Junie has been enslaved all her life, along with her older sister, Minnie. Her sister has suddenly died and now Junie is living in the wake of that tragedy. Junie's main role has been to tend to the plantation owner's daughter, Violet. The lines of slave owner and enslaved seem to be blurred when it comes to Junie and Violet's relationship. They grew up together as confidants, however that relationship is tested when guests arrive at the plantation. Things begin to change around her and Junie makes a desperate choice that conjures up Minnie's ghost. As the tides change on the plantation, Junie becomes increasingly desperate to take control of her destiny... and that of her ghost sister's who is stuck between worlds.

The first half of the novel eases the reader into Junie's life as an enslaved young lady, but the second half shows the terrible, violent truth of it. The relationship between Violet and Junie is one you don't often see in fiction about slavery, which made this book stand out to me. What also made it stand out is the paranormal activity. I'm not one for ghost stories, so that really had me questioning my feelings about this one!

Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine
I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful tribute to a family legacy!
This is a debut novel by Eckstine and I really hope to read more by her in the future!
Junie has been enslaved since birth. Existing on Bellereine Plantation, she serves with her family as a maid and a cook. She has become a close friend to Violet, the master’s daughter. The two girls enjoy poetry and reading, a gift Violet gave Junie. At night Junie roams the woods, filled with guilt and loss from her sister Minnie’s death.
When guests arrive from New Orleans, everything changes. There is talk of marriage for Violet and Junie’s world is upended. In her desperation, Junie awakens the spirit of her sister. Lies are uncovered with haunting secrets. Junie’s anchor becomes Caleb, a coachman brought by the visiting guests.
So many things go wrong, there is threat of war, and Junie has her own secrets and dreams to contend with. She is faced with the most difficult decision of her life.
This was such a beautiful tribute to a family legacy. It is based off an ancestor of the author. The story is so well written, the characters are just meticulously developed and so relatable. This was heartbreaking and astonishingly wonderful at the same time. I wanted more.
The details in the characters and setting give the reader an intimate connection to slavery and the characters living through it. It isn’t painted completely negatively; they are portrayed with hopes and dreams and it’s just beautiful. Junie will stay with me as a favorite character. 5/5⭐

I would love to Thank NetGalley and Ballantine Books/Penguin for the wonderful opportunity to review a copy of this beautiful book.

• On a side note, I did purchase a copy of the audiobook and it is also so wonderfully executed. The narrator does an excellent job giving voice to the individual characters and enhances the overall experience of the book. Also a 5/5⭐

"Junie" is a compelling novel that had me in tears! Eckstine masterfully intertwines historical fiction with elements of magical realism in this pre-Civil War Alabama story. Sixteen-year-old Junie, an enslaved girl on a southern plantation, nurtures a friendship with Violet, the plantation owner's daughter, and harbors dreams of a life beyond servitude.

This book delves deep into the psychological and emotional impacts of slavery, presenting a vivid portrayal of Junie's internal and external struggles. The introduction of supernatural elements, particularly Junie's encounters with her deceased sister's spirit, adds a unique dimension to the story, symbolizing the lingering traumas and unfulfilled desires of the past. "Junie" paints a compelling portrait of the emotional and social degradations of slavery so much so that I found myself developing a deep connection to the story and the characters...something not many authors have done for me in the past. Dare I compare to Kristen Hannah?

This is a story of an exploration of resilience, hope, and the enduring human spirit amidst the harrowing realities of slavery. The blend of historical fiction with supernatural elements offers a fresh perspective on the subject matter. Absolutely incredible.

*Be sure to read the Author's Note at the end, as the story was based on the author’s generational family history and was a tribute to her great-great-great-great grandmother.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC.

ARC BOOK REVIEW

Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine
5 STARS

Thank you, Random House Ballantine, for the #free eARC of this book! It is equally gorgeous and difficult.

SYNOPSIS: “Sixteen years old and enslaved since she was born, Junie has spent her life on Bellereine Plantation in Alabama, cooking and cleaning alongside her family, and tending to the white master’s daughter, Violet. Her daydreams are filled with poetry and faraway worlds, while she spends her nights secretly roaming through the forest, consumed with grief over the sudden death of her older sister, Minnie.

When wealthy guests arrive from New Orleans, hinting at marriage for Violet and upending Junie’s life, she commits a desperate act—one that rouses Minnie’s spirit from the grave, tethered to this world unless Junie can free her. She enlists the aid of Caleb, the guests’ coachman, and their friendship soon becomes something more. Yet as long-held truths begin to crumble, she realizes Bellereine is harboring dark and horrifying secrets that can no longer be ignored.

With time ticking down, Junie begins to push against the harsh current that has controlled her entire life. As she grapples with an increasingly unfamiliar world in which she has little control, she is forced to ask herself: When we choose love and liberation, what must we leave behind?”

REVIEW: This is a beautifully written story with so many layered elements. It’s a coming-of-age story, with a touch of supernatural, that’s carried by Crosby Eckstine a powerful language. It is a story of love, loss, guilt, and survival.
The novel is profound exploration of the brutality of pre-Civil War America, where the horrors of slavery, racism, and violence are woven into the fabric of everyday life. The story doesn't shy away from depicting the cruelty of a society built on oppression, while also highlighting moments of love, resilience, and tenderness amidst the trauma.
I also want to point out the beauty of this book cover. The artist did an amazing job. It’s one of the most beautiful covers I’ve seen in a while.

Publisher: Random House - Ballantine
Pub date: OUT NOW!

Behind every single ARC that I request and receive, is a genuine desire to read the story and love it. I have gotten much better at picking books that I’ll enjoy than I was even a few years ago, but my judgment isn’t always the best and sometimes I’ll pick up a book that I just don’t connect to. Sometimes the story veers in a different direction than I was hoping, I don’t connect to the characters, or any other variety of reasons. What it all boils down to is that you should take my review with a grain of salt, because all of my reviews are based on my own subjective experience, and you might just love a book I didn’t enjoy.

I make it a habit to avoid reading any reviews before I read the book itself. Not just to avoid spoilers, but also to sidestep the possibility that I start the book with a view biased by someone I trust. So I started this book with no preconceived notions except that I’d most likely find it to be a good read. I was expecting this to deal with heavy topics, particularly because it takes place before slavery was abolished. However, I had a difficult time with this book. I wound up switching to the audiobook version for some of the read to see if that helped, and for the most part it did.

The story centers around 16-year-old Junie, who has been enslaved on the same plantation for her entire life, and despite her dark skin, has grown up as a playmate and then maid to the daughter of the plantation owner. But the events that occur during this book made Junie seem so incredibly naïve. My father grew up during wartime and said that after the experience of the Holocaust, there were no children left, only young adults if they were fortunate enough to survive. I mention this, because like there is nothing that can be compared to the Holocaust. It had such an enduring effect on Jewish people. And while nothing can be compared to chattel slavery, I can easily see how 400 years of the cruelest oppression any psychopath could dream up would have an enduring effect on Black people descended from enslaved ancestors.

The writing is beautifully descriptive, and that’s a clear standout skill from the author. Despite it being approximately 17ºF in New York, and closer to high 60s in my house, I could feel the waves of heat the characters were experiencing with no relief, and read most of this reading in a tank top and shorts (they were the easiest thing to put over my boot), shivering while reading this summer tale.

Bellereine Plantation is in Alabama, and I can only imagine that no enslaved Black people were spared the brutal realities of the life they were facing—the complete dehumanization to where PEOPLE were viewed as property, the fact that a white person could do whatever they wanted and there was no avenue for justice or even human rights, and that they weren’t in control of any aspect of their life. By the time the story starts, it seems like the plantation isn’t doing too well, since they are running with a skeleton crew. There are barely enough slaves to keep up with all the house duties, which is how dark-skinned Junie winds up being a ‘house slave,’ although there are multiple uses of the N-word, as I’d unfortunately expect to see in any accurate historical fiction set on a plantation in the deep South.

Somehow, despite Junie growing up as the one dark-skinned girl allowed to work in the house, with constant apologies to guests for how dark the maid is. Since Violet has grown up with Junie as her companion and now her maid, Junie has been exposed to some advantages that others aren’t privy to—like learning how to read and write at Violet’s side. I didn’t really understand how she could be living her life as an enslaved person and still be so naïve about the life right in front of her eyes.

I struggled to fully connect with Junie, because she comes off as so sheltered and young. Not age-young, but maturity-wise. In some ways, she was far more mature for her years, and in other ways, this read a lot like a MG character’s way of thinking, rather than a girl who is on the verge of becoming a woman. And speaking of which, as Junie navigates through her 16th year, she doesn’t seem to realize what happens to a woman’s slave when she gets married. I found it hard to believe that none of the older and/or wiser enslaved people who lived with and cared for Junie had ever pulled her aside and explained what can happen if she doesn’t fall into line to keep her as safe as possible. But with Junie facing the encroaching betrothal of Violet, she has no thoughts that she might be separated from the people she’s known her entire life. She has no knowledge of what can happen to her if she isn’t the perfect maid and doesn’t have the knack of being able to fade invisibly into the background. Events start to go sideways, and before long, Junie is trying to fulfill a task for her sister so her spirit can move on. This is a common belief in other cultural groups as well as my own, so it didn’t seem strange to me.

For me, the paranormal elements of the story were the least cohesive. I had some difficulty integrating the haint of her sister to the non-paranormal elements of the story. Sometimes it felt like it furthered the story for sure, and at other times, the pace slowed and it didn’t seem to have much of an impact on the story. This is one of those books where I kept hoping it would get better. I had actually began to toy with the idea of DNFing, but realizing I was more than halfway through, I didn’t. I’m so glad that I didn’t, because the last 15-20% of the book is fast-paced, engaging, and literally had me on the edge of my seat to find out what would happen next.

Eckstine also has the talent of crafting characters who were mostly all believable and realistic, well-rounded individuals. Violet struck me in particular, and if you’ve read Babel by R.F. Kuang, you’ll understand why. I loved seeing how the characters engaged with each other, behaving as differently with found family as with new people and the people who enslave them, and enjoyed the conversations the characters had—it’s that effortless easy way the Black people in the story have with each other, and a sense of fierce protectiveness of each other, despite the fact that that they were cowed into submission by any number of brutal means. And even as Junie is coping with the events occurring in the story, she struggles with an inner conflict of guilt and feeling responsible for the death of her older sister with no healthy outlet for support and reassurance.

Overall, this wasn’t a bad book—there wasn’t anything wrong with it that I can put my finger on. Junie’s sense of innocence didn’t feel realistic to me, and it made it more difficult for me to warm to her quickly, and the ghostly visions of Minnie had me feeling like I missed something somewhere along the way. But by the end, I was firmly team Junie, even if the action and emotions the story had pulled out of me at the end weren’t enough to overcome the things that I didn’t like. Honestly, it just wasn’t a good fit for me personally, which is why I started this review by saying this is my own subjective opinion, and the good news is that I seem to be in the minority of people who didn’t rate this book highly, at least according to Goodreads. You might want to pick this one up if: you like American and especially Southern history leading up to the Civil War; are intrigued by the summary; want to learn more about the impact enslavement had on every aspect of the lives of these people in a historical fiction format; if you like a little slow-burn, low-spice, sweet romance; and particularly if you like a little magical realism/paranormal twist in your historical fiction.

Oh my heart is in pieces after finishing this one. Just beautiful and sad.

Books like this don’t come around all that much so I’m going to cherish it. Junie is a ghost story mixed with history and feelings of being your own person when no one wants you to be.

There were parts where I couldn’t help but cry for the characters.

I will read more from the author. I love the title and the cover is perfect. I can already tell this is going to be on all the top books list. I think the subject matter is also extremely important right now.

Thank you to NetGalley, Erin Crosby Eckstine, and Random House Publishing Group. I have written this review voluntarily.

What a truly beautiful story and a compelling debut.

As with all stories that take place during slavery, this enraged me. We are not divorced from the atrocities of our past—from colonization, from slave owners who assaulted my ancestors, dehumanized them, violated them, abused them, stuffed their pillows with their hair. Stamped out the fire of their rebellion and doused their dreams. Stories such as these remind us the importance of never forgetting so that we may never return, and so we may never allow this to happen to anyone else, anywhere in the world. If we forget, we dishonor the people who suffered inhumane treatment so that we can live the lives we live today, and I will never, ever do that.

Junie was somewhat a coming-of-age book alongside everything going on. Junie's behavior was frustrating because she was young and naive, and it is also the thing that saved her life. Her unwillingness to allow her life to be the thing it'd been for everyone who came before her was bold and terrifying, but it was also delicious and hopeful.

I also found the paranormal aspect—ghosts of enslaved people helping from the other side—to be beautiful. I very much am the type of person who believes that our loved ones either cross over or go on to serve and protect their bloodline on the other side of that veil, so I was so incredibly touched by how this was depicted and thought it was incredibly written.

The only thing I wish we'd seen more of—and I was struck by the absence of—was clarity about the ending. I felt like these characters—especially Junie and Caleb deserved more. However, I acknowledge that hope was hard to come by back then, especially with stories like these. I also would've liked to see how Violet ended up.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the ARC!

4.5 ⭐️s

See full review on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution website:

"When Alabama native Erin Crosby Eckstine decided to write a book, she wanted to create a persona she rarely sees depicted in literature — a “well-rounded and human portrayal of an enslaved character.”

Many slavery narratives feature angelic tropes or showcase figures “suffering the most horrific trauma possible,” Eckstine writes in the author’s note of her sparkling debut novel “Junie,” a speculative work of historical fiction centered on 16-year-old Delilah “Junie” June as she comes of age while enslaved on a plantation in 1860s Alabama..."

https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/love-of-literature-sets-spunky-junie-on-the-path-to-freedom/LCY7GIH4FBDD5L2WYMUPLFPNAE/

Julie is the beautifully written story of a teenage slave who is dealing with the belief that she was responsible for her sister Minnie’s death. She is the personal maid o Violet McQueen, a plantation owner’s daughter. When her father arranges a marriage for Violet, Julie learns that she will have to go with her mistress, leaving her family behind. Julie is desperate to stop the marriage. Taking her sister’s silver locket to help Violet, she arouses Minnie’s spirit, who asks for her help. Her spirit is stuck on Earth unless Junie helps her with three tasks. One of the tasks results in Mr. McQueen’s death, making Violet’s new husband the master of the estate. Junie has never experienced the brutality of slavery. Violet has always treated her as a friend and taught her to read. Her new husband has a short temper and is quick to violent punishment. She has always been able to talk to Violet but now when she approaches her she is put in her place. When Mr. Taylor arrived to marry Violet he was accompanied by Caleb, his coachman and valet. Over time a friendship develops between Junie and Caleb that eventually leads to love.

Junie has a careless and carefree nature, spending her evenings in the nearby woods, climbing her favorite trees and writing poetry. She is close to her family and they have sheltered her from much of the reality of slavery. After discovering the significance of her sister’s locket and more of her family’s history, she knows that there is more that she wants to experience beyond the plantation. Her family is resigned to serving their owner, but Junie feels a need to leave. With Caleb’s support she sees a new future. Despite the brutality of slavery, Junie’s story is one of friendship, family and love. Erin Crosby Eckstine will have you fall in love with Junie, but also leave you hoping that her story will continue in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for providing this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an ARC copy of Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine. This story takes place before the Civil War in Alabama, and follows a sixteen-year-old girl, born a slave, and works at a plantation with her family. Junie's main responsibility is caring for the owner's daughter, Violet. Violet taught Junie to read, and Junie began to write her own poetry. During the story, Junie struggles with many things, including guilt over the death of her sister and many nights Junie visits the forest. This story had supernatural elements.

As visitors come to plantation, a whirlwind of events occur, and Violet may be forced to marry to save the plantation from financial ruin. This story kept me engaged and many times was very difficult to read. Junie was headstrong, but powerless to control things and help her family in the ways she wanted to. The ending was both satisfying and heart-breaking all at the same time.

I really enjoyed the author's note at the end of the book. I thought the story was compelling and very well written. Even if you don't usually read historical fiction, I think you would still enjoy this book.

A story of a slave on the brink of the Civil War. Junie is haunted by her sister's ghost and the secret she had. Junie is close friends with her master's daughter, Violet, and she is taught to read and write. When Violet is sent to be married, Junie goes along, however, Violet has a secret. Junie meets and falls in love with Caleb, but with war starting, their love is in danger. Junie tries to save herself and get to freedom. This story is loosely based on the author's ancestor. Very good historical novel, I enjoyed it very much.

This book follows Junie, a 16 year old house maid who accidentally raises her dead sisters ghost. She has until the full moon to complete three tasks so her sisters spirit can move on. It’s a very sad, and unsettling story. Completely enjoyable . I give this 4 out of 5 stars.

“There ain’t no good and evil in this world, not when the devils are the ones setting the rules.” -Junie by Erin Cosby Eckstinr


Simply put this book is a powerful character driven coming of age story set in the time of slavery before the civil war.

Junie is a strong willed carefree enslaved girl with hopes and dreams, In search of the “sublime” that she reads about in the books of the masters daughter who she serves and has a friendship with. When she is faced with her recently deceased sisters ghost she is forced out of her carefree comfort zone as she helps her sister with tasks to set her soul free.

Junie is such a complex and incredible character and I loved reading about her. Her hopes, dreams, fears and watching her fall in love even though she didn’t want to was such an incredible journey, and one of my favorite characters I’ve come across in a while! I especially enjoyed the supernatural aspects. They fit the story perfectly and truly helped us understand Junie as a character even more.

This was such a powerful portrayal of a pre civil war south. It is an unflinching portrayal of the daily life, while it doesn’t focus on the trauma as a punch in the face shock like some stories of slavery do, the trauma, brutality, and fear is there beneath the surface of the story. it’s the background noise of Junie’s everyday life. You truly grow to know and understand all of the characters. But don’t get me wrong this book is heart wrenching. even when it is in the background you still feel all the emotions reading this book.

This is a book will stick with me forever. No matter what I say I won’t give this book justice so please read it!!! It’s such an important book that I hope everyone will give a chance!

I can’t believe I waited so long to read this book! From the moment I met Junie, I was captivated by her fire, her resolve, and the way she grew throughout the story. Her character felt real and complex—sometimes throwing temper tantrums that reminded me of her youth, but in other moments, she made decisions that showed deep maturity. One of the most powerful aspects of her journey was her ability to stand up for herself and hold her ground, even when it meant severing a bond with her only “friend,” who also happened to be her enslaver's daughter.
I’m constantly in awe of people who endure immense hardships and still find ways to stay strong. Junie is a testament to this. The story explores chattel slavery near the dawn of the Civil War and the brutal reality of the system, showing how, despite facing relentless violence and dehumanization, African enslaved people were able to find strength in community and refuse to let their spirits be broken. Even when the people, systems, and government actively worked against them, they never gave up.
There are moments in the book that are deeply painful to witness—these details were devastating but important, as they shed light on the many ways that oppression manifested.
This book is a beautiful, frustrating, anger-inducing, and ultimately incredible read. It expands your perspective in a way that’s hard to ignore. Join Junie on this journey and witness the fight, the growth, and the unbreakable strength that comes from facing unimaginable adversity.

Junie is a remarkable novel. Set in Alabama, before the Civil War, this character driven story tells the story of enslavement through the eyes of Junie, a young woman coming of age in an impossible and cruel era in American history. Her internal struggles, vulnerability and bravery is elegantly and authentically written. Junie is based on the author's great, great, great grandmother and is truly an unforgettable character. Junie is haunted by the ghost of her sister and conflicted by the possibility of a blossoming romance all while navigating through the terror of slave owners that easily separate families. I loved this book and will long remember the amazing writing that painted such a poignant and vivid picture of slavery that was thought provoking and unforgettable. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this excellent novel.

This was a fantastic and thought-provoking story. Junie, a creative and brave dreamer, spends her life on a plantation primarily tending to the master's daughter, Violet. As Violet prepares for marriage, Junie begins to see the harsh realities of her own enslavement with new clarity. I really enjoyed Junie as a character—her strength and resilience made her journey compelling. There is a touch of romance in the story, which I appreciated, though I wasn’t as fond of the light paranormal element. While it helps drive the plot and reveal family secrets, it didn’t entirely work for me. That said, this novel does an incredible job of confronting historical realities, making it both engaging and impactful.

Erin Crosby Eckstine's debut novel, Junie, is a poignant exploration of resilience, identity, and the supernatural, set against the backdrop of pre-Civil War Alabama. The story centers on Junie, a sixteen-year-old enslaved girl on the Bellereine Plantation, who, while grappling with the grief of her sister Minnie's death, inadvertently awakens her spirit. This supernatural encounter propels Junie on a journey of self-discovery, unearthing buried family secrets and challenging the boundaries of her constrained existence.

Eckstine intertwines elements of magical realism with historical fiction which was an interesting read. Junie is a testament to the enduring spirit of Black womanhood, highlighting the strength required to seek freedom and self-definition in the face of insurmountable odds. This novel is a must-read for those who appreciate richly layered tales that blend the ethereal with stark reality, offering a fresh perspective on historical narratives through the lens of magical realism.

Junie is a 16 year old slave who lost her parents at a young age. Surrounded by family, she is the "maid" to Violet, the young white lady of Bellereine. She grew up with Violet, who taught her to read. Between her family and Violet, all she knows is Bellereine. The mistress of Bellereine is trying to hold the plantation together, dealing with the financial repercussions of her husbands drinking. However, her husband dotes on Violet. One day on one of his all to infrequent visits, he comes home with the pronouncement that he has invited a wealthy young gentleman from New Orleans and his sister to visit. Violet's mother realizes that such a match for Violet would restore Bellereine's fortunes. Junie forms a friendship with the visitor's coachman, Caleb.

In the meantime, Junie is grappling with the death of her sister Minnie. Thus, the plot line is weaved between grief, the reality of leaving everything she knows, watching Violet turn into something she doesn't recognize, and moving on.

Junie has spent her life on the plantation tending to the masters daughter, Violet. While Junie is their slave, she and Violet have a close friendship. That doesn’t keep Junie from roaming the woods in the dark of night though. When a wealthy family comes through and Violet’s marriage is imminent, Junie’s sister Minnie’s spirit comes back to seeks Junie’s help becoming truly free.

I really enjoyed this book! The ghost of it all threw me off a bit, but I ended up truly loving Minnie and the role she played in the story. This is also another book where the authors note is a must read/listen…I really loved learning more about the inspiration for this story. This is not an easy read by any means, but it was so well done and I truly enjoyed every second of it! So many life emotions are covered, and done so well! I did this one on audio and it was fantastic!

Thank you to @randomhouse and @prhaudio for my gifted copy of this book!

Oh, I loved this book so much.

I am not much of a historical fiction reader but I am so glad I went outside my usual genres for this book. Junie was such an easy character to root for and connect with. Despite all the ways in which we are different, at the end of the day Junie is just a girl with hopes and dreams, fears and regrets, desires and longings. She was such a full character that left nothing to be desired in terms of her story and character arc.

Sad and maddening and sickening in all the ways one would expect a book about a slave girl working on a cotton plantation in pre Civil War America to be, I appreciate that this offered so much more than just the horrors. They are there, of course, but so is joy and love and romance and hope.

The only part that didn’t work for me was the ghost aspect. I can see how it is used to explore grief and a connection with ancestors, but it kind of took me out of some of the more pivotal moments.

Overall a fantastic read.