This was an eye opening read about the Sable family and the reach they had within the St. Louis community during the Jim Crow era. Jordan Sable worked his way into the powerful position he obtained in controlling the black vote and used that to his advantage where and when he could. Finally finding himself the one, Jordan marries Sara and they become a formidable couple in the community. She helps take on running the mortuary business and the Sable name becomes even more known. Sara and Jordan are both high class respected members and often advice is asked of them. When tragedy strikes and they endure a great loss they need to find the ability to continue to move forward. But sometimes it takes just one event to change things to uncertainty and loss. I always love when a novel is based off true people and places and this being based off the authors family was fascinating. I also love how the title really has two meanings within the story. Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the complementary novel! This review is of my own opinion and accord.

I really enjoyed how this book centered around the successes of individuals in black communities, particularly in the St. Louis area, and how these successful individuals heavily influenced politics as an effort to further progress for their community. I thought this was really well done with all of the different characters! And the story was engaging - I found myself flying through the chapters.

This is definitely worth the read for anyone who’s interested in a historical fiction that’s not the stereotypical WWII or slavery-centric novel.

I had a hard time with the way this story was told - I found it hard to follow and disjointed. It was just not the book for me.

A story about interconnected Black families in the Jim Crow South and Midwest of the 1920s to 1940s shows the world of the upper middle class in largely self-sufficient Black communities. Jordan Sable, a man with an iron will, runs a mortuary - and the Black vote in St. Louis - and when he finds his match in Sarah, their legacy seems set until something terrible happens to their only child. It's a tale of struggle and success, tragedy and overcoming.

This is a very engaging, well written work of historical fiction that will be perfect for anyone looking to illuminate a region and time not often discussed. The characters come alive in this one, and even though I read it while I was going through a very tough time personally, I found it hard to put down, Totally immersive, and even more startling when you learn these characters spring from the author's own family. A thoroughly enjoyable work of historical fiction.

This is the first time I have read anything from this author, and Grant did not disappoint. This book was very well written, and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was captivating and eye opening in a time. I found that I enjoyed the book more knowing that it was inspired by the author's family history. I would definitely recommend this book to other. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you Net Galley ARC!

This book is absolutely fantastic! It's filled with captivating history and lore, vividly portraying the characters' unwavering determination to protect their families and the community's resolute action in removing troublemakers through their own brand of justice. The portrayal of relatives living with and supporting each other demonstrates a timeless way of life. The book is inspired by the author's family history. Ms. Grant does an admirable job of sharing what her ancestors faced and how they persevered. This is a phenomenal historical novel. Aspects of history no longer talked about are brought to light. The characters are bold and interesting, and I wanted to know more about them. I'm sure Ms. Grant has more stories to tell. Hopefully, I will get to meet more of her bold characters in her next book.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.