The book was incredible. It was marketed as “Homegoing meets The Mothers” and I think that is a great comparison. Like Homegoing, One Blood is a story told in 3 parts, spanning generations. It is a beautiful and powerful story of strong women trying to heal generational trauma. I finished it days ago and I am still thinking about it and processing it. This is a must read.

In One Blood by Denene Miller, three African American women, Grace, Lolo and Rae had different beginnings but parts of each of their lives were connected by secrets and family.

Grace was raised by her Maw Maw, a midwife in Virginia. Maw Maw and Grace practiced Hoodoo and focused on rootwork and healing. They both had visions. After losing Maw Maw, 13 year old Grace was sent to live with her Aunt Hattie in New York. Aunt Hattie did not believe in Hoodoo anymore.

Aunt Hattie was a cruel person from the beginning. She has no compassion for her niece. After Grace becomes pregnant at the age of 16, Grace and the baby’s father, Dale, are kept away from each other. I’m still hoping that they find each other again. He was the only male character that was likeable.

Lolo and her husband adopt a baby girl, Rae. The baby also has the gift of visions when she gets older. Her vision saved Lolo at least once. Lolo has a few secrets of her own regarding motherhood. The secrets come to light when Rae is about to have her own child. There are more secrets that will be uncovered by the end.

One of the themes that I can relate to is that all three women have their choices taken away in some manner. They all try to reclaim their voice and their life. Life doesn’t always go their way but they persevere.

If you like historical African American family drama, then you will love One Blood.

Four generations of women who follow their heritage and what they believe is expected of them by heritage and society.
It’s a voluminous look at society and also choices made and taken away.
It’s a read that will hit readers in many levels and the author’s heartfelt message emanates.

One blood takes the reader on a journey through the intimate thoughts of women learning and grappling with the truth of the bargain women make with society, and just how unbalanced and unfair that Barton tends to be. On the surface, the book is about family, blood, legacy, friendship and the myriad shapes those things can take. Deneen Millner does a masterful job of laying out these ideas and giving the reader the space and opportunity to explore them. She doesn’t hold back on all the beauty, pain, love and trauma that can co-exist in the lives of black and brown women specifically, while also revealing the threads that connect all women . She questions what it means to be a “good” man, as well as what secrets a person may be justified in keeping. She forces the reader to grapple with the choices that we all face at some point or another; am I going to do what is expected of me, even though it will cause me to betray my spirit? Should I continue down the path I’m on, even though it is leading me further away from what I want? This story is lush and complex in its telling, yet holds a simplicity that will resonate with readers everywhere.

This wonderful story covers the lives of 3 black women from 1965 to 2004, starting with Grace. When Grace was young her mother was murdered by he then boyfriend and subsequently went to live with her grandmother who unfortunately went to jail almost at the same time her mother was laid to rest. So Grace ends up with an aunt in Brooklyn. A cold woman with little warmth for Grace. When Grace becomes pregnant her aunt takes the baby and leaves her on the doorstep of a church.
LoLo is the second woman in the story. She has had a rough life herself, a victim of neglect and sexual abuse all she wants is a good man and a good life. When she meets Tommy she sees in him the life she wants. There is one small problem, he wants kids and LoLo cannot have children. She fools him into thinking it is his problem and they end up adopting two children. One of them being Rae, the daughter that was Graces. LoLo is a hard mother, quick with the slaps and loud in the discipline. It is not until Rae has children of her own that they start to bond.
The third story is of course Rae who does not know until she is grown that she was adopted.
There is a sense of dignity and the strong will to survive and improve their lives running through the book. The hardships and unfair treatment young black women received and the paths they had to take to get ahead and survive.

#OneBlood. #NetGalley

2.5 rounded up. Thank you NetGalley and Forge books for the e-ARC of One Blood.

I have some mixed feelings about this book. I think there are some things that were done really well, but there were also some things that just didn't work for me. So let's start with the positives first - Millner did a wonderful job creating characters for the reader to really care about, I loved Grace, LoLo, and Rae. I did feel most invested in Grace's story, but this is just a personal preference. She also created some pretty awful characters - Hattie! I loved that she tackled some really difficult topics like racism, womanhood, motherhood, difficult family dynamics, adoption, class, etc. And even though that sounds like a lot, it never felt like a reach or like she was trying too hard to touch on all those topics.

The things that just didn't work for me was the pacing - I felt like some parts I couldn't put the book down, and other parts dragged on and on. And the writing style didn't always work for me, I felt like some things were a bit repetitive and could have been cut out, and the timeline didn't make sense to me during some parts (especially with Grace's story). I also didn't like that some things weren't resolved, however this is definitely just personal preference and I can understand why she left things that way. Unfortunately in real life we don't always get a nice, tidy ending.

Overall, I think if the book description sounds interesting to you definitely give it a chance. But definitely check trigger warnings and don't expect it to be a quick read - there is a lot to digest. These characters will be staying with me for quite a while.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was okay! Nothing bad but nothing I LOVED either.

I found this book to be very interesting and intriguing. I would recommend this a friend because this is a book for everyone. I really enjoyed emerging myself into this book and it was just wonderful.

Lolo and Tommy’s marriage begins with a lie, originating in Lolo’s abusive childhood, the scars of which prevent pregnancy. But it isn’t her lie alone which echoes down the years. Carrying childhood trauma into adulthood, Lolo is obsessively fearful of the vulnerability of girlhood, womanhood, and their dangerous combination with Blackness. She convinces Tommy he is the cause of their infertility. They adopt a son, then a newborn girl, Rae, whose origins are a separate story, a crucial part of the reader understanding what Tommy and Lolo are not privy to. Rae discovers her adoption at twelve but never tells anyone.

One Blood is difficult to summarise without oversimplifying. An intimate meditation on the complexity of family life, it probes the depths of deeply tragic circumstances that give birth to renewal, joy, and heartache. Through Lolo’s struggles with her identity as wife and mother, the novel explores male/female roles, love, loyalty, forgiveness and healing, lies and secrets, and what we pass to our children. Universal themes painted into a compelling portrait and framed with a distinctly Black edge. This is the story’s lifeblood, its vital significance.

Meandering through the ’50s and ’60s and into the early 2000s, One Blood follows the (mostly) happy but complex lives of the Lawrence family into the next generation. As the mother to three adopted children, two of different race and ethnicity to me, I feel the story rings with a poignant authenticity which can only come from life experience. Millner’s author’s note (which I read later) explains her innate ability to understand the deep ties which connect people far beyond blood. Loving someone else’s child as your own; rendered mute by routine health questions; watching your child interact with a family in whom they recognise nothing of themselves – will resonate with many adoptive parents.

A profoundly moving and uniquely Black novel.

Three women are forever tied together by blood, love and family secrets. Grace is barely a teenager when she loses her Maw Maw in post-segregation Virginia. She is shipped up North to live with her Aunt Hattie. Her Aunt firmly left behind her southern roots for the Black socially ambitious world. Grace is a fish out of water and ends up pregnant by the son of a grand dame.

Lolo has it all: a doting husband, beautiful children and a lovely home. She will lie through her teeth to obtain and keep it. Then her daughter Rae finds out she is adopted. About to become a mother herself, Rae faces a powerful reckoning.

Generational trauma is real. One Blood is a classic story of the cliché: hurt people hurt people. It is raw, detailed and a powerful tale spanning from The Great Migration to civil unrest of 1960s to women's equality in the 2000s. I recommend for readers that like family drama, generational tales and novels written about us, for us, by us.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

The Bloodline is a Force
I can honestly say that I was so looking to reading this novel. The opening was so strong that at times I had to step away. Somehow towards the middle, I took a turn and became disjointed. Storylines were left in limbo and some of the more compelling characters had no resolution. It left me feeling like the story might have been rushed or compromised. Overall, it was a solid read.

While I enjoyed the novel, I have a hard time with epic family stories that span many generations. They're usually tough to keep up with in terms of the connection between generations. But, I didn't have that problem as much as I expected to with this book. I definitely recommend it, just note that it's a bit long.

I was so engaged by the plot but the character development is the gem of this book. Everyone is so fleshed out and feels three dimensional. I love this read so much.

This book was a character-driven, poetic masterpiece. If it’s not on your TBR please add it!!! From the very beginning I was immersed into the story there was never a dull moment. With every chapter something wowed me or had me yelling at the pages. The author used her own adoption story as inspiration for the novel and she did a remarkable job with the storytelling.

The most hated character award goes to Hattie and Clarette. I don’t know whose actions were worse because Hattie treated Grace like a maid, abused her, and gave her baby away. Clarette did the most evil thing a person could do to Lolo which changed her life forever. These were women who should’ve been protecting these girls and instead they were belittled and mistreated.

Rae’s husband Roman was a character literally couldn’t take him serious. When the roles were reversed he showed his true colors and couldn’t handle it. “Hell hath no fury like a man that’s been cheated on.” All I can say is the audacity of him!!!

Trigger warnings and themes: neglect, child abuse, rape, adoption, black struggle, survival, abortion, race

The book was beautifully-written, complex, and authentic. The characters balanced well with the plot, were well-developed, and unforgettable. The pacing was perfectly executed, the buildup of tension surrounding their secrets and trauma will keep readers on edge.

Overall, I loved this book Millner’s writing was very engaging and evocative. She didn’t shy away from discussing complex topics. At times it was tough to read the things the characters were forced to go through but it adds depth to the story and allows readers to connect with them on a personal level. I highly recommend you guys give this book a read. It was lengthy and I still wanted more. If anybody gives it a bad rating clearly they need to be reading Dr.Seuss. Special thanks to the author & @forgereads for my gifted copy!!!!

There is so much to digest in this story. It’s emotional, raw, and triggering, yet powerful. This book tells the story of three women who have endured a lot just trying to live life. It spans several decades and is very detailed in some parts, but I was truly engaged throughout my reading.

I think the author did a wonderful job of bringing everything together and the writing is brilliant. I definitely recommend picking this book me up, but please be cautious of triggers.

One Blood is the story of three generations of African American woman and the spiritual/mystical bonds that tie them together. The story is broken up into the lives of three woman. The story spans American history from Jim Crow through modern times. Each woman grapples with what it means to be a wife and mother while also dealing with racism, childhood sexual, physical and verbal abuse, infertility and infidelity. The book also examines what is family and what ties us to each other that makes that bond.

First things first, cover LOVE!
I’ve been sitting on this one for so long because I didn’t know what to say to depict my feelings about this one! To sum it up, I LOVE IT! I loved how the story was broken up into 3 parts telling the stories of the three girls/women Grace, Delores (Lolo), and Rae.

Grace and her Grandmother’s bond was beautiful, and it was heartbreaking when she looses her and her life ultimately changes for the worse. She had no one to count on and is taken through the ultimate betrayal by having her baby taken from her.

Lolo, having a hard young life herself, she does what she thinks is best and keeps deep dark secrets of her own from her husband. Once her daughter Rae is an adult and pregnant herself things start to come to light. Lolo is then forced to come to terms with her secrets.

This story has so much packed into this book, and will have you wondering what’s to come next. The connections are done so well. There was a point where I wanted and hoped for more, but once I finished, it was all I needed. Then to read the authors notes brought it home and gave it an added meaning.

Be prepared, this book is powerful! The story follows three Black women who are consistently faced with obstacles and heartbreak on their quest to seek mere happiness. The story spans generations and is pretty much separated into three parts. The book is very character-driven and as a reader, you get to experience the stories of these different women, as well as experience America through various generations.

Very well-written and the storytelling is absolutely superb.

A beautiful portrayal of the black matriarchal experiences. Very well written, and highly engaging. Heart warming and touching. I definitely recommend this book.

I haven’t finished the book. I’m struggling to find interest in the writing and the characters. I like different genres, but so far I’m not interested in the subject. It’ has been difficult to follow the storylines. I’m not sure if I will finish the book.