Lies, secrets, sex, violence, addiction, and betrayal have estranged the Solomon siblings from each other and the people who love them the most. Each one has to come to terms with the messes they’ve made as they try to reconnect as a family in an attempt to save their legacy. I was a big fan of One Summer in Savannah and am in awe of how easily Harris juggles multiple POVs and creates living, breathing characters that you don’t know whether to hug or shake. The drama in this book chewed up my Kindle battery and kept me up late reading in the dark. Don’t miss it.

Terah does it again! She writes another Southern tale centered on family, faith, and fortune. While reading this book, I couldn't help but think about the show Queen Sugar, where estranged siblings come together to run and keep the family's sugar cane farm. I also thought about the beautiful 93-year-old South Carolina woman whom Tyler Perry helped because developers were harassing her about the land that her home resided. In this book, the Solomon siblings, with their respective life trials, come together to save their family home and land from developers. I loved the multiple POV storytelling because I could learn each life story from each sibling's mouth. Their life stories weren't new phenomena; however, they showed how paths of family members can veer off in several ways but can intersect at various points. I loved that we learned about King, the family patriarch, after he died because the multiple other perspectives of his life made the story more interesting. Generational wealth, especially for black folks, often seems to be an uphill battle, and this book highlighted that. We have to work twice as hard to keep our possessions in the familial line, and that's sad.
The ending may surprise folks, but I saw it as a necessary cleansing and reset. Lastly, can we talk about the gorgeousness of the book title? Just gorgeous!

This was a great book from this author. It resonated with me and the African American community as it tells the story of siblings who all must make a decision about their family home in the wake of death.

Before their father dies he has one wish which is not to "let the white man take the house."
It explores the relationships, secrets and lies of the siblings and makes us realize that everything is not always as it seems.

I think this book would make a great book club pick, it has plenty of opportunity for discussion and meaningful conversations.

Thank you to #netgalley for this #arc

Long After We Are Gone is about the four Solomon siblings who after the death of their father, return to North Carolina to save the Kingdom, their ancestral home and 200 acres of land, from a development company. As they fight to save the Kingdom, each sibling deals with their own secrets and struggles.

After reading Shelton Harris’ debut novel, One Summer in Savannah, I was very excited to read LAWAG and was not disappointed. Told from the alternating viewpoints of the Soloman siblings, each character was fully fleshed out and you feel for each of them. The author’s use of multiple POVs does not slow the book down by any means. I like that Shelton Harris’ plots are unique and well thought out. In addition to the emotional connection the reader forms with the characters, one always learns something new after reading her stories. In this case; the obstacles black families faced post Reconstruction regarding land ownership, something that continues to this day.

There are a few trigger warnings that are mentioned in the Author’s Note section and they include; violence (including murder), homophobia, sexual manipulation and eating disorders. The aforementioned content is handled with the utmost respect and care by the author.

I really loved this book and would absolutely recommend it. Mrs. Shelton Harris is an extremely talented author and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The Solomon family has lived in Diggs, North Carolina, for generations. The four siblings have gone their separate ways in recent years and barely talk to each other. When King, their father, unexpectedly passes away, the group is brought back together to lay him to rest and deal with a second unexpected challenge – someone’s trying to take their land.

Terah Shelton Harris gives a master class in the pitfalls of heir property in her sophomore novel Long After We Are Gone. Utilizing multiple viewpoints, Harris explores the generational trauma the siblings face along with their own personal choices that bring them closer to losing the family land. Inspired by real events, this book is about the power of honest communication, being proud of who you are, and greed so big it could destroy everything.

I give Long After We Are Gone 5 out of 5 stars. I appreciate the work Harris puts in to sharing the story from multiple points of view. Harris elegantly conveys the pain and frustration each sibling processed throughout the story, allowing background and private conversations to be shared in a natural flow. I connected deeply with these characters and their private struggles – their redemption stories are beautifully written. This book had me experiencing every emotion and plenty of movements of laughter, too!

If you liked Harris’ debut novel One Summer in Savannah, you’ll love this one, too. I would recommend this book to readers wanting to learn more about the plight of heir property families and how this system works – Harris includes descriptions of the legal process that really helped me understand what these cases are like. Given the discussion of sexual relations (consensual and non-consensual), violence, homophobia, and criminal behavior, I would recommend this novel to more mature audiences over 13. Even the author includes a trigger warning in the Author’s Note about these subjects.

A few months back, I met Terah Shelton Harris at an author event and book signing for One Summer in Savannah at the Atlanta History Center. I was struck by how sensitively she handled discussing traumatizing subjects like rape in both her writing and the speaking event. Towards the end of that event, she mentioned this book would be upcoming and discussed a bit of the subject matter – I was immediately hooked! When I saw it was available for advanced review through Netgalley, I jumped at the chance to participate. I am hooked on Harri’s writing style and subject choices and can’t wait to see what her third book will be!

Long After We Are Gone will release on May 14th. You can preorder your copy now!

This was a quick read. I did not like it. The summary of the book tells the whole story. That's it. There is nothing else to it. And, Ellis is the only character I liked.

Great book about four siblings and their fight to keep their ancestral land. I was a little worried at first with the many different viewpoints, but it ended up working really well getting to know each sibling and their secrets.
If you liked the author’s first book One Summer in Savannah, this one will not disappoint.

Thank you Netgalley for my ARC♥️

As I delved into Terah Shelton Harris's sophomore novel, I felt like I was sitting at the kitchen table with the four siblings, sipping sweet tea and bearing witness to their raw, honest conversations. The family's secrets and scars are laid bare, and I couldn't help but reflect on my own family's stories and silences. Can these siblings find the courage to confront the past and save their family land? Harris's writing is like a warm embrace, enveloping me in the joys and sorrows of this flawed, lovable family. I laughed, cried, and nodded my head in recognition as they struggled to reconcile their truths. This book is a reminder that our families are messy, beautiful tapestries of love and imperfection - and that's what makes them so precious.

Beautifully written book about the importance of family and proper communication. Four siblings, trying to find peace and acceptance. Loved all the characters and the storyline. Everyone has their own struggles and grief. Intense and emotional story. Families are our grestest strength, it shows in the book.

Where do I begin? Troubled family dynamics & family secrets, I knew this book would be a rollercoster. Each of the siblings had their own secrets & struggles, but I reasonated with Junior King’s struggle the most. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but his inner man & outer man battled each other throughout the entire book. I didn’t feel any sympathy for cece. She made that bed & had to lay in it. This book was very deep and emotional. Also history of how land was stolen from black people using the heir property as the reason.
The one thing That fell flat for me was their Mother’s disappearance and when the reason of why she wasn’t there was revealed, it fell very flat. The kids could’ve been told this. No reason to keep that away from them all those years & not even knowing their mother’s name.

Overall the book was very well written. Wordy in some areas and took a little bit to warm up to, but once the plot unfolded, it hooks you in.

Since One Summer in Savannah is one of my favorite books, I had high hopes for this one. It most definitely did not disappoint. Terah Shelton Harris writes with such conviction and can draw the reader in until you forget that your own life goes on around you.

When Solomon King is taking his last breath, he wants assurances from his children that the white man won’t take his family’s ancestral home. His children must overcome one dilemma after another to ensure that they do right by their father and their ancestors. 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.

I can easily say this is a 5-star book and I highly recommend it. Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.

Terah Shelton Harris delivers an extremely intense, daring and courageous story that is emotional, complex and beautiful. Readers will cling to the pages, long after they've finished reading them!

I so loved One Summer in Savannah that I was delighted to get this ARC and was just as enamored with this bittersweet story of a family in crisis. As King dies, his last words are, "Don't let the white man take the house." And so begins the tale of siblings, each with their own secrets, failures, and inadequacies, as they attempt to reconcile in the face of adversity as their land is about to be taken away from them. It's a magnificent tale of the siblings' foibles, as well as blackmail, embezzlement, and above all: understanding. And as outsiders try to destroy what was once--and always will be--their property, Harris shows us that the only foundation that cannot be razed is family!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

A gripping story of family and intergenerational trauma. This story has complex characters that drew me in from the beginning. I love how the author takes he time and gives every major character their due with a view of their past as well as present day, how they got to where they are.

The violence in the story did not bother me, it added to the complexity of the story.

This is the first book by this author that I’ve read. I plan on purchasing One Summer in Savannah.

woooooow. the writing is great. I enjoyed this one better than the first book. the tragedy of this family you can feel as you ready. its heart wrenching.

"Long After We Are Gone" by Terah Shelton Harris is a powerful and emotionally charged story of a family grappling with their personal demons and collective struggles to save their ancestral home, the Kingdom, from being sold to a development company.

King Solomon's dying wish to his children sets the stage for a compelling narrative. His final words, "Don't let the white man take the house," propel his four siblings into action. Each of them must return to North Carolina to defend their family's legacy—200 acres of land and the Kingdom—against a development company with plans to transform the valuable waterfront property into a luxury resort.

The four Solomon siblings are far from perfect, and each carries their own secrets and burdens. Junior, the eldest son, has been concealing his deep love for another man despite being married for 11 years. Mance, the second son, struggles with his temper, which has led to repeated incarcerations. CeCe, the eldest daughter and a lawyer in New York City, has embezzled substantial sums from her firm's clients. Tokey, the youngest daughter, grapples with a sense of not fitting into her family, leaving her with a profound void that she fills through self-destructive behaviors.

As the siblings join forces to save the Kingdom, their individual facades begin to crumble, revealing complex and entangled relationships. The story is narrated from alternating viewpoints, providing insight into each character's struggles and growth. "Long After We Are Gone" is a poignant exploration of the power of family, the weight of familial expectations, the consequences of miscommunication, and the legacies passed down through generations.

This novel delves into the family dynamics and secrets that have strained relationships, while also highlighting the potential for healing and redemption. The Kingdom's fate serves as a metaphor for the family's own salvation, creating a profound and emotionally charged backdrop for the story.

Terah Shelton Harris skillfully weaves together the individual journeys of the Solomon siblings, offering readers a thought-provoking and heartfelt exploration of the ties that bind and the strength required to overcome personal obstacles. "Long After We Are Gone" is a deeply moving and resonant story that will touch the hearts of those who appreciate narratives about the complexities of family, redemption, and self-discovery.

A heart wrenching story of family and coming together in the face of tragedy and injustice.

Solomon King was a force among his children and when he died with his last words to one of them being a warning not to let the white man take the house, four siblings come back to their family home to save it.

Each of these four siblings have secrets and things going on in their lives that are holding them back, but through the genuine love they have for one another they manage to pull together and face the harrowing path ahead of them.

Their ancestral land is being sold out from under them and they need to collectively find a way to save that from happening.

Each of these siblings was so complex. Their personal growth is something I enjoyed so much in reading this. I loved them all. This was a powerful story that floored me, hooking me from the start. There is beauty in chaos. There is strength in family. Each of them are flawed, making dangerous decisions, or giving in to their struggles. But each were strong and I adored them!

I really enjoy the way Terah crafts her characters and stories. They are complex but draw me in. Long After We Are Gone explores one of my favorite genres - family relationships, lies, secrets, difficult situations... this was so well done. Five stars. I will probably read it again for a buddy book read. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.