I would like to thank NetGalley and The Dial Press for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

REDWOOD COURT by DéLana R. A. Dameron has a creative cover and was chosen as a Reese's Book Club Pick, plus it has received accolades from talented writers like Ann Napolitano (Hello Beautiful), Renee Watson (Piecing Me Together) and Jacqueline Woodson (Red at the Bone). And, Dameron's series of stories about multiple generations of a Black family living at Redwood Court in Columbia, South Carolina is in some ways reminiscent of their family novels. But Dameron's work seemed more complicated. For example, she finds it necessary to introduce her many characters in a list which became a handy reference for me because I found it difficult to clearly picture the characters and to remember how they were originally connected to each other. It was also a challenge to relate to a suburban enclave where (perhaps reflecting the 1960s time period, or the culture, or even the sheer determination of one woman named Weesie) neighbors seemed to be overly involved in each other's business. The publisher says that this text from an established poet "is a celebration of extraordinary, ordinary people striving to achieve their own American dreams." Perhaps something will strike a chord with you?

This book was ever so slow, with so many characters to keep track of. The stories came across as short stories with no definitive wrap up. Not being a fan of short stories, this book was a difficult read for me and one that wasn’t an enjoyable read. Thank you to Random House Publishers and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

In the genre of literary fiction, this is a book about a family living in an all-black suburb of Columbia, South Carolina. Most of the story is told from the perspective of Mika, the youngest granddaughter of Weesie and Teeta, who live on the cul de sac called Redwood Court and ends with Mika’s 16th birthday. The story is presented as anecdotal and is not always told chronologically. We learn some about Mika’s parents, Major and Rhina, some about the troubled young uncle, Junior and a bit about distant relatives and neighbors.
I think the important aspects of the book are cultural anecdotes around a black family living in the south in the late 1990s. The neighborhood is “tight” and somewhat gossipy but Weesie is a matriarch who takes care of the neighbors as well as her family. I found it interesting and most certainly correct that a distant relative from Tampa referred to all black neighborhoods as “ghettos” no matter how nice or new they are because this is the way that white people view them. And while we don’t learn much about Junior, his legal issues and potential gang involvement and how the family deals with him is another nod to the cultural influences of the time. I did find the characters interesting and thought that the book was well written literary fiction but was disappointed that some of the characters such as Sissy, Rhina and Junior barely got a mention. I felt like the anecdotes would have had more meaning if their characters were better developed. And sometimes the POV changed and there was even some switching between tenses that might have added interest but I found it confusing and distracting.
#NetGalley #RandomHousePublishing

“...let me have my Sunday like I like it. Full of gospel and gossip.”

This quote captures the tone of this debut novel. The setting is a predominantly Black community in South Carolina. The main character, Mika, grows up at her grandparents’ home on Redwood Court. The author tells the story of Mika’s family and all that occurs on Redwood Court. The author uses beautiful rich language to describe the people and places in the book. She also writes tension in the book well.

Readers who enjoy family sagas or American Southern fiction will enjoy this novel.

Loved reading about this family and Mika. I grew up in the same era, so this coming of age story had particular interest and relatability for me. Dameron creates characters I care about and they were very real.

REDWOOD COURT is a gentle and meandering coming of age story. I liked how the author wove themes of family, Black history, and genealogy into the fabric of the story. A well-rounded cast of Black women from different generations elevated this book. I enjoyed the stories within the stories creating branches like a hearty family tree.

Redwood Court is a family drama told mainly by Mika the youngest member of the clan. She often spends days with Weezie and Teeta, her grandparents, at their home on Redwood Court.

The characters were well developed but overall there was not enough plot for me in this one. This story will be more geared to those that love a character driven novel. I did however enjoy the many 90s nostalgic references - from music to Teddy Ruxpin, the stores and the Capri Suns and I felt like outside of the racial issues, Mika’s working class neighborhood and family felt relatable to growing up in the 90s. Ultimately, this one is about the American dream, home and family.

Pick this up if you enjoy character driven family novels and coming of age stories.

A coming of age, multigenerational family drama centered around a community called Redwood Court.

Mika is assigned to bring in an artifact to her class tracing her history back to the country her family emigrated from to come to the U.S. the thing is, Mike doesn’t have such an artifact, but she does have the stories she has been told and she has stories to tell, which will unfold as life goes on.

I enjoyed the sense of community created by Weesie, Mika’s grandmother, the exploits of the flawed characters and the prose. The characters had their struggles, but the neighbourhood always rallied round. It’s reminiscent of the olden days where everyone knew everyone versus the modern era where everyone text each other on their phones instead of having real conversations.

At its heart, this is a story about relationships and their ability to foster a sense of belonging. A solid read that was selected as a Reese Bookclub pick for February 2024.

3.75 Stars

Thank you to Penguin Random House/Dial Press for the gifted ARC. This is my honest review.

Wow this book was so good it took me no time to read it. I'm a huge fan of this author and I recommend taking a pit of time with this book and I really enjoyed the characters. I can't wait to read what she comes with next.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Dial Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by DéLana R. A. Dameron, a Reese's Book Club Pick - 5 stars!

This is a beautifully-written story, told mostly from the POV of Mika Tabor, the baby of this southern Black family living in Columbia, SC. Mika has grown up listening to all the stories of her family, told mostly by her grandparents, Weesie and her beloved Teeta. When doing a school project, she learns that Black family genealogy is different and it's those stories passed down through the generations that are so important. This is a quiet story of family, loyalty, racism intertwined with Mika coming of age in the 1990s. Just like in all of our lives, there are good and hard times, laughter, fellowship, and making memories to pass down.

A very powerful yet gentle book that I will keep me thinking. Hard to believe this is a debut - can't wait to read more from this author. Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley, author DeLana R. A. Dameron, and Random House: The Dial Press for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I LOVED this-- it is so evident that Dameron is a poet because this was an absolutely beautiful story. The writing feels both lyrical and real at the same time, and I was immediately drawn into Redwood Court. This story follows several generations of a family, mainly told from the youngest granddaughter's point of view. My biggest complaint about this novel is simply that I would have wanted to see more from every family member and had it be a longer book! However, for what it is which is a slice of life book, it is pretty much perfectly done. The relationship between Teeta, Weesie, and Mika was so lovely and made me greatly miss my grandparents. I eagerly look forward to Dameron's next novel and will happily read her poetry in the meantime.

This is a gorgeously written saga covering three generations of a Black family living in South Carolina. The narrator is Mika, the youngest daughter. Though during the course of the book the narrative voice experiments with POV, and style, in particular when looking through the eyes of the older characters, especially the grandparents, Teeta and Weesie.

Dameron writes powerfully, bringing these characters to life. Threaded with compassion, and anger, and humor, the narrative skillfully imbues everyone with complexity. I'm far too ignorant about the Black experience to presume any judgments; I finished this book, after a two day nearly non-stop read, feeling as if I'd recognize the characters if I met them on the street, or even heard their voices. I was left with a sharp sense that we need more voices like this in mainstream literature.

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐃é𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐑.𝐀. 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Dial Press for my gifted advanced reading copy of Redwood Court!

I loved everything about this book! Redwood Court is a debut novel written by DéLana R.A. Dameron and was chosen as the February Reese’s Book Club pick! I was immediately drawn to this book by the beautiful cover, but when I read the description, I knew I had to read this coming of age novel set in Columbia, South Carolina. I used to live in Columbia, and I loved reading about familiar places and locations. I must admit, when the restaurant California Dreaming and their amazing rolls were mentioned, I almost purchased a plane ticket to head back to one of my favorite places!

Spanning multiple decades, Redwood Court tells the story of a Southern Black family through the eyes of the youngest daughter, Mika. Spending much of her time with her loved ones, and hearing stories from before her time, we learn more about her family and their time in their house on Redwood Court and beyond. I could not help but love the connection between the family members, and their love for one another. On top of that, Weesie, Mika’s grandmother, plays such an integral role in building a supportive community on Redwood Court and I loved reading about her commitment to her neighbors. While most of the book is from Mika’s POV, I loved how the POV of other characters were included throughout, and felt it really made this book more dynamic.

What I enjoyed most is how character driven this novel was and how there were so many smaller stories that helped to paint the overall picture of the life Mika and her family experienced in South Carolina. I found the writing style to be truly remarkable and the author painted a beautiful portrait through her words.

Posted on Goodreads on February 12, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around February 12, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on February 12, 2024
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This book was a joy to read in its simplicity of relaying true-to-life stories of a Black family living, enduring and growing through the years in Southern America. Told through the eyes and ears of Mika Tabor as she relates the love, heartache, bonds, and community of neighbors caring for each other through the good times and the turbulent times. The humor used throughout the book, especially as Mika "becomes a woman", can bring quick smiles and sympathy from the reader as the descriptive writing pulls you into the situations at hand. Definitely a must-read book to witness a Black family's journey through the generations. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #Redwood Court

Thank you @netgalley @randomhouse and @thedialpress for this advance copy.
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I thought Part 1 of this character driven family drama was excellent. I loved the multiple POV chapters from different generations of family members and how they came to find a community in the Redwood Court cul de sac. Part 2 was primarily Mika’s preteen and teenager POV story. It fell a little flat for me after getting to know all the characters in this family in Part 1. I wanted more from grandmother Weezie especially. There is so much to discuss as we see how this family evolves across generations and the multiple challenges they face. It’s no surprise this is the @reesesbookclub February book!

This was a wonderful story, one that many readers will enjoy. I loved the peek into this family's life-living in South Caroline from the 70's through the early 2000's. We mostly focus on Mika's story, which oddly ends when she is turning 16. I was surprised it ended so quickly. Will it be a favorite for me? No, but I'm glad I read this and enjoyed the author's writing a lot!

This novel primarily follows Mika Tabour, and her adventures growing up in her family. Mika is the granddaughter of Wessie, and Teeta who grew up during Jim Crow era, in South Carolina and managed to put down roots and buy a home on Redwood Court where we seen glimpses of their life, their children's lives, and grandchildren's lives over the years in their all-Black working-class suburb.
This novel is full of community, life lessons, growing up, family dynamics, love, among many other realities of growing up and living as a black person in America from the 1960s onwards.

The writing was beautiful in this one, which is not surprising as it is the novel debut of a well known poet. Even though the events throughout the novel spans decades, the timeline feels very cohesive and linear. You can't help but fall in love with and relate to the characters. You end up feeling like part of their family. It truly was such a beautiful insight to the African American experience and the importance of family and community.

Redwood Court is a character-driven memoir-like complicated family drama by a debut and “own voices” author, DéLana R.A. Dameron.

Mika’s family lives in the black working-class suburb of Columbia, South Carolina in the 1990s. Young Mika is a thoughtful observer and careful listener and records her thoughts in a journal. The adults in the family work long hours at multiple jobs to provide for the family and take a yearly vacation. Grandparents hold the family and community together. This is the story of a hardworking American family chasing their dreams and overcoming challenges.

A theme of family is at the heart of this complicated family drama. We learn about the grandparents who grew up in the Jim Crow South and who had a heart and the dedication for creating a healthy, thriving family and the vision for a close-knit, supportive community. Grandmother took on a leadership role in the community and shaped it into a caring and supportive neighborhood. Later, she helped care for her grandchildren and ensured that they felt a part of this caring community. Love for family is a strong theme that permeates the story.

“Mika, you sit at our feet all these hours and days, hearing us tell our tales, stories everyone in our family tells. You write ’em in your books and show everyone who we are.”

A great deal of this story is told from Mika’s point of view. She is likable, insightful, smart, and determined. The narrative feels very much like a memoir, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the author didn’t draw from her own childhood experiences and family for this tenderly told story.

This is a character-driven story with the family as an important character. Mika loves her family and we applaud the support she receives. In this heartfelt story, we see how Family can make all the difference. Even though the family is not perfect, Mika feels loved, safe, and seen.

I recommend Redwood Court for fans of “own voices” literature, for readers who appreciate heartfelt and compelling stories of family and community, and for those who want to support “own voices” debut authors.

Thanks #NetGalley @RandomHouse for a complimentary e ARC of #RedwoodCourt upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Really enjoyed the southern setting and the deep history of the family in this one! As a South Carolinian the writing in this felt authentic and like I was speaking to my own grandparents and great aunts and uncles. This is definitely one I'd recommend to anyone!