In Make Your Way Home, Carrie R. Moore beautifully explores the idea of home. In this collection of stories, home isn't fixed or stagnant. It's not just a place. It's people and history. I love how the author speaks to Southern, rural and small town African-American experiences.

Special thanks to the author & @tin_house for my gifted copy‼️

Make Your Way Home is a timeless poetic collection of 11 short stories that explores the different struggles Black men, women, and even children face at different points in their lives. Moore’s deep exploration of home can mean so many things in this book. You have characters who find home within themselves and sometimes other people. Physical places we call home opposed to those we make home. What it means to belong versus a sense of belonging. Reclamation of past versions of self while transitioning into future version of ourselves.

Each story has an authentic Southern feel and follows different characters as they deal with the effects of their past decisions. In “Cottonmouths” both mother and daughter are pregnant at the same time. Instead of giving motherly advice to her teen daughter Twyla’s mother is more focused on her daughter’s failures, who her child’s father is and pushing her out the door.

“Surfacing” was the perfect title for this short story. Trying to rekindle a sparkless marriage Grace witnesses neighbor Natalie possibly being sexually abused by her father causing trauma from her past to resurface.

“Gather Here Again” follows grandmother Stella who could possibly die soon but instead of focusing on death she spends her days looking after her grandchildren telling ghost stories and reflecting on her past life hoping that nobody notices the changes she’s going through.

“Naturale” had to be my favorite story of them all. Cherie is a hairstylist who’s husband is a liar and a cheat, her mother is in prison, she’s currently pregnant, and finally met her husband’s mistress face to face only for the mistress to try and have a “Barbara this is Shirley” moment.

Overall, I loved this book‼️ Reflecting on the diversity of Black Southern life, identity, life choices, relationships with our ancestors, and what home means this is a collection of stories you didn’t know you needed. If you’re a fan of authors like Leila Mottley or LaToya Watkins you’ll definitely enjoy this book.

This book was an engaging and enjoyable read from start to finish. The writing is clear and well-crafted, making it easy to stay immersed in the story. The pacing feels natural, keeping you interested without ever dragging. The characters are relatable and thoughtfully developed, and the themes are handled in a way that feels both meaningful and accessible. It’s the kind of book that stays with you after you finish, leaving you with plenty to reflect on. Overall, a highly satisfying read that I would gladly recommend.

Make Your Way Home by Carrie R. Moore is a stunning debut collection that marks my first encounter with her work—and what a powerful introduction it is. Set across the American South, these eleven stories explore the lives of Black men and women navigating love, loss, and the complicated legacy of home. Moore’s prose is lyrical yet precise, and each story pulses with emotional depth, whether it’s a preteen girl redefining fatherhood or a young deaconess questioning her faith. The settings from Florida marshes to North Carolina mountains are richly drawn, grounding each narrative in a sense of place that feels both intimate and expansive.

What impressed me most was Moore’s ability to weave history and personal memory into contemporary struggles without ever losing the human heartbeat at the center. Her characters are flawed, resilient, and unforgettable, and the collection as a whole feels like a meditation on belonging and inheritance. For a first-time reader, Make Your Way Home is not just a promising debutit’s a deeply resonant experience that leaves me eager to follow Moore’s literary path wherever it leads next

Trigger Warnings: Infertility, Women's Reproductive and Sexual Health Issues, Sexual Assault, Sexual Assault of a Child

• When We Go, We Go Downstream- 3.5
• Cottonmouths- 4
• All Skin Is Clothing- 4
• Surfacing- 5
• Morning by Morning- 4
• Gather Here Again- 4.5
• In the Swirl- 4
• Naturale- 4
• The Happy Land- 4
• How Does Your Garden Grow?- 4
• Till It and Keep It- 4

This is the best short story collection I've read in years, probably since (coincidentally or not) Deesha Philyaw's 'The Secret Lives of Church Ladies'. This collection, along with Carrie R. Moore's voice, is just as good as that massively (and correctly!) hyped debut, and I hope it gets just as much deserved attention. And after how good this was, I'll read anything Moore writes.

Make Your Way Home by Carrie R. Moore is a timely and moving collection of stories that questions what we choose to call home and the complicated histories tied to people and places. Carrie transports readers to the interior lives of Black men and women, who wrestle with their histories that mirror their present-day choices. Carries paints a poignant and beautiful picture of African American southern history that allows the reader to examine the complex memories and histories that shape current landscapes.

✨ Book Review: Make Your Way Home by Carrie R. Moore ✨

This book is a heartfelt, soul-stirring journey about healing, hope, and the winding path back to yourself. Carrie R. Moore weaves a story that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable — touching on grief, resilience, and the power of second chances.

The characters are raw and real, carrying scars you can almost feel. Moore’s writing is tender yet unflinching, pulling you into each moment with grace. If you’ve ever felt lost, or needed a reminder that coming home isn’t always about a place — but about peace — this one will hit you right in the heart. 💛

📚 Perfect for fans of emotional, character-driven fiction with a redemptive arc.

Make Your Way Home by Carrie R. Moore is a collection of short stories that explore what it means to find a sense of home. The stories follow Black characters dealing with family, history, and personal struggles. Each story is full of emotion in real places like Florida swamps and North Carolina towns. She writes about topics like pregnancy, ancestral trauma, and identity in a way that feels honest and deep. This book shows how the past and present are always connected, and how people carry their stories with them wherever they go. It would be a great read for those who enjoy thoughtful and reflective written short stories.

This is a beautiful collection of short stories. I don’t know why more people don’t read short story collections, but this is one that you should not miss. If you like stories about family and home, specifically Black family and what people are willing to do to have a place they can call home, then you should read this.

See full review on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution website:

Family and Nature Point the Way Home in Stories Rooted in the South

"The concept of home means different things to different folks. For some, it’s where they’re from or where they live. For others, home isn’t a physical location but is defined by family. For the characters in Atlanta native Carrie R. Moore’s moody, evocative debut collection of stories “Make Your Way Home, it is a complicated combination of geography and genealogy that tethers the past to the present.

Nobody feels the pull of history more than Ever, a man who returns to Austin, Texas, for his twin sister’s wedding in the opening story, “When We Go, We Go Downstream.” As Ever watches his disparate family gather to celebrate his sister’s nuptials, he reflects on the legend of a “marriage curse” passed down by his enslaved ancestor Elijah. As wedding complications escalate, Ever’s melancholy mushrooms, leaving him to wonder if either he or his sister will buck the trend like their grandfather — the only descendant of Elijah’s with a successful long-term union..."

https://www.ajc.com/arts-entertainment/2025/07/family-and-nature-point-the-way-home-in-stories-rooted-in-the-south/

This is such a stunning debut. Carrie Moore writes with such gentleness, treating her characters with such softness in their descriptions. The product of years of research (with citations, slay!!!) - this collection reads so well. Gorgeous imagery and deeply grounded stories even when they slip into dreaminess or curses or the fantastical. Carrie is generous to readers with this collection.

I literally never stopped being impressed the entire collection. Sometimes I sat down and couldn't get up, swimming in story after story. Other stories took me several days to sit with.

So many favorites for me, but here a few:
When We Go We Go Downstream (a perfectly paced opener)
All Skin Is Clothing (older sister core)
Surfacing (I LOVED THIS ONE)
Naturale (tragic and lovely)
Morning by Morning (DAMN)
Gather Here Again (damn x2)

I dove into this book with high hopes and wasn't disappointed. Give me Southern-themed short stories or a full-length novel and I'm glued to the pages. Moore writes with heart and intimate knowledge of not only the South, but humanity. Each story gave a glimpse of everyday people rising, falling, and finding their footing with each courageous step. I would recommend this book to others.

Thank you Net Galley and Tin House Books for allowing me to read the galley.

This was such a haunting exploration of what “home” really means—and how that meaning shifts. The writing carried an eerie undercurrent of suspense and that tension kept me hooked.

I loved how the South wasn’t just a setting, but a living, breathing part of the story. The culture, the landscape, the unspoken rules—they all felt like characters in their own right, shaping the lives and choices of everyone in the book. My favorite stories were All Skin Is Clothing, Surfacing, Morning By Morning, How Does Your Garden Grow.

The stunning cover art alone made me interested in being able to read.

A painfully raw collection of 11 Black stories that take you on a journey through the American South.
The characters are authentic, descriptive and personal featuring characters that struggle to find love and belonging.
Being Black in the south while attempting to fully love the skin you’re in? Difficult and extremely multilayered but captivating.

Most of these stories grip firmly at your heart strings and feel close to home, like you know these characters like family.
With this being Carrie R. Moore’s debut collection of stories, it is well done.

This is a book that I would buy, recommend and reread in the future.

I loved so many of these stories! There are some that were really touching and I loved the nature of not necessarily getting a clean happy ending but rather real snippets of life stories. As a white person, I appreciate the windows into others' experiences, heritage, and struggles.
The four star instead of five is only because some stories I thought were a little drawn out, but most of them were a great length with just the right amount of detail to pull me into loving the characters. I did skip around a bit and skipped a couple of the stories that really didn't interest me, but at some point I might go back to check them out when I'm in the right mood for them!
If you want to skip around in them my 2 favorites were "When We Go, We Go Downstream" and "Surfacing". I also think the story "All Skin Is Clothing" could be a great read for a younger audience as well!

4.5/5 These stories were soo good! The writing was good, the characters in each story were great. My problem with short stories are they never feel like enough, and ofc while I would wanted more from each, the characters did feel developed in such a short time with each and I loved reading about their journeys. Each were captivating, beautiful, and real.

Make Your Way Home by Carrie R. Moore is a book that really stays with you. I went into it expecting a couple good stories and what I got was so much more complex The main character’s journey really felt real. She's dealing with her past and trying to figure out who she is now. It's about more than where you come from; it's about who you are. The author writes so well about the emotions, every moment felt important. I loved those charactes, The feeling of relationships, whether it's with family, friends, or love. Nothing happens quickly. The setting itself felt important, too! It has a good feel with the love and loss. Overall, this is a great read. I'm so glad I read it. Thank you to Tin House Books, Carrie R Moore and NetGalley for this Advanced copy in exchange for my honest review this releases July 15th 2025.

I really enjoyed this, but felt the execution was a bit lacking. I felt the writing was a tiny bit clunky in certain chapters and it caused me to struggle to get through them. Overall, I liked the story, just had some technical issues.

I was drawn to this book from the title and cover, both are very beautiful. I love short story collections and although I went into this blind, I had high hopes for it. Unfortunately, the stories were a little bland and boring to where I felt like I was forcing myself to get through them. I really wanted to finish but I had to mark this as a DNF for now. It could be me. I might not be in the right headspace for it. I’ll try to revisit it again later.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tin House Publishers for the arc!