazel (and Myron), second includes her daughters Miriam (and Jaz) and August, and third includes Miriam's Joan and Mya (and Derek, August's son).

I can say a lot, but it'd not be just. It's a book that talks about traumas and horrors that Blacks, Black women have to endure, or have endured.
If you wish to know more then you should read.

Finished this in a few days, I was hooked. This is the coming of age story of Hazel, Miriam and Joan. Three strong women, three generations, one family in Memphis.

As the reader you are an outsider looking into the growth, the loves, the trials and journeys that these three women go through.

Hazel the grandmother living through a time when racism was openly carried out without retribution, her tragedies and her strengths she put up enduring and surviving to make a better world for her daughters. Miram the victim of domestic abuse who also becomes a single mother raising her two daughters with the help of her sister August. And lastly Joan a victim of sexual abuse and how she carries it within her and overcomes her trauma.

Certainly these characters will remain with me even now I have finished this book.

A great debut.

4.5 / 5
Memphis is a solid debut , a story about three generations of women of the same family and their experiences with systematic racism and sexism .
The story was raw , heartbreak and eye opening story of how black women have to face so much because of their gender and race .
The story is a bit slow at the start and hard to get into but it successfully gains you attention and keeps it the entire time .
Reading through the povs of three women of different generations and how their entire thought process changes along side the lives the lived was something that truly depicts the brilliance of Tara M Stringfellow's writing .

This book will definitely cause a lot of conversations when it releases and I'm excited to read more for the author in the future .


Thank you netgalley for providing me this arc and I'll post detailed reviews on other socials closer to the release date .

Wow what a debut! This is definitely going to be a book that will stay with me for a while and I can see this being adapted for the screen in the near future .
It’s a slow burn to start but this doesn’t put you off as the writing and characters are amazing and I became invested in their lives from the onset . It stretches over 60 years and flips back and forth so we get to see the events that lead to make the women who they are now . It’s not an easy read as it’s set against a backdrop of racism and injustice but the author also, uses an element of humour in her writing and the characters are just so real I was thinking about them every time I put the book down . I can’t wait to see what she writes next , wonderful novel .

The narrative moves backwards and forwards and from one generation to the next but I really enjoyed the characterisation, the descriptions Memphis and how the book tackled strong subjects so deftly.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What an incredibly powerful story about strength, family and loss. This book is multigenerational and is based in Memphis (as the title gives away!).

I found it impossible to put this book down, and when I did it was all I could think about. It is heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time.

I am struggling to find anything meaningful to say about this book as anything I could say wouldn't do it justice.

Just buy it!!

It is not very often that a book takes me by complete surprise, but I am ecstatic to say that Memphis did exactly that. Stringfellow has managed to create a completely realistic, beautiful, heartbreaking story that is, in one word, magical. I don't remember the last time I was this enchanted by a book, much less a literary fiction novel. Stringfellow managed to make me feel for every single one of our main characters, and I know exactly how she did it: she made them matter, each of them etched into my heart from the very first pages. Each woman had their own distinct personality, distinct voice within the novel, and yet you could feel how cohesive it was. I want to know many, many more things about the North women and the people who surround them. I have no doubt about it when I say that Tara M. Stringfellow is an author we should expect incredibly big things from - Memphis is simply the start. A magnificent debut, indeed, landing at 5/5 stars from this reviewer.

A truly special and poetic book about the bonds of family and the meaning of sisterhood, set in the comforting surroundings of Memphis throughout the years.

A beautifully written story of the trials, tribulations and triumphs of three generations of the North family.women in Memphis. The only jarring note for me was the section told by Miriam's husband as it pulled me away from the women's stories and didn't quite gel with the rest of the book. Other than that, everything was well put together and the different timelines kept my interest. The ending was a little abrupt and a bit disappointing but, overall, I would recommend this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was utterly absorbed by this book. Following several generations of black women, Stringfellow weaves their stories together, flitting back and forth in time and between characters and events. This is a celebration of strength, resilience and power against all the odds.

Terrible things happen in this book, which is set in a South still deeply routed in racism and inequality. This book looks at the Civil Rights movement, poverty, economic mobility, the subjugation of women and the constant struggle to lift yourself out from under.

Having said that, this is also a celebration. A celebration of women, their power, their strength, their ability to pick themselves up and rise out of the ashes of despair. It is about community and connection and the power of people coming together.

I loved it.

Thanks to the publishers and Net Galley for my free e-copy

Wow this book hit on so many different levels. I loved that it was set in Memphis. I loved that it was told through out the generations of black women in a family. I loved how it flicked back and forth and each part revealing more and more secrets and heart ache. I loved how quick I devoured the story and felt connections to most of the main characters. The different eras showed different ways of life but overall hope, love and strength carried on growing.

I also loved learning about history of the country. The hairstyles and day to day activities. Also the food. mmm it made my mouth water reading the rich descriptions of the hearty southern food, it was as if it was in front of me on a plate sometimes.

Difficult topics are covered really well. It has different views from different characters and lots of stories can be seen from others points of view which I liked. Topics covered include domestic violence, death, secrets and family.

I will definitely be recommending this book and looking out for more by this author.

This is a powerful book that makes for illuminating but deeply uncomfortable reading at times. Spotlighting the abuse and injustice suffered by three generations of black women of the North family that sorely tests their familial bonds and their individual strengths. Memphis is also a story of female courage, resilience and reinvention and a dedication to civil rights. Moving backwards and forwards between 1937 to the early 2000s, the North women’s fates interlink with broader societal events, such as the 1960s US-American civil rights movements and the 9/11 terror attacks, this is a novel that deserves as wide a readership as possible.

Memphis is a beautifully written and powerful debut about three generations of a Southern black family living in Memphis, Tennessee. Hazel was nine months pregnant when her husband was lynched by his Memphis police squad. Miriam leaves her violent marriage for the sake of her two girls. August forgoes her dreams so she can provide for her family. Memphis is a vivid portrait of the lives of the three women. We follow their struggles as they endure much personal trauma. It’s a story that will cause the reader to feel a myriad of emotions.

The narrative moves backwards and forwards from one generation to the next. Each voice is distinctive and rich in personality. I adored and admired these three extraordinary women, strong willed, resilient, and brave. Although their experiences are years apart, the challenges they face are similar, racism, abuse, and discrimination. But despite their struggles, their strength to overcome their pasts shines through.

The authors’ descriptive prose made this book such a moving and beautiful book to read. The characters and Memphis come alive as you follow the three women’s journey. I found my heartbreaking for the three women, although a fictional account their story is one that many readers will relate to. Memphis is a powerful family saga that explores the strength of family bonds, a story that’s built on resilience, sacrifice, love and forgiveness.

Fans of Yaa Gyasi, Maya Angelou and Bernice McFadden will enjoy this book. I love multi-generation stories, so this is the perfect book for me. It’s so well written, I love the character development and descriptions. Themes of love, loss, family and resilience come through as well. Overall a great read, and one I’ll be recommending to friends and family.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting novel, at times unsettling, dealing with the lives of three generations of a black family. It is timely reading, this being Black Lives Matter month in the U.K. The story flows easily free between different time periods, chronicling the lives, loves and horrors experienced by the family. For a debut novel its executed with professionalism and a classy style.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for this honest review.

Following three generations of Memphis women this book draws on themes of racial and domestic violence weaving the strength of the women through their devastating circumstances. Despite the tragedy and heartbreak this book brings us stories of love, hope and freedom. Paced too quickly for me with just a bit too much of a light touch to all the characters experience. However, a good glimpse into the history of a community who have faced decades of adversity and what it means to rise above it all

This book is destined to be a classic in my opinion. It feels to me to be a modern day The Colour Purple, telling as it does the story of three generations of women growing up in Memphis, in America’s south. It is very uncomfortable to read in places as the women face injustice, racism and the threat of violence throughout their lives. However, the story is told with humour and warmth, the familial bonds shining from the pages. The author has created amazingly vivid characters, it would be easy to see this book adapted for screen.
I really can’t recommend this book strongly enough, it is hard to believe that it is a debut novel, I was gripped from the first page. Nothing is glossed over but the themes of justice, retribution and love seem to win the day. A stunning first novel.