An extremely well-written and powerful collection. The description says "short stories" and lists it under fiction,, but so many of them appear to be mostly autobiographical and others are mostly thoughts and essays on race in the USA that flow so abstractly, many pages had to be re-read because I didn't understand how I got to point B from point A. But that's probably just on me and my feeble mind.

The stories are more like passages of various characters’ inner thoughts who have suffered from the angst of deferred dreams, denied opportunities, misplaced anger, years of disappointment and frustration – by-products of the Black Experience in America. These are mothers, fathers, daughters, brothers, sisters, husbands, and wives of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds in differing eras. These story “snippets” taps into these familial and social relationships and the strain and pain it brings.

For example, these points of view shift from the sibling of an incarcerated man, reflections on a Freddie Jackson song that brings to mind a dead wife, and randomly delves into sidelined commentary into politics, religion, and historical jaunts like Sheppard’s missionary work and his role in exposing Leopold’s genocide, inhumane cruelties, and enslavement of the Congolese all for greed (natural resources/rubber) in the region.

This is a hodge-podge of experiences no doubt inspired by myth/folklore, actual events, and the author’s vivid imagination. It took me a while to finish. Admittedly, at times, I found it to be a bit disjointed, but I eventually sensed a pattern/rhythm and meaning behind the collection. The writing style isn’t for everyone, thus I recommended it for those with patience and willingness to stick it out to get through the stories.

This is a tremendous book, but it just wasn't for me. The author is an extremely talented writer but I found his writing style to be a bit difficult to follow. As soon as I thought I was getting the flow of a story, it felt like the author would abruptly change course, leaving me confused and unfulfilled. Though I can certainly recognize a work of art when I see one, I was not the right audience for this book.

Many thinks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.

No Stereotypes Here


I like short stories and believe they are the most difficult to write. The author has to introduce a character or two, set up a situation and either resolve it or leave it mysterious in its denouement. All of this is accomplished in about 1/10 the pages of a novel. Not an easy feat.

John Edgar Wideman packs in definitive situations woven with beautiful prose of his themes. His themes are deep and troublesome. He is usually telling us about the realities of Black American life, so we know these stories are going to tug at your heart with unlikely and painful resolutions. This particular collection is difficult to read. His writing is a stream of consciousness as he is recounting the background to the reader. For instance, “Separation,” tells us about a boy standing near his grandfather’s coffin while we are told about the family’s heritage.

One other story is about serving time for murder and another about reuniting with his formerly incarcerated brother.

Mr. Wideman’s prose is singular, I have never read his style but his words flow and in between is the story.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Scribner for this pre-published book. All opinions expressed are my own.

A very strong collection of stories from a prolific and talented author. These are varied and subject and scope, all well written, even though I didn't love all of them. Sometimes I just admire the talent coming thru the story. Recommended to literary fiction fans, even those that don't normally read short stories.

I really appreciate the free review copy!!

There are certain books one can tell straight away aren't going to work for them. This was that book for me. Described as jazz it is indeed jazz like. I'm not that much of a jazz fan. There's a rhythm here and syncopation, but the page long paragraphs and image heavy density of the stories just don't sing for me. It's good, it seems, the kind of book that gets awards and praises, but it needs the right reader.