Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

I am always searching for the truly "important" famous (or those who will become famous perhaps only after they are gone, because sometimes genius is only recognized in retrospect, after the lightning flash of their magic has gone from our lives (however it is easily resuscitated merely by opening up the pages of a glorious book they have written).

David Joy deserves to be remembered historically as such a talented author, he has earned the fame such a recognition should bring him. and I wholeheartedly recommend reading Those We Thought We Knew, the pages of which contain a lyrical powerhouse of a novel. I just finished this masterpiece (which I do not recommend starting in the middle of a deadline filled workweek, by the way.

Joy confronts the truly important issues of our time (both present and the all-too-near past) of race, inequality, friendship, love and hate it in this sweeping Southern epic.

Until next time, dear readers, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy.

I look throughout the year for a few (4-6) extra special books to share with an old friend and my eldest sister (big sisters who are as truly wonderful and supportive as mine deserve some extra special consideration) and this novel is the first one this year that I am adding to that short list of truly special books of the previous year.

Thanks to David Joy for sharing his talent with us, he is most decidedly "an author to watch" and if there is any justice in this world what we will all be watching as his talent is recognized while he is still here to receive it's due

Joy's novels should be taught in today's high schools, as reminders that as we move forward in life we should recognize and carry some of the weight of the guilt and responsibility of our ancestors and their treatment of others,

If you say that was only "in the past" it is indeed borne forward, you only need look as far as the dead from the latest pandemic, and to consider the human beings who died unable to breathe while others thought it was their "right" to not wear a paper mask, or to get a shot (such tiny considerations, so many refused to make) to protect other human beings from having the very air they breathed robbed cruelty from their lungs to recognize the hatred and selfishness carried forth to the present generation...

Two horrific and shocking crimes, a community torn and the realization that you might not really know the people in your life.

Talk about a thought-provoking book. Whew!

Toya Gardner, a black artist from Atlanta has come home to North Carolina to complete her thesis. She is staying with her grandmother, Vess, while she is in town. She decides to use her artistic skills to protest a confederate statue in town. Not everyone will be pleased with her actions.

Local deputies will find a man asleep in his car believing that he is just passing through. He happens to be a ranking Klan member who has a notebook full of names that if revealed with affect the whole community. One deputy will question what he sees, not everyone will be pleased with his actions.

This is a powerhouse of a book that starts slowly as readers are introduced to characters and situations that will propel the book through to the ending. David Joy writes gritty and raw books and with Those We Thought We Knew he has written a thought provoking book full of mystery and social commentary.

How well do you know people in your lives? You have grown up with people, broken bread with them, attended religious services, parties, befriended them, known their families, and loved them. Generations have lived in this town. Families have tight bonds and connections that go back for years. Do you really know your neighbors, your friends, your family members? How well do you know yourself?


This book would make a great book club selection as there is a lot of food for thought in this book. It is beautifully written, thought provoking, and compelling. Readers may feel uneasy reading this book as it deals with very relevant issues. Generational trauma and generational racism are shown in this book. There are those in town who view the confederate statue and confederate flag as a symbol of their southern roots and southern pride. There are those who view the confederate statue as a symbol of oppression, suffering, racism, and a painful connection to slavery and the civil war.

The characters are fully fleshed out and I thought David Joy did a great job providing readers with many things to ponder. I loved the part where Vess discusses that just because you can't see something doesn't mean it is not there.

David Joy is a gifted writer and storyteller. He has such beautiful passages that I found myself going back and reading. He has created atmosphere, tension, and unease beautifully in this book. He depicts loss, grief, anger, love, ignorance, and pain beautifully. I love books that evoke feelings and are thought provoking and this book was both. It will have readers not only reading the book but taking a hard look at their own thoughts as we read about the thoughts and actions of the characters.

The mystery of the crimes committed and the investigation that ensues was gripping and had me doing my own detective work while reading. After the halfway mark, I had my sights set on one character and learned I was right at the end.

Well written, thought provoking, raw, and timely.

This was fantastic! I finished this book a couple of days ago and can’t seem to get it out of my mind. David Joy is an exceptional storyteller and I feel that this is a perfect example of his work. If you haven’t read David Joy yet, do yourself a favor and move his books to the top of your tbr! He writes beautifully about critical social issues and does it in a way that really makes you feel something.

The characters in this story came alive on the page and the small town setting felt very authentic. This book made me feel uncomfortable at times because of how poignantly the topic of racism is addressed. At the heart of this story is Toya, a young black woman staying with her grandmother while finishing college. Toya is vocal and speaks out against the racism that has always been a part of the area’s history. She is killed after a protest and the hunt is on to find her killer. In a town where law enforcement often looks the other way when the Klan is involved, it may prove difficult to find justice for Toya.

The mystery in this novel was incredibly well done but it is the frank discussions about race that will stick with me for a very long time. The town sheriff doesn’t believe that there are any racial issues in his small town. The sheriff has known Toya’s grandmother, Tess, for a very long time and considered himself to be good friends with her late husband. When he seeks Tess’s opinion on the racial issues in their North Carolina town, he doesn’t expect the response he gets.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that MacLeod Andrews did a phenomenal job with the story. I believe that the voices he used helped to bring the cast of characters to life. He added just the right amount of emotion to his reading. I found his voice to be very pleasant which only added to my overall enjoyment.

I highly recommend this book to others. I don’t feel like I can write a review that will do this book justice. It’s just that good. David Joy is an incredibly talented author that more people really should be reading. If you take any of my recommendations, make it this one and get your hands on one of David Joy’s books just as soon as you can.

I received a digital review copy of this book from G.P Putnam’s Sons and Penguin Random House Audio.

Another great story told with Joy's poetic Southern prose! Even though I live in western Kentucky and not the mountains, I still relate to Joy's characters and style of writing. It feels like he is telling the stories about my neck of the woods as well as his and that's a trait I so admire. This book is thought provoking as it tackles the subject of racism which is still rampant in America. And if you feel a bit uncomfortable by reading it, then Joy has successfully done his job. All in all, it's a harrowing and sobering tale that also serves as a reminder to us all. My thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

David Joy is one of those authors that I have to be in the right mood to read due to his usual gritty nature and overly detailed writing.

Those We Thought We Knew took a step back from his gritty descriptions from previous books but he definitely still used a lot of detail, sometimes about things that really didn’t add to the story or atmosphere.

It had a slow burn vibe with a very poignant subject matter in today’s time.

The ending got a little theatrical which was a bit much for me.

Overall, not my favorite of his work, but I will continue to put his books on my TBR.

3.5/5

Master southern storyteller David Joy (fav author) returns following When These Mountains Burn (2020) with his latest masterpiece, THOSE WE THOUGHT WE KNEW —lyrical and powerful, a gripping murder mystery unraveling of the dark underbelly and racist history of a North Carolina rural town.

In the summer of 2019, Toya Gardner, a young 24-year-old Black talented female artist, returns to rural North Carolina (Jackson County) to visit with her grandmother, Vess Jones, while completing her college work.

In Atlanta, where Toya lives, she actively participates in organizations to bring attention to racial injustice, among other causes. Some believe this is creating disturbance and turmoil.

Vess Jones is a longtime friend of Sheriff John Coggins, an older white man that was best friends with Vess' deceased husband. Coggins is near retirement.

In the meantime, two deputies discover a man sleeping in his car. (William Dean Cawthorn, Klansman). While searching the vehicle, they come across disturbing items, including a white bedsheet (hood) firearm, and a notebook containing names and numbers of influential people from the region.

Toya does not like some things happening in the area. Cawthorn and some white supremacists cause a riot (due to the Confederate statute) where anti-racists are protesting, including Toya. Toya winds up dead later on.

Also, Coggins' deputy is badly beaten by the Klan. Detective Leah Green is working on the case. There are two horrific crimes. Some consider themselves non-racists, but are they?

Words cannot adequately convey in a simple review the importance of this book and its impact. David is a gifted storyteller, taking readers back in history to different generations from both sides of the fence. Joy's writing is lush, vivid, raw, and atmospheric; as always, I highlighted multiple passages and enjoyed Toya's tenacious character and love of art.

THOSE WE THOUGHT WE KNEW is thought-provoking and compelling, with essential takeaways and a mix of riveting crime fiction. Joy masterfully explores generational racism and hatred as well as love and forgiveness.

The author confronts the racism embedded in the culture of the rural South. He forces his White characters to face the misplaced values they learned as children and to remember new episodes they have chosen to forget or ignore.

📢 Check out this fascinating Q&A with David: Southern Storyteller Series feature: Salvation South: Make You Look: "The Award-Winning North Carolina writer David Joy's new novel forces white characters into difficult conversations about race—and white readers to look harder at themselves."

As an NC native, it is disturbing our Southern dark history and the many injustices of slavery and beyond. Books like this are essential to capture these timely issues and how they affect others and future generations. Joy fans will devour —for fans of authors Ron Rash and Dennis Lehane and those who enjoy Southern dark mysteries. Highly recommend!

Thanks to #partner PENGUIN GROUP, G.P. Putnam's Sons, for a gifted ARC via NetGalley for my honest opinion. I also pre-ordered the audiobook narrated by a favorite, MacLeod Andrews.

Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Aug 1, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars
Aug 2023 Must-Read Books

Those We Thought We Knew is a book by David Joy that asks us all to look at our own history.

"Toya is a young artist from Atlanta visiting her grandmother in the North Carolina mountains for the summer and working on her Master's thesis. She creates a visual protest based on some history she discovers and when she finds a Confederate Memorial statue she does it again. Many in the community are furious.
A man is found sleeping in a car. Deputies discover he is a member of the Klan and in possession of a notebook with the names of many prominent people in the community.
After two horrific crimes split the county apart everyone must deal with unspoken secrets that stretch back generations."

Joy asks a lot of questions here but doesn't provide the answers. It's up to the reader to figure out where they stand and how to truly live side-by-side with people that are different. What do symbols really mean to people? What is the real purpose of a monument?
The NC mountains are interesting because of its history of independence. There were Union sympathizers and even British sympathizers. It's easy for thought to become isolated.
Joy does talk about the outsiders buying up the properties and ruining the lifestyle most locals have come to know.

This is a book that's crime fiction with a purpose. You'll probably guess the killer. Joy never gets preachy. He just expects you to think.

More great fiction from Joy.

David Joy is a wonderful author! This story follows to crimes one by an Artist and one by the Klan. Both happen in a small town in western North Carolina. The book was fast paced, I couldn't put it down. Very descriptive! I could hear their voices, see what they were seeing, etc...

For years I've been reading friends' reviews of David Joy's works. He's been lauded and praised and built up to mythic proportions, so I was thrilled to be approved by the publisher to have early access to his latest book. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I felt let down.

There's a very, VERY slow build up. I had trouble staying focused, and the temptation to skim was strong. Things begin to happen at the 40% mark, and suddenly there are two crimes to solve. There's a strong conclusion that I won't soon forget, so I'll give this one four stars.

But I won't be building any David Joy shrines in the basement any time soon.

Those We Thought We Knew is very well written and thought provoking. The characters feel fully developed and the story itself tackles important and heavy topics of racism within our society. I enjoyed the mystery element and the standout writing style that this author always delivers.

I am a big David Joy fan. This book was much longer than that last one I read and loved by him (The Line that Held Us) but I think he needed the length to tell the story. He is so talented at exploring the different facets of humanity, the good and evil and everything in between. It’s scary to think that some people you think you know may be hiding a monstrous side.

Another book set in the American South dealing with deeply-ingrained racism. I've read a couple of books by authors recently who are examining that issue in the light of the pride of heritage versus the shame of slavery. The title of this new novel zeroes in on how little we can know others, what evil may be hidden away, disguised by smiles.

David Joy writes a compelling crime story with realistic characters and thought-provoking discussions of tough issues. I'd like to read more from this author; he has important things to say.

I received an arc of this novel from the author and publisher via NetGalley. Many thanks! My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

It's hard to know where to start with this one. It encapsulates where we are now with events that feel ripped from the headlines, while also tracing how we got here. While it's set in a small Southern town, it could be about dozens, hundreds of places across the country as we reckon with legacy and history and racism. David Joy has crafted an atmospheric story with rich characters, and this book felt fast paced.

showstopping spectacular gut-wrenching heart-rending i have never read anything by david joy before in my life but oh gee oh my am i glad to have read this

it's just so full of soul and nuance and the characters are amazing (as in fully-developed, many are NOT morally righteous) and i am shook to my core. if you're into mystery at all or noirs or complicated characters and slice-of-life novels or politically influenced literary fiction, this one's for you. it's a feast.

Those We Thought We Knew by David Joy, published August 1, tells what happens in a small town when an outsider brings attention to some slights of the black community in Sylva, North Carolina. Although Joy has been working on this book for years, it is the 2021 controversy about Sylva Sam, the statue of a Confederate soldier that sits in front of the old courthouse turned public library, that is the subject that shines light on the book’s conflict.

Toya Gardner, a graduate art student from Atlanta, stays with her grandmother Vess in Sylva while working on her latest art projects at the college campus. As a piece of installation art, Toya and her friends dig seven graves in one of the college’s courtyards, and as a “headstone” to each, she spells out a word.

Sheriff John Coggins, who grew up with Vess and her late husband Lon, has to arrest Toya for felony trespass and vandalism. Toya is cocky with the sheriff because she believes that the college will drop the charges because of the negative publicity that would bring the history to the forefront: the eight graves represent the 86 bodies that were moved from that piece of land along with a black church to make way for the college.

Undeterred by her arrest, Toya next attacks Sylva Sam, climbing the statue to the point where she can dump blood-red paint on his hands that trickles down his body and pools at the bottom. While people were disturbed by her grave installation, they become outraged about the attack on Sam. Toya attends a demonstration at the site where the town folk who honor their ancestors and those who support Toya’s art collide. The sheriff is able to get Toya away from the action, but she disappears after he drops her off at the college.

In a separate incident, two police officers encounter a drunk drifter who happens to have a gun in his glove box, a white robe and hat in the back of his station wagon, and a notebook with a list of names of prominent people in Jackson County, in other words, those they thought they knew. Named William Dean Cawthorn, the drunk is arrested but no charges were filed against him. Shortly after, one of the officers is kidnapped and nearly beaten to death.

With a red herring or two and an unsuspected bad guy, this is a powerful tale of what can happen in a small town when the people take sides in a hotly contested issue.

A twelfth generation North Carolinian, David Joy writes Appalachian literature. He wrote the Edgar-nominated novel Where All Light Tends to Go, published in 2015, along with the novels The Weight Of This World, The Line That Held Us, and When These Mountains Burn. His short stories and essays have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Garden & Gun, and The Bitter Southerner. Joy lives in Tuckasegee, North Carolina.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting July 24, 2023.

I would like to thank G.P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

David Joy is a master storyteller. I've loved every single one of his novels. He has just outdone himself. I couldn't recommend Those We Thought We Knew any more. It is a perfect story for today's time, but it never feels preachy or soap boxy. The focus is still on the story and its many twists and turns. Do yourself the favor of picking this one up and allowing yourself to be immersed in the story. Powerful and thought-provoking!

This is a new direction for David Joy and writing this took courage. I have always enjoyed his writing, but it wasn’t until this book that I’ve gained an overwhelming appreciation and respect for him as a person. This book is needed. It is beautiful and it is hard to read. Those We Thought We Knew is a book that makes you question everyone you know, including yourself. I can honestly say I’ve never read anything like it and I believe that’s because it’s something nearly impossible to create, yet David Joy did. He took Privilege and Power and he put those things where they belong - behind Humanity. It was perfect from start to finish.

As I see many others have started off their reviews, I am at a loss for words as to how to describe my feelings about this book. Such a hangover! Such a heartbreak! I am mad at the ending. I am mad at the story. I am mad that society is such that things like this are not just plots for fiction. This is my first book from Mr. Joy and I've already started scouring his backlist to see what I want to read next because his characters are rich, nuanced, imperfect, loveable, relatable. His plots are deep, twisting, uncomfortable, revealing. I feel like this book will be one of those under the radar gems of 2023. I hope I'm wrong! I hope I am shaking my head up and down at all the accolades bestowed upon this book. I feel that Mr. Joy did justice to the Black experience and reality. And yes, I recognize that I am a white woman reading about a Black woman and the author is a white man writing about the Black experience. So this review comes with that caveat.

I’ve read everything David Joy has written. I’ll continue to do so. “Those We Thought We Knew” is his opus. It is a great book that deals with complex things in a complex way and somehow makes the treatment narratively compelling while
rendering a deeply divisive set of issues comprehendible.

If you’re from the south, you will get know the characters. If you’re from outside the south, you may find some insights fascinating. You may also realize how many sad things we share and that the answer to our problems lies within all of us because the problem is us. Read it.

So, i am so thankful to Putnam Books, David Joy, PRH Audio, and Netgalley for granting me advanced access to this twisty crime thriller in a southern gothic overlay before it's projected to publish on august 1, 2023.

This book tore at my soul. Those We Thought We Knew takes a piercing look at racism . Toya Gardner destroys a Confederate monument in her hometown, there's more at stake than this symbol of the confederacy! Local police had recently found a secret Klan man in the area with a large notebook filled with some well known names. There are clearly many forces at work here and not all are apparent to the eye. Like today, while many residents in the novel believe it is more than time for this to happen, there are also those that feel otherwise and blame Toya for creating the turmoil in their opinion that did not have to happen. This book takes a hard look at racial hatred in our country. I highly recommend this book! #netgalley #thosewethoughtweknew