Thanks to Harper Audio & NetGalley for providing an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this one, but in the end, it was just meh. Thirteen children have grown up in the Turner house on Yarrow Street on the East side of Detroit, but ultimately, we focus on TWO, with a few sidebars into a couple of other siblings, really more character sketches. For a book with very little plot, having only a few fleshed out characters was a bit of a disappointment, and of course, there is the dreaded double timeline. The timeline dealing with the Turner parents was the more interesting one, and I would've been happier with a dual timeline dealing with the parents in the early aughts vs. in the '40s, but here we are.

Other reviewers have mentioned wasted potential for a great book about a large Black family, and I feel that too. Few issues were resolved at the end (maybe the haint? sort of?), so while the book was well-written, it just never came together, and the lack of plot made it move slowly for me (even on audio at 1.25 speed!). I almost feel like this could have worked better as intertwined short stories to really flesh out the characters beyond Cha-Cha (I love this nickname so much) and Leila; maybe a chapter for each sibling, plus one each for Francis & Viola.

That said, Adenrele Ojo did a nice job overall with voice acting; she was able to keep the characters clearly defined aurally and there was no confusion among them (aside from there being 13+ characters whose names I do not remember).

The Turner House is an impressive debut novel that is thought-provoking and moving. I found parts of the storyline a bit confusing but overall feel The Turner House is a worthwhile book that tells a beautiful story.

Is one of these stars potentially for the outstanding work of Adenrele Ojo? Maybe. The heart that she brings to anything that she narrates makes the experience of all books better.

I was, admittedly, on the fence between 4 and 5 stars with this review, but when I began to think of it as a series of intertwined short stories instead of a classic novel, my ability to appreciate it increased and my frustration with the dangling bits of narrative decreased, and then I rounded up for Ojo.

I lived in Michigan, albeit on the other side, at about the time this book is taking place, which also leant me a certain affinity for the Turner Family and their struggles. My dad is also from a large, albeit not quite so large, family that can't always agree on a course of action, too, which gave me another point of empathy.

It felt like there could have been a few fewer Turners, as Flournoy couldn't ever quite get to all 15 of them (adding in parents), but the ones we did get to know were so fully realized that my choice to view this as interconnected vignettes allowed me to focus on what was done well instead of what was lacking. If there was another book where those Turners got their own moments in the spotlight, though, I'd read it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an audio ARC.

This is a sprawling family saga that is well written and leaves the reader invested in the fate of the Turner family. Although the book was published some time ago, I received a new audiobook version from NetGalley and the narration is great.

5.0 stars
Highly recommend

This was a first for me - an ARC audiobook. I loved it!

This book was initially published in 2015. I was pleasantly surprised that a new edition of the audiobook was being released.

The narration by Adenrele Ojo was perfection. The writing, character development, and plotline were amazing as Angela Flournoy is a fantastic author! I would love for Angela to write another book, but I would prefer that she didn't wait ten years to do it, as I have read all of her books!!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7806757668 - posted 8/27/2025
The StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/774b9919-1d1f-4ad0-88b9-08f856dd586d?redirect=true - posted 8/27/2025
Substack: https://tinyurl.com/43kcp938 - posted 8/27/2025

Thank you to #NetGalley, #HarperAudio, & #MarinerBooks for the opportunity to listen to #TheTurnerHouse and be introduced to #AngelaFlournoy who will be visiting Pittsburgh over the coming year as a Ten Speakers lecturer on behalf of her newest novel - #TheWilderness. What a wonderful gift to be introduced to her AND to listen to such an amazing book (originally released and greatly lauded in 2015, but missed by this reader). I cannot imagine any readers of well-written, character-driven literary fiction not enjoying this Detroit-based, family-centered novel. Francis and Viola Turner had 13 children and we meet them all to great and lesser degrees. There are also the dynamic "characters" of the Turner home on Yarrow Street and the city of Detroit, itself, circa 2008. The novel begins with the introduction of Cha-Cha, the eldest son, and his ghostly encounter in the Turner home which plays a role for the remainder of the beautifully written book. We are brought, via multi-POV, into the lives and minds of many primary characters (especially the parents, Cha-Cha, and youngest sister Lelah who is haunted in her own ways as an active gambling addict). These characters interweave, at varying distances, over time and space influencing one another's lives for better and for worse. I loved everything about this book - including the outstanding narrator #Adenrele Ojo - who brought each character and situation to life. All the stars for Turner House and I wholeheartedly recommend the audiobook version. Expertly done in every way. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Flournoy. Thank you!

3.5/5

Multi-timeline Black American fiction. A married couple, their histories, their 13 children and their house in Detroit.

The Turner House grips you from start to finish, not because it has a particular stance or resolution in the end (though we happily keep reading for it), but because beautiful descriptions and the constant changes in POV among main 15, and their descendants, house and ghost keep us engaged.

An entertaining and historically relevant read that was beautifully executed for sure, but it won't change your world view in the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.


I really enjoyed this one! The narrator was great, and Flournoy’s depiction of Detroit was so vivid it made the city feel alive. What stood out most for me was how well the book captured the generational complexities of family—the push and pull between legacy, love, and responsibility.
That said, I definitely walked away with a lot of questions, which kept me turning the story over in my head long after finishing. Overall, a thoughtful and layered read that lingers.

The Turner House by Angela Flournoy is a story about a family and a house and everything that happens between the two. When the matriarch of the family gets sick and has to move in with the eldest adult child, they have to start thinking about what they will do with the house that has been in the family for over fifty years.

I really enjoyed this book. I am a huge fan of stories that follow families. I feel like the Turner family felt very realistic. The Detroit atmosphere during the recession was captured so well. I’ve never been to that city but it felt almost like a character in the book.

I thought the issues that were going on with the individual family members as well as the family as a whole were explored in a wonderful way. I wanted to learn more and more about them. My biggest issue with the book is a lot of the characters were only touched on briefly and I wanted a little more.

The narration in this audiobook was fantastic. I found myself captivated and wanting to listen to it in one sitting. It felt like the narrator knew these characters.

I would highly recommend this book, in particular the audiobook, for people who love an emotional story about families.

There are two components to this story- the family and the city (of Detroit).

The family drove me nuts at times. Though I feel like it is a good view of a complex family dynamic spanning decades. I did feel like there were gaps- one being Lelah's story. We got her now and newly married- what happened in the middle? She was a single mother. But yet seems to have hidden her gambling from the family. How did she raise her kid with this addiction? She first started gambling around 18. If this was an issue when her daughter was little, I don't see how she'd have kept it hidden. Maybe an empty nest triggered it? I have questions. And this is just one example.

Now, the city. This gave a very raw and real depiction of Detroit and its decline. I think it really puts in perspective how the city got so bad once the housing bubble popped. What options do you have when you have a loan and the collateral is worthless?

I am a native Michigander. I grew up more familiar with Detroit's baby sister, Flint. Flint experienced the same issues, just on a smaller scale. Detroit is only about an hour away, so while I was familiar with the generalities, it wasn't until I began working in the city in 2015 that I better understanding the minutia. I know the major roads mentioned. I know some of the neighborhoods and how they are today.

I feel those that know Detroit will very much connect with this book. Those who don't know Detroit may have a harder time- the family portion is the weaker part to me.

Adenrele Ojo narrates the audiobook.

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

The narrator does a great job in this audiobook, the words are enunciated well and are easy to understand. I listened on 1.25 speed because it was a little too slow for me at normal speed.