Zeal is everything I want to see when I pick up a historical fiction — well-researched, emotional and awe-inspiring.

Unraveling the centuries-long connection between Ardelia and Oliver through the journeys of their ancestors was a staggering feat. At times I found myself trying to mentally create family trees as I read in order to keep it all straight.

The overall writing was romantic and well-researched, making for an intriguing read that I quite literally couldn’t put down for long before I found myself yearning to pick it back up to see how their stories would end.

By seeing Tirzah and Harrison’s beginnings and the immense amount of love, family and belonging they were able to create despite every barrier and heartbreak, I left having a deeper appreciation not only for the connections between the characters, but also an overwhelming gratitude for the fact that I am even here on this earth. Stories like these always remind me what a miracle it is that I stand here today, and that I have all those who came before me to thank.

Parallel narratives of two star-crossed lovers at the end of slavery and their modern day descendants. The historical part was riveting, but the modern day couple was irritating and emotionally exhausting. Also, not ready to read books that take place during the Covid lockdown.

Now this is how you do a saga. I found myself immediately drawn in with this one. I am so thankful that there are writers who want to tackle this part of history and build upon it, continue to breathe life into it. I really do think this was fantastic and I cannot wait for others to read it.

An intergenerational tale that I didn’t need a family tree to follow. I was intimately invested in each character’s journey to themselves and one another. A tale of the thread of zealousness that keeps families together and defines what family means after enduring war, forced labor, life-saving migration, and the struggle to survive in the U.S. It is clear that after Jerkins wrote Wandering Strange Lands about her research of her own family and the intergenerational tale, Caul Baby, she is a master weaver of historical narratives. As an archivist, I thoroughly enjoyed the efforts of the families to maintain their documents. We can be encouraged that this maintenance will outlive us and inspire future generations.