Montgomery, Alabama, 1955 On a cold December evening, Mattie Banks packs a suitcase and leaves her family home. Sixteen years old and pregnant, she has already made the mistake that will ruin her life and disgrace her widowed mother. Boarding the 2857 bus, she sits with her case on her lap, hoping that the driver will take her away from disaster. Instead, Mattie witnesses an act of bravery by a woman named Rosa Parks that changes everything. But as Mattie strives to turn her life around, the dangers that first led her to run are never far away. Forging a new life in a harsh world at constant risk of exposure, Mattie will need to fight to keep her baby safe.
Atlanta, Georgia, present dayAshlee Turner is going home. Her relationship in ruins, her career held back by prejudice, she is returning to the family who have always been her rock. But Ashlee's home is not the safe haven she remembers. Her beloved grandmother is dying and is determined to share her story before she leaves...
When Ashlee finds a stack of yellowing letters hidden in her nana's closet, she can't help the curiosity that compels her to read, and she uncovers an old secret that could wreak havoc on her already grieving family. As she tries to make sense of what she has learned, Ashlee faces a devastating choice: to protect her loved ones from the revelations or honour her grandmother's wishes and follow the path to the truth, no matter where it may lead.
For readers of The Help, Orphan Train and Before We Were Yours comes a beautiful and heart-breaking novel about redemption, family secrets and the spirit of survival found at the hardest time.***
'Gal get those coins in that slot or you ain't going nowhere'. ONE, MATTIE BANKS
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(@Bookouture, 8 February 2021, 349 pages, ebook, #ARC from the publisher via # NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed, #BlogTour 8 February)
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When I started to read this, I realised I haven't read any book which deal with Rosa Parks and that era of American history which I found a little strange, so I was looking forward to getting lost in something a little bit different. The book uses a technique that's featured in a lot of books I've read recently, moving between the past and present. I like this structure and the way it gradually reveals two plots and the links between them. In this case, the historical section focuses on Mattie, a young black woman who witnesses Rosa Parks' act of defiance but is struggling with hiding her pregnancy to a white boy so is too preoccupied to realise the significance of the event. In the present, Mattie's grand-daughter finds a box of letters and uncovers the truth about Mattie's past. I found this book gripping and quite intense at times as the author grapples with racism. This is well worth a read.
