Returning the Bones

by Gin Hammond

Bebe, a bookworm with an outlandish imagination, lives a peculiarly privileged life for a Black girl during the Great Depression. Her fearless father owns a hospital and an array of businesses, making him a keen target of the KKK. Her home life is filled with a panoply of distinctive family members, including a psychic mother, a terrifying "spinster" aunt who's having a secret affair with the local white sheriff, a renegade librarian aunt, a grandmother who might be the great-great-granddaughter of Alexander Hamilton, and Grandmother Betty, a Cherokee medicine woman who suffers no fools.
Guilt over the death of a beloved family member quenches Bebe's ability to rebel against her father's suffocating expectations. A tempestuous relationship with her enigmatic boyfriend, and further challenges-both hilarious and heartbreaking-compound Bebe's inability to live a life of her own choosing, until an unlikely opportunity in post-war Europe arises. Will Bebe relinquish dreams of being the architect of her own destiny, or abandon everything she's ever known to reinvent herself in an unfamiliar world?
Returning the Bones explores the How do you choose between your country, your people, and yourself? ... and brings you on a journey of many miles, perspectives, and epiphanies.
Inspired by actual events.

320 pages, Hardcover

Published May 26, 2023

About the author

Gin Hammond is an actor and author. In addition to on-camera work, she does voice-over and narration work through her company, All Things Voice. She co-founded the app MFA: Meditations for Actors. She also teaches voice, voice-over, public speaking, and accents and dialects at the Freehold Theatre.

Reviews

[Tom Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books that manage to be both funny and heart-wrenching. There's something about the combination of these elements that amplifies both kinds of impact on the reader. "Returning the Bones" nailed this delicate balance, delivering not only a captivating love story and a coming of age story, but also, it explores many of the intricate complexities of life of an incredibly interesting young Black woman in the United States in the early and mid 20th century.

This novel fearlessly tackles a range of thought-provoking themes, including race, feminism, classism, and the constant tug-of-war between following one's heart or head, as well as the perpetual struggle between familial obligations and personal desires. The exploration of these themes expanded my perspective, opening up new avenues of thinking, all while keeping me thoroughly engaged with its story.

“Returning the Bones" is a gem that weaves together wonderful narrative and complex (and subtle!) societal observations. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves a good story—especially if they are into American history!

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Compelling YA historical fiction based on the real stories of the author’s great aunt, a unique character living a unique life growing up a privileged black girl in 1920’s Texas who the prologue tells us grew up to be an accomplished psychiatrist. Hammond pulled off the tough balance of talking about hard things in American history related to treatment of Native American, Black and Jewish people and hard things about Europe post-WWII and the evil of the Nazis while still being fun, upbeat, and hopeful, driven by Bebe’s narrating her childhood, coming of age and early adult life perspectives in vibrant first person present tense. Bebe is sparkling without being saccharine or pollyanna, and tough history is not shied away from without being morose. Also a perk of it being converted from a play is that the dialog and scene-setting are well done.

“Returning the Bones explores the question: How do you choose between your country, your people, and yourself?” [and how much more complex this question is for marginalized citizens]. The book would make for a good companion to a US history high school or college course covering this time period, especially if looking to have one that can make the reader proud of being a fellow American to citizens like Bebe and her friends and family. If we want to be a great country and a multi-cultural beacon of good naturedness and dignity, it will be through the inspiration of great Americans like her. Good glossary for readers who wouldn’t know all the references. I felt like I knew most of them, but only as a middle aged person who has made decades investment in education, experience and reading choices that include this history.

Act II covers Bebe’s med school European experiences just after WWII, longer than I was anticipating based on the back of the book, which resulted in the last half dragging just a bit for me. I think if I’d had expectations set differently up front, it would’ve been fine. What a delight it must have been for the author to have such an interesting aunt and get to explore all of these stories with her family.

[Marion Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Who I am now and who I’ve wanted to become are meeting each other for the first time."

Towards the end of the novel, “Returning the Bones” by Gin Hammond, this sentence encapsulates the journey of the protagonist, Carolyn “Bebe” Hammond, as a young light-skinned black woman in the post-World War II era.

The story takes place in Texas during the late 1940s, a time when the Jim Crow laws cast a shadow over every aspect of life. Bebe recounts her personal journey, sharing her experiences of navigating life as someone who could pass as a white woman. She takes us through her college years at Howard University in Washington, DC, and the transformative trip to Europe that would alter her life forever.

With a passion for books, Bebe yearns to break free from her parents’ realm, especially her highly accomplished father, and envisions a future in Paris. Bebe’s father has the aspiration for her to continue his legacy as a doctor and eventually assume his role. She desires to escape the life that is expected of her, defying everyone’s expectations.

When she receives an invitation to Europe as part of a medical student program, she discovers the atrocities committed by the Nazis across the continent. The visit to Auschwitz leaves her with a profound understanding of the atrocities committed by humankind against one another.

In the prologue, the author reveals this story is inspired by Carolyn Beatrice (Bebe) Hammond, a remarkable relative who shattered barriers throughout her life. The authenticity of the protagonist was palpable, and it was evident that the author had thoroughly researched Jim Crow Texas and late 1940s Europe. Returning the Bones is a solid historical fiction novel that deserves more exposure. My only criticism of the novel is that felt like the story’s pacing was uneven. Some chapters ended earlier than I wanted and others went longer than I thought it needed to be. Otherwise, I had an enjoyable reading experience and connected with the protagonist. Returning the Bones would make a fantastic book club pick, sparking lively discussions about the story.

[Roger Briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book both the writing and the audio book with the author's many character voices (I highly recommend the audio book!). The characters seem to step off the page to leave their footprints in your mind, their voices speaking directly to you. Carolyn Beatrice Hammond, an African American, the central character and narrator of the story of her growth from childhood to young adult in Texas as her travels take her to New York, Washington DC to London and Paris. Her's is a search for acceptance and belonging with an understanding of who she is becoming. Returning the Bones is about more than you think it is.

[Rinku · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It had everything in it, a real slice of life. The reader had a tour of history and culture as the main character had her adventures out in the world. There were song lyrics and poetry as a bonus to the narrative. The dialogue was spot on and there was a real sense that this book was well researched and grounded in authenticity. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This well written story examines tragic historical truths without becoming preachy; and it's main character combines wisdom, "spunkiness," and good humor to a degree that is almost unbelieveable until you realize she is based on a real person who really lived through and really did the things described in this remarkable novel.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met Gin Hammond, the author, when she introduced this book at the library in Shaker Heights, Ohio. She explained that this book is an historical-fictional account of her family and proceeded to read chapter 12 aloud. She was so animated and gave such life to each character that I instantly felt I knew and loved them all, and I wished Ms. Hammond would keep reading so I could hear the entire book in her theatrical voice.

The protagonist is the author's great aunt. As a brilliant young woman, Bebe aches to have control over her own life and choices but instead lives in the shadow of her father's expectations and her own guilt over feeling responsible for her brother's death. Her family is unusual; living in Texas, they are educated and have means of their own. Bebe is expected to become a doctor and take over her father's practice. She finds a way to travel to Europe during medical school in 1948 and hopes this can provide a way out of her prescribed life. She learns a lot while overseas, enjoying a multicultural community in Paris. She is also exposed to the death camps of World War II, and links them to the racism and Jim Crow laws of the American South. Ultimately, the trip helps her find a way to "commit herself, rather than sacrifice herself," and she finds peace and purpose in her choices. She marries who she wishes and creates her own boundaries and a satisfying path for her future.

The book reads easily. I enjoyed following each episode. The characters were relatable and I loved Bebe! Thanks to this master storyteller for bringing her to life in this engaging way! Ms. Hammond uses what she knows and what she imagines about her family to tell a cautionary tale about racism which still applies today.