House of Rougeaux

House of Rougeaux #1

by Jenny Jaeckel

For Abeje and her brother Adunbi, home is the slave quarters of a Caribbean sugar plantation on the Antilles Island of Martinique. Under the watchful eye of their African mother, the children thrive despite what threatens to break them. After a night of brutality changes their lives forever, it is their strength and extraordinary bond that carries them through.

At the dawn of emancipation, Adunbi’s daughter Hetty finds her way to Quebec City as maid to the slave owner’s daughters. There she discovers a talent for piano and meets a bold saddler’s apprentice named Dax Rougeaux. After buying her freedom, Dax and Hetty join a growing community of Afro-Canadians living free.

In moving prose, author Jenny Jaeckel creates a brilliantly imagined epic, weaving a multi-layered narrative that celebrates the Rougeaux family truimphs while exposing the injustices of their trials. As each new member of the family takes the spotlight, a fresh piece of the puzzle is illuminated until at last, after a span of nearly two centuries, the end brings us back to the beginning.

In her debut novel, award-winning author Jenny Jaeckel masterfully blends coming-of-age, folklore, and historical fiction with explorations of gender, race, and sexuality, creating a wondrous tale of hope and healing. A relevant work of love, determination, and the many small achievements that make up greatness, House of Rougeaux draws a new map of what it means to be family.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Canada, Historical, Literary Fiction, Family, Adult

310 pages, Hardcover

First published April 24, 2018

About the author

Jenny Jaeckel is the author of House of Rougeaux, which is her debut novel. Her previous titles include For the Love of Meat: Nine Illustrated Stories and Siberiak: My Cold War Adventure on the River Ob. In 2016, Jaeckel published the graphic memoir Spot 12: Five Months in the Neonatal ICU which was the winner of the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Spot 12 was also a 2016 finalist in the Foreword Indies Book Awards. She has also appeared as a guest on the popular podcast ONE BAD MOTHER.

Jenny Jaeckel was born in California, but lives in Victoria, British Columbia, where she and her husband became health refugees when their child needed a decade of specialized medical care. Jaeckel is currently working on her second novel, a continuation of the family epic House of Rougeaux, yet to be named.

Reviews

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.
I love family sagas, spanning years, even centuries, following characters and their descendants. In this novel, I followed this family from their roots as slaves from the island of Martinique in 1785, to Philadelphia in the 1940’s and 1960’s to Montreal in the 1880’s and 1920’s and also New York City. The part of the book that I liked the best was the first quarter of it, introducing us to Abeji and her brother Adundi and their mother Iya. Healing, spirits, seeing - the magical realism seems to fit the time and place in on Martinique 1785-1860. I found the writing in the early time period to be lyrical, more descriptive and the tone more atmospheric than the rest of the novel. I was captivated and couldn’t wait to find out the fate of family moving forward in time.

I enjoyed meeting Nelie in 1949 and Rosalie in 1964 in Philadelphia, Martine and Hetty and Guillaume in 1925 , 1853 and 1883 Montreal. Their stories of how racism impacted them and the things in life that happen - pregnancy out of marriage and homosexuality in times when they were so unacceptable, race riots, draft evasion, death - were moving. The narratives moved around over the years, across a century but not in chronological order. The family tree at the beginning was helpful, but keeping track of all of the characters and how they were related was difficult at times. This format didn’t quite work for me and that’s why I can’t give it a solid four stars. I could manage two maybe three time frames narrated out of order but seven felt like too many to me. It distracted me and the story lost momentum for me. I have to round it up to four stars, though, because the writing was lovely and the characters appealing. The incorporation of the magical realism was also easily accepted in the context of the story.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Raincloud Press through NetGalley.

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 family saga stars to House of Rougeaux! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

When I read the synopsis of House of Rougeaux, I knew I had to put it on my shelf. A multigenerational family saga beginning in Martinique up through present-day Canada? I was all in!

Abeje and Adunbi, sister and brother, open the story living and working as slaves on a Caribbean sugar plantation. Later on, after emancipation, Adunbi’s daughter, Hetty, finds her way to Quebec City and lives free. What follows is a family saga with multiple layers of narrative of Rougeaux family successes and injustices experienced.

I absolutely adored the easy flowing writing style, the beautifully drawn settings, the well-developed characters, the messages in the writing, and the ambition it took to undertake such a layered story.

For the first half of the book, it was challenging for me to keep the family members straight, and I referenced the family tree frequently. Eventually, I began to feel the voice of “the family,” and I was not as concerned about exactly who was speaking. I had to relax into the writing. I also found the timeline to be challenging to follow at times because, even as a fervent historical fiction fan who happens to love multiple timelines, this one jumped around.

Overall, I was drawn deeply into the Rougeaux family’s story and its rich characters, and I found it to be a story of hope and healing across generations. I look forward to reading the sequel to this book!

Thank you to Jenny Jaeckel, Raincloud Press, and Netgalley for the ARC. House of Rougeaux is available now!

My reviews can also be found on my shiny new blog! www.jennifertarheelreader.com

[Lilly Luna · Rating 3 out of 5]

"House of Rougeaux" is a terrific family saga by the award-winning author and illustrator Jenny Jaeckel. Unlikely many family sagas, this one jumps back and forth through various generations and will come full circle in the final chapter.

This charming written historical novel begins in the 1700s on the Caribbean Island of Martinique with Abeje, a young female slave who passes excellent healing power, and her brother Adunbi. Although Abeje never had children of her own, her brother did. After his wife died, his daughter Hettie had to be fostered at a different plantation. When Adunbi had the chance o finally visit his daughter, he discovered that she and her Forster monster had been sold off. But fate always finds a way, and Adunbi was able to find and finally meet Hetty when she was ten years old before she went to Montreal, Canada. There Hetty met a dire black man called Dax Rougeaux, who has bought her into freedom. This is the very beginning of the Rougeaux family saga.

From this point on, the story jumps from various generations to another, for example, to Nellie and Azzie, cousins of Hettie's great-great-grandchildren in Philadelphia, to Martine, a great-granddaughter of Hettie, who stayed in Montreal. Then to Hetty and her son as well as his daughter Eleonora called Nora.

As I already mentioned, Jaeckel has the gift of writing a beautiful story with a fantastic world and character building. However, sometimes it was hard to follow how which character is related to Hettie and why their story is essential. I couldn't connect with Nellie or Azzie since their storyline seemed unnecessary and even a bit boring. However, the themes mentioned in these parts were beautifully executed.
Another issue I had was the story of Hettie's son Guillaume and his storyline. I rather enjoyed his character and his battle with his internalised homophobia. However, I believe that the reaction of his sister Josie was a bit odd. Although his sister has the same gift as their grandaunt, and she is a very open-minded person, I found her take on her brother's queerness too modern and a bit out of place since this took place in the late 1800s. I have caught myself often wondering how unrealistic her reaction was.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading "House of Rougeaux" and loved the touch of magic realism and the strong family bond, which is the real magic throughout this whole novel. The unconditional love of the characters to one another was genuinely delightful and quite fascinating.

One of my favourite things about this book was the discussion of heavy themes like grief and racism. Jaeckel did a wonderful job to bring these themes into the story without making the story too glumly and still keeping an eye out for realism.

Overall, I would recommend this book to read a solid family saga with beautiful writing and world-building. Sadly, sometimes the plot seems all other the place mainly in the middle of the novel, so the rating is this "low". However, the beginning of the story, as well as the end, was truly magical.
I am looking forward to reading more books by Jenny Jaeckel and her delightful writing.

Thank you to Jenny Jaeckel for a review copy of this book in return for an honest review!

TW: Death, Grief, Childbirth, Pregnancy, Racism, Classism, Slavery, Sexism, Lupus, Internalised Homophobia, Implied Sex

[Kelly Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

a beautifully written family that will have you all in the feels. a new favorite for sure. cannot wait for the sequel in July.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Back when I first requested House of Rougeaux from NetGalley I was still reading pdfs on my Android. The copy I received was missing significant parts of the book. So I put it down despite being drawn to the characters Abeji and Adunbe in the first part. Thankfully, I have gotten the chance to revisit this novel with the help of one of my favorite narrators, Bahni Turpin.

After listening to the novel in its entirety I have to say that some of the characters stayed with me more than others. There were points where I was immersed and others were I was easily distracted. Although I know that this can happen with audiobooks I feel that the format of the book lends itself to these "diversions". Each chapter or section is from the viewpoint of another narrator from another time and place. Covering a time span of almost two hundred years (1785 - 1964) and travelling from the French West Indies to the USA then Canada and back to the Caribbean again, House of Rougeaux's characters experience slavery, Vietnam, the civil rights movement . . . While this is a huge undertaking for any family saga The House of Rougeaux is not chronological. I found this a bit disconcerting at first and wondered why Jaeckel chose to present her novel this way. At times I was reminded of Homegoing and A Kind of Freedom but felt that these two debut novels handled this premise far better. In the end, I decided to give myself over to the soothing voice of Ms. Turpin and enjoy the book. For some reason I convinced myself that Jaeckel used the African principle of Sankofa, which literally translates to "Go back and fetch it," for the layout of her plot. In this vein, one circles back to their past to understand their present and girder themselves for the future. Although I am probably wrong this made me have a greater affinity for House of Rougeaux and I ended up giving it three solid stars.

[Jennifer G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this novel from a Goodreads giveaway. This is my honest review.

First things first, this novel was incredibly well written. From the very start, the narrative draws you in and the words flow smoothly. I love it when a book is able to easily and quickly engage you, and this book definitely does that. The book centers on a black slave family and the joys and struggles they face throughout multiple generations. It begins with two children who are slaves on a sugar plantation and follows them and their descendants throughout their lives. Each Character is well developed and you're soon invested in their personal stories. At times the book is sad and heartbreaking and at other times inspiring and triumphant. Overall, it was a very good read that immerses you in history and engages you in each character's life.

A 5 star read!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
The House of Rougeaux by Jenny Jaeckel is the story of a family from it's enslaved African ancestor to mid-century America, touching on the African-American experience over time, including slavery, cannon fodder in wartime, and the victim of hate crimes, but also traces the inherent skills, intelligence, and resilience that crosses generations. The story skips through time and place (Martinique, Montreal, New York City) in a non-linear presentation, with some generational stories more compelling than others, but overall an interesting read. I received an Advanced Reader's Copy as a LibraryThing win from Raincloud Press.

[Chaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This multi-generational saga about a black family in the Americas is a thoughtful, incisive, touching and dramatic story. It starts with a brother and sister, slaves on a sugar plantation in Martinique, in the early 19th century. Abeje, the girl, utilizes her natural gifts and those of the natural world to become a healer. Her brother's daughter makes her way to Canada, eventually winning her freedom, and becomes the head of a family whose members make their way through life and through various cities in North America. We get an intimate picture of slave life on a Caribbean island, the life of a freed slave in Canada, and many other touching portraits of the lives of this unique family. There is heartache, joy, births and deaths, triumphs and tragedies. There are obvious difficulties that the slaves face, and there are lesser ones faced by the historical realities of a post-slavery world and societies that still struggle with prejudice and bigotry. But we also feel the joys of the family relations and the touching moments. It is a great read in historical fiction.

The time periods cover many decades, and the narrative shifts to several times over 2 centuries. One writing choice that I think was less than helpful was the author's jumping between time periods in a non-chronological way. We go from 1830s, to 1949, then 1964, 1925, 1853, back to 1883, etc. There was really no narrative or dramatic purpose for shuffling these timelines in this way, and indeed it would have only helped the narrative to put the periods in chronological order, as the drama of the family as it makes its way through history and into the future would be more touching and dramatic, and it would provide a greater sense of continuity from the past and their slave beginnings. It also made it a little confusing for the reader, who has to keep referring to the family tree in the beginning of the book to keep the family relations straight.

The author is very skilled at inhabiting the various characters she focuses on in each part. Each of them is a distinct voice whose personalities come through strongly. Rather than feel disjointed at a new character's narrative, the various stories speak to the reader as part of a larger familial whole. Thus the family saga feels like one continuous tale, from Ayo's beginning as the familial matriarch, down to the near-present-day story lines.

There are a number of typos in this review copy I was given, and the author or publisher may contact me about them if they so desire.

Thank you to the author and publishers for a review copy.

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this I mean I really tried to. It's a multi-generational saga taking place from the late 1700's to the 1900's. The book jumped around from generation to generation and the information was just thrown at you. There was no connecting with the characters and no main characters add to that there were too many characters that I could not keep track of.
Pub Date 24 Apr 2018
I received a complimentary cop of this book from Raincloud Press through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

[SibylM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher as part of a Goodreads Giveaway, and an honest review was request. The House of Rougeaux is a wonderful multi-generational family epic, following a family from slavery in Martinique to freedom and a multitude of stories and lives in Canada and the northeastern US. Multigenerational family stories are a particular love of mine, and I especially enjoyed getting to know parts of history that were unfamiliar to me. I liked the author's technique of skipping forward and back in time in order to flesh out the stories of each generation. I still want to know what happens with Rosalie (my favorite character). I hope the author writes a sequel that includes her!
The one aspect of the book that I did not care much for was the focus on spiritual healing, psychics, communicating with animals, etc. Since I don't believe in any of that it just seemed silly to me. I admit I did a bit of speed-reading when those parts got (to me) overly long.
I think this book will appeal to fans of Homegoing, Pachinko, and other similar family stories.

[Gudrun Mouw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so admire the easeful writing style. The plot fascinates, and the ending fulfills, which is rare. I loved this book!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have so many thoughts about book, and they're all jumbled up. So bear with me, please. I'll do my best not to ramble. First off, this book is probably well outside of what I normally read. This is fiction yes, but it's steeped in history as well. House of Rougeaux is follows a family through multiple generations, from the days of legal slavery to the cusp of emancipation. It's a beautifully written journey from one familial relationship, to the next, with a little overlap in the stories. I won't lie, I grew really attached to these characters. I lived their lives with them. They were born, lived, and died, all within the pages of this book. As I read, I couldn't help but start to feel like I was a part of the family as well.

My only issue with this book, and the thing that dropped it down a few stars for me, was that as I got closer and closer to the end the less and less I was invested in the characters. Perhaps it was because no one could live up to my favorites from the beginning. Perhaps it was because I didn't always love the decisions of some of the characters towards the end. More likely though, it was because the narrative that I really fell in love with was the idea of plants as healing agents, and the earth being our mother. That idea was less and less prominent as the ending neared, which I suppose is true to real life.

Honestly, overall, I think this was a fairly well executed story! The beginning really stole my heart and, as I mentioned before, following so many generations of this same family was an experience I won't soon forget.

[Kate (Feathered Turtle Press Reviews) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 Stars

The Good
– Strong beginning and ending
– Graceful handling of sensitive topics
– No graphic descriptions
– Easy characterization
– Gentle, comforting read
– Effortless, readable prose

The Bad
– Some middle sections feel weak / disjointed
– Hard to feel attached to some characters
– Hard to keep track of the relations at times

(I received a copy of The House of Rougeaux in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Black Rose Writing, and to Jenny Jaeckel for reaching out to me for this opportunity!)

A comforting and uplifting family saga, spanning from Martinique to Quebec to Philadelphia and back.

Story & Characters—★★★★☆ (3.5 Stars)
The House of Rougeaux begins with Abeje, a young girl and a slave on a sugar cane plantation on Martinique and follows her throughout her life, and then jumps to various descendants through of the family (through the line of Abeje's niece, Hetty/Ayo) in their times of strife, ranging in time from 1800s to 1960s.

With a family saga, there are varying sections centred around a different character in a different generation in a different year. The House of Rougeaux's strongest sections are Abeje's beginning section, Guillaume's near the end, and Eleanor's at the very end. These were the most emotional and enjoyable to read about, I found. Abeje is an easy character for readers to root for: not only do we spend most of her life with her, but she is competent in her abilities and steadfast in her kindness. She faces tough choices, and choosing the harder and kinder choice usually benefits her.

The short section centring around best friends and cousins, Nelie and Azzie, was a smart choice to follow up the Abeje's weighty section—readers aren't yet in a place to wholly dedicate themselves to a new character in the same way yet.

Rosalie's section takes place soon after; she is arguably of the tail end of the same generation as Nelie and Azzie. Set during the Vietnam war, Rosalie's brother is drafted, and the family reconnects to their Rougeaux roots back in Montreal to find a solution. This is the only section I think would benefit from a different central character. Rosalie is perfectly fine as a character, but so much of the section revolves around Junior and his being drafted, it makes more sense to see his insight here.

Martine's section is a bit of a bridge, easing us back into the past while still giving readers a concrete touchstone in the sections set later on, and bringing in the musical education passed down through Hetty. Her section has less impact on the reader, but ends on a satisfying note.

Although Hetty's section ends on a fulfilling and uplifting note, I felt it was the only one that lacked focus and didn't deliver to the degree it could. Hetty is a critical character to the Rougeaux line, and readers are eager to arrive at her section to learn what happens to her in Quebec. While we do learn of Hetty's life and her trials and triumphs, her section lacks a focal theme and meanders until we arrive at the conclusion. Additionally, I unexpectedly found her personality less developed than some other central characters.

My favourite sections were the last two sections: Guillaume, Hetty's son, and Eleanor, Guillaume's daughter and Hetty's granddaughter. They were the sections with the most focus and led by strongest written characters after Abeje. Guillaume's section was really sweet and uplifting, and I enjoyed both the comfort he found in his sister and watching his relationship with Hathaway blossom. I don't want to say too much and spoil Eleanor's section, but as the end of both her section and the novel, it brought the saga to a beautiful and satisfying close.

Given the span of the Rougeaux line, I found it hard to keep track of the relationships between characters. Jaeckel does a good job of establishing the individual casts and relationships surrounding each character at the beginning of a new section, but keeping track of how each main character specifically related to the others was sometimes a struggle.

Overall, I found the House of Rougeaux to be a gentle, comforting read. The highs and lows the characters live through feel like a natural part of life, rather than emotional manipulation, and the comfort and support of family and community are always nearby.

Jaeckel does a standout job with her settings, both in terms of historical details, and descriptions of nature, descriptions of settings both large and small, and emotional descriptions. I really appreciated attention to certain details, like the family's saddlery and the little bits about the leather trade in Guillaume's travels.

Writing Style—★★★★☆ (4.5 Stars)
Jaeckel wrote The House of Rougeaux in third person, past tense, from seven different characters' (one per section) points of view.

Jaeckel has a really lovely writing style, a solid blend of form and function. It's well-developed and graceful while remaining readable.

Themes and Representation—★★★★☆
The House of Rougeaux revolves around themes of family and interconnectedness. As a generational saga, family is first and foremost; whenever someone needs help, or comfort, or guidance, there is someone—near or far—in the (extended) family to assist. Sometimes they can only stay by their side awhile, and sometimes they assist by way of dream or memory, but they're always there.

There was also an overwhelming sense of interconnectedness, established early on with Abeje's particular connections, and mirrored throughout the novel.

In terms of representation, the entire family is Black, and Guillaume is gay. There are heavy and triggering topics brought up, but these are handled with grace and not embellished upon simply for the sake of suffering.

Overall—★★★★☆ (3.75 Stars)

Recommended For...
Fans of family sagas; readers looking to enjoy quality writing; readers in search of a comforting read.

[Kate Vocke (bookapotamus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of House of Rougeaux through a Goodreads Giveaway (my first time winning!) I don't think I would have normally picked this up - and I try to enter myself in giveaways for just this reason - to discover new authors and read stories I wouldn't normally seek out.

House of Rougeaux was a wonderful story of a family spanning across the globe and across generations. The saga is non-linear, so it jumps around a bit. I had a hard time following in the beginning and there are quite a few characters to keep straight. But once I got a few chapters in, it was fairly easy to keep track. The family tree illustration in the beginning is super helpful and I fell in love with this family - and the way the author connected the generations was clever and didn't feel forced at all.

From the early 1800's at a sugar plantation in Martinique with Abeje, a healer, and her brother - facing tremendous brutality and loss - only to survive and start the legacy of this story and this family. To more present day with Eleanor, a musician in Canada - faced with a harrowing situation and tough choices, coming full circle.

There is magic and wonder, healing and suffering, as well as music and love. You see these aspects reflected across bloodlines, across generations, from slavery to freedom and across the world. Things are passed down, and you see a bit of some characters in other, through an intricate weaving of layers. But it's easy to see how this family changed and progressed over 100 years, and the spirit that lives within them all.

The story was captivating and the writing, eloquent. Thanks to Goodreads, Jenny Jaeckel and Raincloud Press for the opportunity to read and review.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read about slavery in the Carribean previously, I appreciated how the story followed history so closely. This story starts in the Carribean and stretches to Canada. The author tells by jumping around in time. For the first half of the book, I had trouble keeping the characters straight because my eyesight is too poor to read the family tree. If the print size on the family tree could be increased, that would help tremendously. After the first half of the book, I was able to connect the different members of the family together and the stories had more meaning.

Racial discrimination, homosexuality,family ties and slavery were all evident in this historical fiction tale of generations. I loved learning about the funeral customs of the Carribean, the way that the author handled the homosexuality in this book. The characters, Guillaume Rougeaux and Eleanor Rougeaux were described with beautiful sensitivity to their challenges.

I would love to read the sequel to this book.

I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book as a win from LibraryThing from the publishers in exchange for a fair book review. My thoughts and feelings in this review are totally my own.

[Kylene · Rating 4 out of 5]

House of Rougeaux starts on a plantation on the island of Martinique, telling the story of Abeje and her brother Adunbi. It follows Adunbi's descendants as they move to Canada and the United States. Many of the female descendants have talents in music or healing. The story is not linear, and reads somewhat like a collection of interconnected short stories. I felt the non-linear structure really worked for this book, although I did need to refer to the family tree quite often!

Overall, I really liked this book. However, I liked some of the stories a lot and some of the others I struggled with. I did like the unique settings, and I learned from reading about this family's experiences over the years.

[fpk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this ARC just a about a week ago and found it to be an interesting read. Not great, not a page turner that kept me up all night, but it was good. I was intrigued by the description of the story on the back - a brother and sister, Adunbi and Abeje, are born into slavery on a sugar plantation on the Antilles Island of Martinique and they survive, despite brutality, death, illness and loss. The beginning of the book follows their lives for a bit, then subsequent chapters are about the lives of some of their descendants. There is a family tree in the beginning which I found myself referring to constantly, just to keep track of everyone. I tend to get impatient and irritated with books that have too many characters to remember. The book was like a collection of individual different stories, out of chronological order, so it did seem disjointed in parts. I liked the descriptions of nature and some of the characters were well drawn out, while others weren't and many weren't even mentioned again. Which left me wondering why they were even included in the family tree(?) I know there is more editing planned for this book, so hopefully some improvements can be made to tie the stories together a bit more. All in all a good book though.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing family saga, beautifully read by Bahni Turpin, that traces the family from siblings on Martinique in the 1600s to 20th century Canada, US, and Europe. Jaeckel chronicles the lives of family members, considers social, cultural, political, and gender issues, and includes folklore, historical details, coming-of-age, and even a little mystery. The story moves at a steady pace but not along a strictly chronological timeline (which can be a bit confusing); well-developed, involving characters with personal stories, insights into the times they live and reactions to events; family/character/location and historical details; lush, descriptive prose, stylistically complex, rich in dialog; dramatic, emotionally-charged, haunting tone.

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried ... I really tried .... to connect with the characters and with Jaeckel's imagery and writing but found myself largely unable to put myself within the mindset of her novel. Perhaps the narrative of Jaeckel's work was one that I had read before and, perhaps, done with a better outcome. While reading 'House of Rougeaux,' strains of Valerie Martin's 'Property' kept intruding into the story. Maybe it's unfair to judge 'House of Rougeaux' against others work, but somehow I never made the connection with her book.

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a critically important book in this time we live in. Here, the author presents the life of an African American family from their humble beginnings and on. The realistic portrayal of slavery in Martinique in the 18th and 19th centuries resonates. There is much more realism in the harsh and often unfair conditions the family must face in America in the 20th century.

This is a family saga for the readers who love family sagas. You don't have a hero or heroine per se, you just have a family trying to live their lives. Each of the myriad characters is well presented. The author has a gift for detailed description that fills out the book.

For some readers, a non-linear approach is fine. This rarely, if ever, works for me. The moving back and forth in time from character to character was extremely confusing. Had this book simply been laid out in a chronological fashion, it would be brilliant. Still, this is an important book that is a must read for people in 2021.

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it.

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Reviewed by: Mr. N

This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...

[Rosa S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written stories that connect a family over the span of several generations. Starting in the Caribbean to Canada, this book tells the story of how the people in this family triumph over hardships, and love always wins.
I love history, and I feel like the author really did her homework when writing these amazing stories.

[Tonstant Weader · Rating 3 out of 5]

House of Rougeaux is a fascinating family saga by Jenny Jaeckle that, unlike the usual saga, jumps around in time and place from generation to generation, though coming full circle in a beautiful final chapter. The story begins in Martinique with Abeje, a young slave who becomes a great healer. Though she had no children, her brother had one daughter, Hettie, who had to be fostered at another plantation when his wife died. When he finally got leave to visit, he discovered she and her foster mother has been sold away. Fate intervened and Abeje found her when she was ten and he was able to see her once before she went to Montreal, Canada, with the daughters of the family who owned her. There she met Dax Rougeaux, a free black man, who bought her freedom.This is the beginning of the House of Rougeaux.

From there, the story jumps ahead a few generations to Nelie and Azzie, cousins and Hettie’s great-great-grandchildren in Philadelphia to Azzie’s youngest sister, then to Martine, Hettie’s great=granddaughter from the part of the family that stayed in Montreal. Then to Hetty, and then her son, and then his daughter. It might seem odd to jump like that, but it comes together beautifully.



I enjoyed House of Rougeaux quite a bit. The family’s story is fascinating. There is a touch of magic realism, or maybe, just magic. Abeje is a healer with mystical powers, Josie, Hettie’s youngest, can “see” and so can Nelie. But it’s not about folk medicine and magic, the real magic is family love, the sticking together, supporting each other.

Jaeckel does a great job weaving history into her story. There are historical characters in the story, though none of them are part of the Rougeaux family. Their role is organic and rooted in the family’s story, not the other way around.

One of my favorite insights in the story was when Hettie reveled in the freedom of her children, how they “wailed wildly” where she had learned to be quiet and subservient. The plot and characters are the strongest elements of House of Rougeaux. Sometimes the prose feels more like the family histories written by my cousins, unadorned, just the facts, ma’am writing. It’s not bad writing, but it is less interesting than the people and their lives.

The first and last chapters, though, are magical.

House of Rougeaux will be released April 24th. I received an ARC from Raincloud Press through a LibraryThing drawing.

House of Rougeaux at Raincloud Press
Jenny Jaeckel author site

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

See even more reviews at: http://www.lifeofafemalebibliophile.com/

House of Rougeaux is a multi-generational historical fiction novel about a family. The story begins (the family’s history) in Martinique following two siblings, Abeje and Adunbi, in the late 1700s. From there, we see them grow from the tragic death of their mother and how it impacts the rest of their lives. Abeje has a gift for hearing and listening to others which plays a part in future generations. We see the novel transition from their deaths and work their way down the family tree and then back to the beginning.

I’ll admit that the lineage was sometimes confusing and I feel like a family tree chart is needed for readers. Though it is slow-moving and character driven this is an enjoyable novel fill of family and folklore. It is an interesting novel it’s also laced with sadness and heartbreak as each family member dealing with their own personal struggles. It was also interesting to see the similarities between the American and Canadian sides of the family.

I like the rich folklore aspect and how stories were passed down throughout each generation. At times I felt like pacing dragged throughout the book which made it hard to pick the story back up in certain spots. But for the most part, the writing was very smooth.

I am always fascinated by historical fiction because I’m constantly being introduced to new historical figures and events. Some of the characters featured in the novel were actual real-life historical figures and it made me want to research that more. I also learned about black history in 1800s Canada.

I love the detailed pov’s and how all the woven narratives came together at the end. It’s a great story about family, race, and the folklore (my favorite part) all mixed into each characters coming of age story!

*Trigger warnings: Violence, Death

FTC Disclaimer: I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Dree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jaeckel's novel looks at the Rougeaux family--a French-Canadian-Afro-Caribbean family. With roots coming from and the enslaved man Adunbe and his wife Olivie on the island of Martinique, his daughter Ayo is given to a woman on another plantation to raise after the death of his wife not long after Ayo's birth. Years later Abeje, the great healer and Ayo's aunt, finds her and her adoptive mother when sent to doctor on another plantation.

Ayo/Hettie makes her way to Montreal as a teen, as the slave and servant of her two mistresses (and friends). They secretly teach her to read and write, and approve of her marriage to Dax Rougeaux, and approve of his plan to purchase her freedom. But then the country of Canada frees her when they abolish slavery.

From Dax and Ayo/Hettie comes the "House of Rougeaux".
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This was an enjoyable read, and a fairly quick read.

I love family sagas. I love family sagas that move back and forth in time, as this one does. I enjoy the talents and traits that move through the generations. Jaeckel does not attempt to follow every descendant here--and in the ARC it is noted that the family tree is not finalized (the text mentions more people than are on the tree). I do wish more of the healers recognized their powers (even if not fully harnessed), because they do know, by the last chapter (c1900) that there was a great healer in their ancestry.

Jaeckel is apparently at work on a second book on the Rougeauxs, so this looks to become a series.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewer's program.
This is a well written novel that follows the generations of a family from the island of Martinique, to Canada and New York. The story begins with a mother and her young children, all slaves on a sugar cane plantation in Martinique. The young daughter learns to be a healer, and her story dominates the earliest part of the novel, as she grows and gains friends and enemies on the plantation. It is her niece who first immigrates to Canada, as the slave accompanying two daughters of the plantation owners, who are being sent to Canada for their education. When all slaves in Canada are freed, she takes advantage of her opportunities there and establishes her self, and lays a foundation for the future generations of her family.
I liked the flow of this story, through the generations, and felt that even though the story moved back and forth through the families' history, it had continuity and was fairly easy to follow. The characters were engaging and easy to root for. Even though the story takes place at various times in history, the author added rich historical detail to each character's life story.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a far flung family saga that begins with slaves in Martinique and skips back and forth in time and place. To Canada, The United states, Europe, and back to the Caribbean. The story jumps from 1785-1869, then to 1949, then 1964, then 1925, then 1853, then 1883-1889, and then the late 1800s. Each section looks at a different family member. They are like a series of interrelated stories.

I rather liked this approach. It's very much the way we learn our own family history, with this great aunt telling us about one journey, a grandmother filling us in with stories of her childhood, another bit learned from a document--all coming at different times, out of order, leaving us to piece together what we can.

If this seems confusing and disjointed there is a nice family tree to help keep track of everyone. If this hadn't been provided, I would have had to draw one up.

A sequel is promised. I look forward to it.

Advance review copy through LibraryThing.

[Sonali Dabade · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Honest rating: 4.5/5 stars]

Got a copy of this book from NetGalley.

There's always a reason why I pick a book, with very few exceptions. The reason for my picking this book goes against the saying, "Never judge a book by its cover." [Of course, the occasional turnarounds are obviously there.] But I liked what I saw on the cover and the blurb. So I requested a copy, not really thinking I'd actually be able to read it.

But now, I'm thankful I read it.

"House of Rougeaux" puts down a heaviness in the chest that doesn't leave you throughout the entirety of the story. A couple of nights, I've stayed up reading this, fighting this heaviness, almost in tears. Such is the effect the book has had on me!

Love, love, love it!

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Multi-generational saga of the Rougeaux family that spans from the Caribbean of the 1700's and slavery to the early 1900's in. Canada and the United State. This story is rich in historical fiction, and written extremely well. The characters jump off the page and the stories are so engrossing that it's very difficult to put down. Enjoy this hidden gem. I don't think it got the accolades it richly deserved by the literary community.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

House of Rougeaux is an engaging, well written multi-generational family saga. The author explores key issues relating to slavery, racial and gender discrimination, homosexuality and family. At times the book suffers from heavy-handed literary stratagems, yet is overshadowed by Jaeckel ‘s skill at storytelling. Keep an eye out for future work by this talented new author.

[Brenda Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging and well written story. Really liked the book. I won this book through goodreads.