My Monticello, by debut author Jocelyn Nicole Johnson is a collection of short stories and a mini novella. The individual stories are linked by their themes, of violence, race, home, gender (and maybe, love), and by their setting, the state of Virginia.

The titular mini novella, My Monticello, represents the bulk of the book. In the story, a group of people (of all ages), most of whom are black and / or brown, are chased from their homes by extreme right nationalists. They are led by Da'Naisha Hemmings Love, to refuge at Monticello, the plantation that belonged to Thomas Jefferson. Coincidentally, Da'Naisha is a direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson. The group takes refuge on the plantation for 19 days.

I was unaware of Thomas Jefferson's history before picking up My Monticello. A (quick) search online revealed the following: Thomas Jefferson inherited Monticello (plantation), along with all of its slaves, from his father in law, John Wales. John had a daughter, Sally Hemmings, with his slave, Betty Hemmings. So, Thomas Jefferson's wife, Martha Whales and Sally Hemmings, were half sisters, but Sally was 14 years Martha's junior.

It has been proven that Thomas Jefferson went on to have six children with Sally Hemmings, four of whom survived into adulthood. Sally's children were emancipated, although, they were not allowed to reside in Virginia. Sally was never freed. This, was Sally Hemmings' "Monticello".

Getting back to the mini novella, as I said, the leader of the group taking refuge at Monticello, Da'Naisha is a direct descendant of the Sally Hemmings referred to above. She, Da'Naisha, is making a 'home" (temporary as it may be), in Monticello, her slave ancestor's home. Da'Naisha actually worked as a summer intern at Monticello, but in that position, she did not work in the main house. Returning to Monticello now, in order to escape the violence against her people, stirs particularly painful emotions within Da'Naisha.

This is a very interesting and timely book. The stories on the audiobook, each have their own narrator. The first story, Control Negro, is narrated by LeVar Burton, and it is powerful and moving. The novella is expertly narrated by Aja Naomi King. Although the audiobook is excellent, I suggest accompanying this with a hard copy of the book. #MyMonticello has already been optioned by Netflix for a mini series.

Thank you #netgalley and @macmillanaudio for the audiobook, in return for my honest review. #5stars

"Doesn't one person always have power over another?"

An intense, buckle-your-seat belt ride that embodies racial disparity, inequity, and the legacies of slavery that continue. Some may say a glimpse to the future if we as a country don't reflect on our actions and biases. This truly made me rethink my place in society and across I can take for a safer tomorrow. Thank you for writing this!

I enjoyed this collection of stories-- as much as you can 'enjoy' difficult topics and struggles. Jocelyn Nicole Johnson's writing is raw and pure. I love that her characters are perfectly, imperfect. Johnson really understands that protagonists don't need to be/shouldn't be/ can't be perfect people. Especially in such important stories as those dealing with race in America. There are true heroes in these pages.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This collection of stories had me feeling all of it.

The title story is the final and longest one with what almost felt like an inevitable conflict that stems from the atmosphere of the first stories. All are in a current/near future U.S. and all from very diverse Black perspectives to show the struggle for belonging, to prove they have not been allowed to thus far.

I can't think what to say that would really encompass this collection, but I would absolutely recommend it. Every story left me feeling breathless and deeply thinking. The writing is beautiful, the stories are strong, and the audio has gorgeous narration. I could easily picture the connected but invisible father, the immigrant who strives for more, the woman trying to remake herself, and more. The final story was heartbreakingly realistic in light of recent years and to hear it was really moving. All of the tensions and nuance were given to a wide range of Black voices. Gorgeous.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this ALC. All opinions are my own and I highly recommend this collection, especially the audio.

I had a hard time with this book. I found it to be droning on and it never really caught my attention. I will still suggest it to patrons I think will enjoy it, but it was not for me.

I want more of this book. It's been several weeks since I read it & it's still on my mind. Jocelyn Nicole Johnson is a brilliant storyteller.

Fans of short stories and novellas, this book is for you! My Monticello is a collection of several short stories and a novella, all of which grapple with racism and survival in modern Virginia. I loved the stories, but the eponymous novella is worth the price of admission. In “My Monticello,” Da’Naisha and her neighbors are on the run after white supremacists overtake their community. Set in the near future, there is social unrest after the “unraveling.” Da’Naisha, a descendent of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings, and a motley crew of escapees find refuge in Monticello, Jefferson’s estate and fight for their lives. Recommended for fans of Leave the World Behind and A Children's Bible. Excellent on audio.

The publisher's blurb sufficiently describes this short story collection. I'll add a few personal impressions. All the stories were fine-to-good, as short stories go. Of course, one of the limitations of the short story is that it can be hard to imbue enough depth and commitment to characters and action. Johnson uses rich language to give heft and emotion to each story.

"Control Negro" is narrated by Levar Burton, and might be my favorite in the collection. "My Monticello"—the longest story—is also in the running. [Early in that story, I thought it was my favorite; but, by the end I wasn't sure.] I didn't care for the narrator of this piece—her performance was flat and monotonous. The topic was timely and jarring, given our country's resurgence of violent white supremacist demonstrations and attacks.

I definitely recommend the collection, and I'll be interested in reading more work from Johnson.

[3+ stars]

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This genre-defying book was a miss for me. I really struggled with the format (told in a series of somewhat interconnected stories) with a host of characters I found a little difficult to keep track of. I just couldn't connect with the story or get invested in these characters. Very dark and dystopian esque with a strong sense of place, the book explores issues of race in America and reminded me a lot of a slightly more modern/contemporary version of Jael Richardson's Gutter Child. A highlight was the full cast audio with some really great narrators but overall even that couldn't save it for me. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ALC!

If you listen to one audiobook this year, listen to My Monticello. This is not just an audiobook, it's an experience. The narration, done by a full cast that includes LeVar Burton and Aja Naomi King, is absolutely spectacular. It had me sobbing, laughing, and gasping with shock in nearly equal measure. This is a beautiful book and I look forward to picking up a physical copy so I can revisit Jocelyn Nicole Johnson’s words.

The stories and characters of My Monticello all orbit the same themes, location and general timeline in an examination of life in American and our planet at large. They are both original and heart-wrenching in their examination of the legacy of race, indifference, and hatred in American. They feel connected by their underlying tone and direction while also each showcasing a different perspective. The First story, Control Negro, is breathtaking in it's dark humor, biting portrayal of racism in American, and heartbreaking conclusion. The story My Monticello is heartbreaking and terrifying in it's portrayal of a hell's ape only a few steps removed from our current wold. This story will stay with me for a long time.

I cannot possibly stress how much I recommend this book, and the audiobook in particular. I often listen to audiobooks while doing other tasks but while listening to My Monticello I kept catching myself just standing still in the middle of a room, glued in place, lost in the story. Please, please, do yourself a favor and listen to this book.

3.5 - This book is incredibly well written, but felt a bit disjointed between each essay. I also wanted a little more, for each section to be longer. Each perspective rounding out the story make the narrative feel so real and heartbreaking. Johnson is a gifted writer and I'm excited to read more from them.

A thought-provoking collection of short stories, plus the titular novella My Monticello, that use fiction to explore issues of race, identity, and displacement through the Black American experience. A stellar debut from an author you should keep an eye on.

This collection represents Africans in diaspora, as well as African Americans and shows the variation in Black American experience. A professor uses his son as the test subject looking at treatment based on race, with horrifying results. A Nigerian immigrant refuses to acknowledge that his son has a learning disability. A mixed-race woman struggles with how others view her identity and what her place in the world is...

And in My Monticello, a violent social breakdown leads to people taking refuge in Monticello, the estate of former President Thomas Jefferson. Among them is a young Black woman descended from Jefferson and his enslaved teenage "mistress" Sally Hemmings. It deftly explores the complexities of race, power, and privilege. Not only in history, but also today. There is a lot to unpack here and I look forward to seeing more from this author. The audio narration is very good as well with a full cast and I'd recommend checking it out. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was amazing. Highly recommended for its excellent writing.


Review copy provided by publisher.

4-1/2 enthusiastic stars for a very engaging and thought-provoking collection! Short stories and novellas are two forms of fiction I usually avoid, as I find they tend to feel incomplete or underdeveloped. This collection, which includes both, is definitely an exception to that "rule". Johnson is a new writer to me, but this debut tells me she's one I want to follow. The pieces in this book are wonderfully evocative! I quickly came to love her characters, especially in the title novella, My Monticello, and to care about their survival. The publisher's blurb does not exaggerate when it says, "Tough-minded, vulnerable, and brave, Jocelyn Nicole Johnson’s precisely imagined debut explores burdened inheritances and extraordinary pursuits of belonging. . . My Monticello is a formidable book that bears witness to this country’s legacies and announces the arrival of a wildly original new voice in American fiction."

My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson is a poetically-written, fascinating, and affecting collection of stories and a novella. Johnson writes in such a vulnerable and subtle way while ruminating on race, gender, and culture in America.

I especially enjoyed the haunting novella, My Monticello, which is set in a near-future apocalypse in Virginia, where white militias mob and terrorize. The narrator flees with a group of people from her neighborhood to Monticello. What made this especially interesting was that the narrator is a descendant of Sally Hemmings, the now famous enslaved woman that Thomas Jefferson had six children with. I found it especially thought-provoking that actual descendants of property would be considered illegitimate simply because they’re not white. But whose hands built the mansion? The story is told in a way that fully evokes the eeriness and fear of living in a now seemingly lawless world without a power grid. People must band together or perish and determine new ways to fill basic needs like shelter and food. I had goosebumps when I read the last lines of My Monticello.

The audiobook narration was phenomenal and featured a different reader for each story: Aja Naomi King; January LaVoy; Landon Woodson; LeVar Burton; Ngozi Anyanwu; Tomiwa Edun.

Thank you Henry Holt & Company / Macmillan Audio for providing this ebook and audiobook ARC.

This book is packed with non stop thought provoking content. I am not usually one for short stories but each story felt full and complete. There have been times where I read short stories and I’m like, “that’s it?”

Great cast of readers for the audio book. Each person was engaging and drew me in to each story.

This was a fantastic collection of stories. It was inventive and though provoking and I really enjoyed it. The narrators are great and I think this would make an excellent book club book..

A great collection of short stories. I will be thinking about these stories for a long time. My favorite was the novella My Monticello. The audio was a great.

The audiobook opens with LeVar Burton reading "Control Negro", the first of 6 short stories in this collection, during a live recording of Selected Shorts. Combine that with praise from Roxane Gay and Colson Whitehead and you shouldn't need any more convincing to read this collection.

The power of the titular novella comes from not just from the poetic writing, but from the fact that this speculative fiction/ dystopia was so close to happening. It shows what might be lying just under the surface of the intense political climate in America and what could happen if civility is lost. Such symbolism! Our BIPOC protagonists fighting on a hill, claiming their place in American history at a location rife with racial injustice.

Beautiful book, so much to parse out. Excellent book club selection for discussion. I cannot wait until it's published to talk about it with others.

To clarify: this is several short stories and a novella (My Monticello is the novella). On the audiobook, each story is read by a different narrator and all are brilliant. My favorites are the novella (an end of the world tale) and tge first story, Control Negro, read by the incomparable LeVar Burton.