In 1878, when yellow fever hit Memphis, those who could afford to leave did. Miriam recalls during the era of school segregation how “most white folk had fled to the countryside in the early part of the decade, to the cotton fields of Shelby County and its all-white schools.” This wasn’t the first time White folks fled the boundaries of Memphis. Memphis is a gritty story, full of danger, tragedy, and humor. Tell no one.” Joan’s story is one of healing as she is nurtured by the older women in the family, fed by her own artist’s eye. She directs Joan to bury something that belongs to a boy who sexually assaulted her. Miss Dawn obliges the child and offers her sage advice. She sees something magical in the hands of a family friend, Miss Dawn, and asks if she can draw them. Joan is an artist who always carries her sketchbook and a piece of charcoal with her. A few days after becoming the first black homicide detective in Memphis, Myron North was lynched.
The women provide comfort and inspiration to each other as they try to recover from physical and sexual abuse at the hands of men in their lives. Table scenes throughout the novel establish the family’s foundation of abundant love and belonging to the place they call home. Her younger sister, August, takes them in and makes a meal of warmed-up lamb chops. Miriam’s black eye is evidence of what has driven her and her girls back to Memphis from Chicago.
The story opens with Miriam and her two daughters, Joan and Mya, standing before the house, looking for safety and a place to belong. Read our latest issue or browse back issues.
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