What an incredible story about being seen and heard. As a high school teacher, it is one that I will ask to be put in our library. It is a transformative tale and gives a voice to all.

This is a coming of age story that starts back before the main character is born. It did keep me interested throughout most of the book and I loved the '90's/early '00's references. The book started to lose steam during the end and I felt myself wanting it to be over. There really was no plot, which was obviously the goal so I'm not sure this book is for everyone.

This was a very interesting and eye opening book! I read it in one day, would have in one sitting if I didn't have to adult! I would recommend this book!

I love family sagas so when i read the synopsis I was convinced. The book follows a Black family living in South Carolina and covers three generations. On Redwood Court, a Black community where our characters live, Mika, our main character is enthralled in the community as she witnesses the lives and hardships of those around her. There are a few different points of view but then into settles into Mika's voice. As the story develops we get to see the stories of her grandparents, Weesie and Teeta who move into Redwood Court soon after the Korean War with a determination to build a life and community there.

I think what I truly enjoy about this book is the beauty of the writing and the simplicity of the story. We get to see Mika's coming of age but we also get to see the everyday small heroes that live in the community.

A touching read.

Well written and deeply moving. There are quite a few character POVs that can be a little difficult to keep up with initially. Overall this novel is thought provoking and worth your time, very important messages

In 1960 Weesie and Teeta purchased their home in Redwood Court, part of an all-Black suburb of Columbia, South Carolina. They would raise their family, gather around the barbecue that Teeta built and share gossip with the neighbors. DeLana Dameron allows the reader to become a member of the community as you share all of their joys and sorrows and fall in love with Weesie and Teeta. This is also a coming of age story as their granddaughter Mika enters their lives and you watch her grow and begin to question.what has always been accepted. She is especially close to Teeta and spends her time with him as her parents work long hours. It is especially heartbreaking as Teeta ages and becomes ill, but life gos on in Redwood Court and Weesie continues to dispense her words of wisdom.

Dameron explores the African American experience when Weesie is approached by two women involved in tracing the descendants of the slaves of the Bolton plantation. It allows Weesie to connect with additional family and learn more about Teeta’s history. This is a story that is beautifully told and celebrates the importance of family. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House/Dial Prss for providing this book for my review.

A multigenerational family drama set in South Carolina. I found it hard to connect with the characters and struggled to finish.

The title of the book is where the main character's grandparents live in Columbia, SC. Through Mika's eyes we see the three generations of her family as well as the neighbors on Redwood Court. Her grandparents lived through Jim Crow and were able to buy the house in the 60s, a dream of leaving something for their family.
DéLana R. A. Dameron's novel, Redwood Court, Mika Tabor's tale begins with a family tree assignment — something particularly difficult to both explore and encapsulate in the same way or to the same degree as her white classmates. So the unfurling of Mika's beautifully rich tapestry of matriarchal generations begins with the idea of filling out the tree with stories, rather than simply names, branching the idea of the tree outwards instead of focusing on the typical upwards angle. There is many important topics that more focused writing would assist in forming this book better. The topics are important and the underlying idea of learning more about your family, what they have been through as well as the importance to your life is something mostly lost in today's families. You can only know where you are going if you know where you have been. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher.

What are we made of? We are made of our stories. This is the point of author DéLana R.A. Dameron's debut novel. Thus, Redwood Court itself is made up of a collection of tightly linked stories. While there is not really a straightforward narrative, each story builds upon the next, creating a rich portrait of a family and their true north -- the house on Redwood Court.

[Thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

3.5⭐️ This started out strong for me and I loved Mika, but I started to get a bit bored about 60% and at about 75% skimmed a bit. It’s more slices of life, and there are some real gems, than a story with a plot.

I was excited to read this book, which I anticipated following a linear story about a Black family from generation to generation. However, there was a lot of jumping around such that it caused a bit of confusion. Also, there seemed to be various occurrences rather than an intertwined developed story. Accordingly, this one didn’t move me too much. 3 stars ⭐️. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy for review.

This is a novel of a black family moving to a Cul De sac in the 1950’s. The novel starts with Teta and Weesie as they move into Redwood Court. Most of the novel, however is from the youngest in the family, Mika’s point of view. She listens to the family’s history, provides care as needed and learns about her family’s struggles. There are multiple characters, neighbor relatives that add to the novel. Overall for me this was a three star book.
I received a complimentary copy, opinions are my own.

Redwood Court is an entertaining debut with lively characters and lots of back and forth banter; reading Dameron's writing feels like getting a hug from your grandma. Having said that, I didn't feel like there was a strong plot and the number of characters made the story hard to follow at times. A heartfelt story and I'd definitely be interested in reading future works by this author.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this ARC.

How is this a debut? Everything about Redwood Court blew me away. I don't care what genres you like, this is genre spanning and bending and I want you to readi t.

Actual rating 3.5, rounded up for the lovely cover.

Multi-generational family saga that *almost* lets you feel like one of the family, but keeps you at just enough of a distance to let you know that you're not REALLY one of them. I loved the various stories but felt like they didn't entirely let the reader in. Kinda like when you go to someone's house and they open the door just a bit so you can see there are things happening, and they chat with you in a friendly-ish way, but make it clear you're not really welcome. I'd've loved to get to know the characters a bit better, and am disappointed to have been left out on the stoop. In the end, slightly unfulfilling.

My thanks to Random House Publishing Group/The Dial Press, the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House/Dial Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. The title of the book is where the main character's grandparents live in Columbia, SC. Through Mika's eyes we see the three generations of her family as well as the neighbors on Redwood Court. Her grandparents lived through Jim Crow and were able to buy the house in the 60s, a dream of leaving something for their family. Also, you see how the neighbors of Redwood Court care for one another through hardships. Mika's family is composed of all different types of ordinary people working hard to make a good life for their families, dealing with racism and bias, the unfairness of law enforcement and the carceral system, and Mika blossoming into a young woman in her teenage years. The author creates a beautiful picture of the characters and the place in which they live but the story didn't come together at the end, as if the tone changed and the storyline was heading in a different direction.

Reese picked this debut for her February book club. Redwood Court is a book in two parts: First it’s the story of a black couple in the 1960s buying their first home in a South Carolina suburb and raising their daughter who marries the boy next door. The second part is about the couple’s granddaughter Mika, as she comes of age in the 1990s, partially at Redwood Court. I wanted to love this book, but it was just so slow and had very little plot, which made it difficult to get through. Also, in Part One of the book, the narrator changes frequently which made reading it somewhat jarring and disconnected. ⭐️⭐️.5. Thank you to #thedialpress and #netgallery for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
Redwood Court is a family saga about a black family in South Carolina spanning three decades. This story is told from multiple POVs. At times it was hard to follow, especially on audio which is how I read this. I plan on checking out a physical copy to get a better idea of how it was set up.

This is a slower paced story where not a ton happens but the writing was beautiful which is one of the biggest strengths of the book! It's a very character rich story.

The theme of genealogy and everyone not being able to trace back generations was a theme I enjoyed throughout the story. Especially as a white person I think this is an important thing to think about.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced copy of this book.

Redwood Court by DeLana R.A. Dameron was a sweet surprise. I didn't expect a debut novel by a published poet to affirm my role as grandmother.

This character-driven story features a multi-generational family living in Charleston, South Carolina. Grandparents Weesie and Teeta bought their home on the Redwood Court cul de sac in the mid 1950s and fostered a strong sense of community among their neighbors. Their house is home base for extended family, especially granddaughter Mika. The book is written as Mika documenting her family's heritage for a school project.

I loved Weesie and Teeta - she the gossip and he the strong silent type - and their relationships with Mika. As grandmother to four young children who spend time at our home every week, it's my goal for our grands to develop the type of memories Mika had. This family is there for each other through good and bad times, and it was heartwarming to see their love in action. The emotions feel so genuine, I wonder if some of Mika's stories are somewhat autobiographical for the author.

The cover is beautiful - I want to know more about its creation and meaning. Thank you to The Dial Press and NetGalley for the review copy of this novel.

4.5 stars.

In DéLana R. A. Dameron's novel, Redwood Court, Mika Tabor's tale begins with a family tree assignment — something particularly difficult to both explore and encapsulate in the same way or to the same degree as her white classmates. So the unfurling of Mika's beautifully rich tapestry of matriarchal generations begins with the idea of filling out the tree with stories, rather than simply names, branching the idea of the tree outwards instead of focusing on the typical upwards angle.

Although the overall style moved the entry point a little later, once I found the rhythms of her writing, I settled in comfortably for the remainder of the journey. The account through Mika's youth reads like an engrossing collection of short stories, or family stories...the kind you share and recount endlessly at reunions, weddings, and funerals. And with each new addition, I was reminded of Don Draper’s carousel — a deeply moving nostalgia slideshow.

On a personal point, I absolutely adored the complete exploration of the Columbia I both knew and didn't...the first mention of Two Notch Road sent me squealing. I still have family in that area, and I cannot tell you how many times that was the exit off the interstate that meant I was near my destination. This was one of the best representations of that area and life there during the 90s, that I have read.

The title comes from the all-Black working-class suburb where Mika's grandparents settled in the 1960s and established a strong connective extended family whose ties held each other together and built each other up. Though not totally absent from any story about a Black family (particularly in the South and covering the 50s through the early 00s, instead of focusing on Black pain and Black trauma, Redwood Court presents a beautifully perfect account of youth surrounded by love and full of joy. Having found this superb new Southern voice, I will absolutely read what Dameron writes next.