Let it be. Three simple words that tied together the meaning of this story for me. Let it be to accept yourself, “failures” and all. Let it be, love who you love and be true to yourself. Let it be.

While I can appreciate family drama and the dynamics of siblings, this tale spoke about so much more in the history of Black Americans that I cannot begin to understand. I greatly admire the strength it took to look back on and delve into the lives of those who suffered at the hands of the white men and women and write such a great story.

Terah Shelton Harris's "Long After We Are Gone" is a beautifully poignant story that will stay with you. It is a tale full of family drama, where old resentments and secrets come to light as four estranged siblings are forced to come together after the death of their father. They all meet once again at their ancestral property, "The Kingdom", which is in itself a main character in the story.

Harris masterfully weaves together the narratives of each sibling, allowing us to understand their individual struggles and the roots of their complicated relationships. We see the eldest son burdened by responsibility, the strong-willed daughter yearning for acceptance and her definition of success, the troubled middle child struggling with his identity, and the youngest needing to find a place to belong.

The novel is a love letter to the bonds that only siblings can have. That your shared life experiences can allow you to be your true self, and that you really can come home again. In the end we learn that sometimes letting go of the past is the only way to move forward. That sometimes you have to let things go to hold on to what is most important.

The book is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. The characters are real, and you will be drawn in by their story. Terah Shelton Harris has graced the world with another must read.

Long After We Are Gone by Terah Sheldon Harris has such a unique premise. A family drama that includes the devastating issue of losing heir property. She shines a spotlight on Black Americans who have been perpetually losing land due to the white colonizers using loopholes and laws to snake their way into stealing decades and decades of heir property. I honestly do not know how the colonizers sleep at night. Novels such as these are a constant reminder of why it is so important for me to continue reading these stories.

More recently, I have noticed themes surrounding land/land titles and people fighting over land. However, the heir property issue was new to me. The importance of land and hearing the dark Canadian history of taking Indigenous peoples land has been on my mind for several years, and this novel reminded me that this is happening everywhere unfortunately.

Terah Sheldon Harris is a new author to me. After having read Long After We Are Gone, I am thankful that I already have her debut novel One Summer in Savannah on my shelf ready to be read, and she will be a go to author for me. Her writing is exquisite. Initially, I was worried I would not be able to keep track of this four sibling/family drama with all their points of view. However, she is such a great storyteller, weaving through past and present so seamlessly, her imagery was on point, and the characters were strong in their own way. It is worth noting, the characters are not loveable, and I would think: “Oh my God, what are you doing?”, but to me, the sign of a great novel, is that you just keep going back for more. With Terah Sheldon Harris, she has shone through her storytelling, and ultimately, is an author to trust to get you to the other side.

I give this novel a 4.5.

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley, and Terah Sheldon Harris for providing me a copy of an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Master Southern gifted storyteller Terah Shelton Harris (favorite) returns following her popular debut, One Summer In Savannah, with her highly anticipated second novel, LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE. Four complex siblings fight to save their family's generational home after their father's death. I loved this book!

A masterpiece destined to be a best-seller, LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE, is, at its heart, a deep, heartfelt story about the power of family. It is an unputdownable, enthralling, explosive, and highly emotional family drama—PRIME for the small or big screen. (Please.) I can envision the cast of characters. 5 Stars+ and Top Books of 2024! Family drama at its finest!

Set in Dibbs, North Carolina, it is rich in character and place. It is a story of injustice, history, race, intergenerational trauma, and dark family secrets as each family member grapples with their demons.

LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE is a cross between two hit TV series—This is Us and Queen Sugar! (two of my favorites).

"Don't let the white man take the house."

These were the last words King Solomon (a well-known, beloved carpenter) said to his son before he died. The family had lived on the 200-acre land for over 230 years, passed down through generations. The home and acreage, a former plantation, was called The Kingdom. King's devious brother (Shad) had sold five acres behind their backs without them being aware.

However, Solomon's children had no clue about the power of these words until reality hit them in the face. The words and meaning of "Heir Property."

Who will keep the Kingdom afloat? All four Solomon siblings must return to NC to save the Kingdom, their ancestral home, which has been passed down through generations, and 200 acres of land.

A real estate development company in Charlotte, NC, has alternative motives—turning the property into a luxury resort, pulling their home out from under them with no will or legal stake in their property and home. How will they keep their legacy alive, one their father and generations before them had greatly loved and sacrificed for?

King Solomon, the dad, passed away and left his children to deal with the fallout. He was a complex man who loved his children. Each of the children has different reactions and ways of grieving, and they must work to redeem themselves in the end.

The mother, Hazel, is a mystery throughout the book. (A beautiful yet sad story) King never mentions her. We will have answers before the book ends. Each sibling struggles and makes questionable choices on their road to redemption. Will they break the Solomon curse? Is history repeating itself?

The Author brilliantly tells the story from FOUR POVs, plus we also hear from Ellis. Each sibling hides their secrets from one another behind a false facade.

~JUNIOR: The oldest son is a school principal, has been married to his wife, Genesis, for eleven years, and is the father of two girls. He is secretly in the closet, in love with another man, Simon, with constantly conflicting inner and outer personalities battling. Men could not love one another in the small town of Diggs, so Junior was in between two worlds. What would his father think of him? His father-in-law, James, is a powerful, evil attorney who eventually blackmails him.

~MANCE: The second son has a bad temper that has landed him in prison more than once. Now, he is trying to manage the straight and narrow for his wife and his young son, Henry (recently discovered he is deaf). He needs expensive implant surgery. However, he is tempted and becomes the fall guy because he needs money to support his family and earn their respect. (reminds me of Ralph Angel on Queen Sugar)

~CECE: The oldest daughter. Beautiful and intelligent, a lawyer in New York City. She left her old love behind, Ellis (love him), who is also an attorney and still lives in Dibbs and a family friend. She wanted as far away from Diggs as possible twelve years ago. CeCe has gotten into a mess after stealing money from the law firm client's account to maintain her high-class living. She wants nothing to do with the town of Dibbs. Her married junior law firm partner, Mark, knows what she has done, controlling and blackmailing her with sexual favors. She will have to turn herself in; however, she hopes they can sell the homestead and land to repay the debt before she is prosecuted and jailed. Will she give Ellis another chance and be truthful with him? She now learns why King had contacted her about some legal papers to be filed that she ignored. Now, it was too late.

~TOKEY: The youngest daughter feels like she does not belong in the family. She was the one who took care of her father and the estate when everyone had left home. An emotional eater—Life is easier with food. Whether Mcdonald's or any sweet carb, she can get her hands on an eating disorder with an obsession and love of Little Debbie cakes. She is self-destructive, trying to fill the need for love and acceptance. She is funny and lonely and misses the mother she longs for and the need to know her family. How will she go on without King?

The siblings must come together as a family! Miss Jessie knows the truth about the mom, and with letters, Tokey finally has answers. Their father and past generations struggled with the high taxes, sacrificing to keep the family home. What had the parents been through to protect their home and family?

From dark secrets, lies, sex, violence, homophobia, betrayal, and addiction, this family comes with baggage. Each must come forward with the hidden parts of themselves and bond together in unexpected ways to heal and save their family for ultimately an uplifting story of hope while overcoming tragedy, even stronger on the other side.

WOW! I was blown away; highly impressive! I could not put this one down. It is edgy, gritty, raw, moving, and sometimes witty. Fast-paced and intriguing, it reads like a riveting family drama, gripping domestic suspense, mystery, psychological suspense, historical, timely, Southern, and infused with beautiful literary vibes.

The Author cleverly builds the suspense to the explosive ending, where it comes down to the family house. Will the four siblings band together once they come clean about their secrets for the showdown?

The sledgehammer and the excavator are intricate parts of the novel and serve as metaphors for the family. LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE is dark, full of emotion, trauma, drama, love, wit, wisdom, and the true meaning of family and their favorite words, "Let It Be."

With meticulous research, the novel is fascinating. Though fictional, sadly, the circumstances covered in the story are factual, as the Author so eloquently explains in her Author's note, along with triggers for those who may be sensitive. Well done! I loved the Epilogue and the map illustration! An ideal book club pick (questions included) and a Q&A.

Black families began buying land in droves after the Reconstruction. Around the same time, laws were enacted to dispossess Blacks of their land. Sadly, many families did not have wills, and the properties were passed down through generations, making their property a form of ownership in which descendants inherit an interest in the land, similar to holding stock in a company.

HEIR PROPERTY does not constitute a clear title, which means the land is vulnerable to developers, corporations, and governments using legal laws to acquire it. Other actions, such as partition, eminent domain, and property tax sales, are also used to take land from landowners. Heir property is not eligible for federal loans or private financing and cannot be used for collateral.

The US Department of Agriculture has recognized their property as the leading cause of involuntary Black land loss. Between 1910 and 1997, it is estimated Blacks lost about 90% of farmland worth billions of dollars. Unfortunately, this is still happening today, as referenced in the author's notes.

Thank you, Terah, for vividly bringing this story to life while infusing it with a family to display the fallout. I highly recommend it. I cannot wait for Terah's next book—her third novel, THE FLOWER FARMER, upcoming in 2025. It is an upmarket, Southern fiction about a woman on the run from the law and her past who finds herself working on a flower farm in rural Alabama, published by Sourcebooks Landmark.

To learn more about this topic, read the upcoming book, Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership, by Brea Baker (Random House), June 18, 2024.

Thank you, Sourcebooks Landmark, the Author, and NetGalley, for the honor of a digital early reading copy. The hardcover is a must for any home library. A classic.

PS. I hope this book comes out in audiobook format later. I would love to hear January LaVoy and J.D. Jackson as narrators—they would rock it!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Stay tuned for my #AuthorElevatorSeries Q&A on pub day, May 14, 2024, where we go behind the scenes of the book and this super-gifted author.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: May 14, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars +
May 2024 Must Read Books
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Sourcebooks Landmark provided an early galley for review.

I had the pleasure of hearing Harris passionately discuss her upcoming novel during an authors panel at PLA 2024 in Columbus, OH, a few weeks back. She set the story in North Carolina, a state in which I lived for more than two decades. She and I also share the same day time job (adult services librarian). Needless to say, all of these factors made me very interested in checking out her upcoming book.

I was hooked right from the first chapter as we are introduced, one by one, to King's four children. Each one is layered and complex, making me want to keep reading more about them. I was eager to see how they would interact when they come together during one of the most challenging times for family members to endure. The fact that each has dysfunction in their individual lives just added tension to the whole situation. I found all of their stories very relatable.

The novel also puts focus on the important topic of heir property and the legal loopholes used to take Southern black-owned land. Harris educates readers on this subject all the while keeping them entertained with her characters.

Overall, I very much enjoyed Long After We Are Gone. Harris' writing is simultaneously vibrant and down-home - a winning combination. She has been added to my "writers to watch for" list for future releases.

If Terah Shelton Harris writes it, I will read it. She masterfully writes flawed, complicated characters who are living alongside and with other flawed, complicated characters, but they always feel incredibly real. It's not a means to an end, it's not a series of caricatures, and it's not drama for drama's sake. The four siblings in this story are all struggling...mightily...with their own selves and the decisions they've made (and continue to make). There is no unified family...only the burden of the family's past and present. The siblings can't move beyond themselves, mostly because they can't get out of their own way, but also because of external forces (heir property challenges, which we all need to educate ourselves about, and inter-generational trauma). I appreciate how Ms. Harris was able to write from numerous POVs pretty seamlessly...it was easy to follow the POVs within chapters. I read one review that said none of the characters were likeable. I'd like to challenge that thought by saying that the siblings were actually all very likeable despite their actions to the contrary. I was pulling for them every step of the way. I think the story rushed a bit to its resolution and that the character growth among each of the siblings was lacking in some subtlety, but still very much enjoyed this book; in fact, I couldn't really put it down.

The Solomon siblings converge on their childhood home to save it from destruction in this funny tale of redemption. Their fathers' last words, 'don't let the white man take the house' is an indication of the type of bellwether patriarch he was, and how he ruled the family with an iron fist. However, each sibling is dealing with their own issues, and some perhaps scandals.

It's astounding that this is the author's debut novel! So well written and character driven, you'll fall in love with each sibling and their quirky personalities. Most of them are deeply flawed, unlikeable, self centered, and at first unwilling to take on the vast amount of family responsibilities involved in saving their house from the bank.

Can they overcome blackmail, embezzlement, infidelity, self harm, and their own bad decisions to come together as one? It almost seems unlikely, but I sure had fun along the way.

There is definitely no sophomore slump for Harris as she has crafted another beautiful story of family, forgiveness, love, and finding your way home again. Her debut novel One Summer in Savannah was one of my favorite books in 2023 and I have a feeling this book will be a top of 2024.

Long After We are Gone takes us to a small town in North Carolina where the Solomon family has lived for hundreds of years. When King Solomon, the patriarch of their family, dies unexpectedly and without a will, his four children are at risk of losing everything due to heir property laws.

This is type of book that is beautifully written, powerful and makes you want to pay attention - where each word means something. The characters are fully developed with flaws and secrets that they can’t outrun and family expectations that are too great to bear. The author has done a brilliant job of showing the power of family bonds and what it means to fight for what is yours.

This book is explosive and emotional and raw in all the best ways. There are some trigger warnings to be aware of and the author opens the book with a heartfelt message about these triggers and I felt cared for even before the first page began❤️

Long After We Are Gone is a novel about a dysfunctional family. The family patriarch, King Solomon, has died and told his family before his passing that he did not want their 200 year old property to be sold. The 4 grown children come together to bury their father. Each of the adult children have some kind of problem or secret and have to learn how to deal with it and each other. An interesting story. At times it was hard to follow but in the end it all came together.

3 stars

This was not the book for me. I enjoyed One Summer in Savannah. The content was heavy, but it was dealt with gracefully and made me think. This book, however, was well written, but the characters were thoroughly unlikeable, except for Tokey. She was a victim of the dysfunction of that household.

As a US History teacher, I was intrigued by the authors note about heir property.. however, maybe it’s because I’ve never lived in the country, but using using a sledgehammer to solve problems it’s not something to admire. It made me very uncomfortable.. I did, however, appreciate the way the siblings dealt with the main issue at the end of the book. Nonetheless, had I not been intrigued by the heir property, this would have been a DNF.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

King Solomon has passed away and he told his one of his sons that he doesn't want the family house taken away from them, especially by the white man. This property has been in the family for over 200 years. All four siblings, including this son, return to the property and are determined to save it and keep in the family instead of it being turned into a resort. These siblings hold many secrets among them, including ones related to personal identity, bad habits, and embezzlement. They must work through these concerns while also keeping their father's property within the family.

While the concept of this book seems pretty straightforward, this book and its characters were complex and had so much depth to them. The way that the author wrote this book kept me interested and engaged in the secrets that each sibling had. While they were all clearly flawed characters, I rooted for them to redeem themselves and become the best versions of themselves. I also really liked how the author used this concept of heir property and expanded upon it with this fictional story. It's such a well-written book.

This is not typically a book that I would pick up, but I'm so glad that I did. It read like a screenplay for a limited series or a movie, and I hope that this book is eventually made into one of these media. First, I hope that readers will enjoy this book just as much as I did upon its release.

Long After We Are Gone
by Terah Shelton Harris
Pub Date: May 14, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
An explosive and emotional story of four siblings—each fighting their own personal battle—who return home in the wake of their father's death in order to save their family's home from being sold out from under them, from the author of One Summer in Savannah.
There is so much going on in this family - food addiction, embezzlement, homosexuality, and secrets of the past that each of them must reconcile to before they can heal themselves.

Between sibling rivalry and household conflict, this book is astounding. The author does a fantastic job with her character development and each siblings‘ point of view is just as compelling as the next.
4 stars

Thank you @bookmarked @netgalley #partner for the gifted copy of this eARC!

Calling all family saga lovers! I had heard such rave reviews about Terah Shelton Harris’s book last year I just knew I had to grab this one when I saw it! In this book there are 4 siblings all that come with their own baggage. Each is dealing with their personal issues and when they are all called home after their father’s death it is time for them to all become acquainted again. Once they are together they soon find out their family home was actually sold out from underneath their noses. Their father’s last words were “Don’t let the white man take the house.” With a fierce loyalty to their father King, the children band together to try and keep what they feel is rightfully theirs. As they fight for the house, they soon realize they are actually also fighting for more than physical belongings, they are fighting for emotional belonging with each other and themselves.

Thoughts: I am a huge fan of family dynamics in books and complex relationships. Terah definitely delivers on both of those fronts in this wildly emotional book! It is a little difficult to put into words but I will do my best. In this book each character has a past that is plagued by disarray. What ends up coming out of each character is basically a more self assured and beautiful person even though there is still chaos. I really think this feel good story is one not to be missed! I cannot wait to now go read One Summer In Savannah!

Unfortunately I had to DNF this one.

I normally do like a good family drama but this one was just not for me. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, as they all were very dysfunctional and hard to like and relate to. I wasn’t drawn to the story either. Maybe I was just wasn’t in a right mood for this book, I am not sure. I may return to it later but for now, I am going to leave it unfinished.

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story was hard to put down. I really enjoyed reading it. I liked the character driven feel and reading each character grow both stronger and weaker as the story progressed. Death of a family member is never easy and it was heavy to read at times how each child processed it.

I will be recommending this book to other readers.

Long After We Are Gone is a family drama. Once their father dies, four siblings must come together to save the land that has been passed down to them by heir property inheritance and try to stop it from being stolen right from under them.

Listen, I loved Terah Shelton Harris' "One Summer in Savannah" and I fully expected to love this one, as well. It DID NOT DISAPPOINT! If you give me a multi-generational, sibling or family, messily drama... sold. I loved it.

Each of these characters are so deeply flawed and human, I related to each one of them and their struggles. How difficult it was to come together as a family because when you're an adult and you have your own life, things aren't as simple as they used to be.

The author is able to write about grief, love, romance, connectedness, mental health in such a powerful way.

I thought this book was beautiful and shows how strong a family bond can be. I also particularly liked the author's note in the beginning explaining why heir property is an important topic to learn about.

East 5 star read. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

A beloved ancestral plot of land. A legal loophole. A fractured family.

LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE follows the Solomon family as they fight to keep “The Kingdom”, the land their ancestors were former slaves on and later inherited during reconstruction. The novel is inspired by the story of two North Carolina residents who went to jail for eight years after refusing to leave the land their great-grandfather purchased more than a century ago.

The story explores the concept of heir property and how Black people can be exploited by corporations using loopholes to involuntarily strip them of land that has legally been in their possession for generations.

Told in four alternating POVs, we meet each adult sibling as they grapple with their own personal crisis. With the theme of breaking the chains of intergenerational trauma, morally gray characters you can’t help but root for, and complicated sibling dynamics there is so much to unpack.

Terah Shelton Harris explores retribution, legacy, and familial expectations in a unique and thought-provoking way. As with her debut, ONE SUMMER IN SAVANNAH, this story lends itself so well to book club discussions. Don’t miss LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE out May 14th!

RATING: 4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5)

READ THIS IF YOU:
-are interested in little known issues brought to light through fiction
-can root for flawed but endearing characters
-appreciate a complicated family legacy

I first read One Summer in Savannah, the author's debut work published in 2023, about 5 weeks prior to reading this, her sophomore novel, Long After We Are Gone. That makes it a little difficult to write this review. One Summer In Savannah was so incredibly and beautifully written and will probably be one of my favorite books I read in 2024! So, Long After We Are Gone had a lot to live up to with reading it so shortly thereafter.

Long After We Are Gone tells the journey of the four Solomon siblings - sisters CeCe and Tokey and brothers Junior and Mance. We learn in the very first sentence of the book that their father, King Solomon, is dying. And the first chapter ends with his instructions to his children: "Don't let the white man take the house." The house mentioned lies on a large amount of land that comprises 200 acres known as "The Kingdom", which has been owned by the Solomon family for 230 years. What follows is the story of each sibling navigating the history of The Kingdom and their individual desired plans for it. However, others outside the family have their own ideas for the estate. Additionally, each sibling is battling their own demons and temptations, all while trying to live up to their father's expectations.

I appreciated the uniqueness of every single chapter containing the perspective of each sibling. The author does a good job of adding depth to her characters and relaying their personalities and motivations to the reader. I enjoyed the path the siblings took with regard to their relationships with each other, as well as the inner growth each embarked upon.

What didn't work for me was that I didn't feel particularly invested in one of the storylines and just kept wishing the sibling would make different decisions, and how the sentence structure felt stilted in several instances, along with awkward transitions in some cases. That being said, there are still lyrical sentences throughout.

"It will take a long time, perhaps a thousand good mornings from now, when it's all over, to understand the impact of King's death. The Solomons will rearrange the pieces they know, question what they will never understand, and reimagine the events in their minds. How it was the best and worse thing for them as a family. How it changed them individually, for the better and for the worse. They will think of King often, what he worked for, instilled in them, believed in."

Please do not fail to read the Author's Note preceding the book. It is informative and necessary, and provides the entire context surrounding the plot of the novel. Historically, many Black families bought land following the Reconstruction, which was then passed down generationally without a will, and was known as heir property. However, this does not constitute a clear title possession of the land. The Kingdom in the novel was heir property.

I would give a personal rating of 3.75 stars, which has been rounded to 4.0 stars for NetGalley purposes.

Trigger warnings for: death of parent, eating disorder, homophobia, murder, physical abuse, sexual assault, and violence

Terah can do no wrong in my eyes. The author is a STORY TELLER. You get pulled in & engrossed with each and every character. I really enjoyed the messiness & complicated relationships. Each sibling was battling something heavy and I felt for each and everyone of them. The bulldozer scene? Incredible.

Terah Shelton Harris has a favorite fan

A big ol mess of tangled generational family drama!

The Solomon family has lived on a piece of land, including an old majestic house, called The Kingdom for generations.

When the current patriarch dies, his children gather back in their hometown only to learn part of the Kingdom was sold without their knowledge and they have to vacate the house.

While they fight to keep The Kingdom whole, they’re also fighting their own personal battles and discovering long held secrets that can offer a healing path forward.

I love the imperfection of the characters, even the (spoiler) happy ending has threads of reality running through it.