We Are the Scribes

by Randi Pink

A young adult novel by Randi Pink about a teenage activist who is visited by the ghost of Harriet Jacobs, an enslaved woman.

Ruth Fitz is surrounded by activism. Her mother is a senator who frequently appears on CNN as a powerful Black voice fighting for legislative social change within the Black community. Her father, a professor of African American history, is a walking encyclopedia, spouting off random dates and events. And her beloved older sister, Virginia, is a natural activist, steadily gaining notoriety within the community and on social media. Ruth, on the other hand, would rather sit quietly reading or writing in her journal.

When her family is rocked by tragedy, Ruth stops writing. As life goes on, Ruth’s mother is presented with a political opportunity she can’t refuse. Just as Senator Fitz is more absent, Ruth begins receiving parchment letters with a seal reading WE ARE THE SCRIBES, sent by Harriet Jacobs, the author of the autobiography and 1861 American classic, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl .

Is Ruth dreaming? How has she been chosen as a “scribe” when she can barely put a sentence together? In a narrative that blends present with past, Randi Pink explores two extraordinary characters who channel their hopelessness and find their voices to make history.

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Historical

304 pages, Hardcover

First published October 18, 2022

About the author

Randi Pink grew up in the South and attended a mostly white high school. She lives with her husband and their two rescue dogs in Birmingham, Alabama, where she works for a branch of National Public Radio. Into White is her fiction debut.

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listen, eventually I'm going to read everything that Randi Pink has to offer. I haven't been disappointed yet. If you're looking for an interesting mix between historical fiction and realistic fiction, this is the book for you. CW: death of a loved one, grieving, selective mutism, racism

We Are the Scribes follows main character Ruth Fitz who has a political analyst as a mother, a professor as a father, and a sister who is an up and coming activist. Unlike the rest of her family, Ruth has a more difficult time finding her voice so she writes instead. Unfortunately, when a family tragedy strikes, Ruth makes the decision to stop writing. Soon she begins to receive letters from Harriet Jacobs the author of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl with a seal titled "We Are the Scribes."

One of my favorite aspects of this book is it's simplicity. It isn't overly complex, but does a brilliant job communicating the power of finding one's voice. Ruth doesn't feel like she compares to the rest of activist family. It's through the course of changing family dynamics that she realizes how much she contributes to the fight against racism and misogyny. To be honest, I really enjoyed Ruth as a character. When her mother gets the opportunity to run for office, Ruth attempts to stay true to herself even through the simple things like hairstyles and clothing.

The connection between Ruth and Harriet is seamlessly woven into the framework of the story. As Harriet details the struggles and trauma of her own life, readers begin to understand her connection to Ruth. While they are not going through the same exact experiences, the struggle to find one's voice in a sea of many is so perfectly done. I didn't realize how much both of their stories would impact me on an emotional level. They both lose so much that I couldn't help but to empathize with their journeys.

Honestly, this book has so many great elements. I'm so glad that I took the opportunity to read it. My only criticism is that I wish that it was just a tad longer so we could spend more time with the characters; however, I do recognize and realize that I am not the intended audience and that this book would work well for younger teen readers as well as reluctant readers.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an incredibly well-written and powerful YA story about Ruth, a young Black girl whose mother is running for Vice President of the United States while the rest of her family is still grieving the death of her older sister.

Added to all the timely BLM content, political activism, racism and misogyny was an extra layer of historical fiction/magical realism, in which Ruth is gifted scribes from the past written by Harriet Jacobs, a real African American slave and author.

This was excellent on audio narrated by Imani Jade Powers and perfect for fans of books like One of the good ones by Maika Moulite or The conductors by Nicole Glover. I loved seeing Ruth's journey to find her voice and her family's path to healing.

Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes; this in no way influences my review.

Content notes:

- Sibling death
- Grief
- Selective mutism
- Casual misogyny
- Ableism
- Reference/allusion to rape
- Enslavement
- Street harassment
- Racist narrative from media

Goddamn this is a book that needs to be read and I know I’m going to both be reading Randi Pink’s backlist and Harriet Jacobs’ autobiography. This is phenomenal and I cannot wait for it to reach as many people as possible.

Full review closer to release.

[Darla Rennegarbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw the author of Angel of Greenwood had a new novel I jumped at the chance to read and review. Randi Pink has a wonderful talent of teaching and enlightening while telling us an intriguing story. Angel of Greenwood focused on the Tulsa Race Massacre and while I was familiar with this vile history, I knew nothing about the historical figure who featured in We Are the Scribes.

Ruth's mother is a senator and a visible and vocal force for legislative social change. Ruth's father is a very popular professor of African American history. Ruth's older sister Virginia is the one stepping into their parents' path as an activist with a growing social media presence. Ruth is the quiet one. Ruth is the writer, the scribe.

When tragedy strikes, Ruth stops writing. A political opportunity takes Senator Fitz further away from her family and her father is angry and withdrawn. While Ruth feels them falling apart, she is still silent. Until parchment paper letters sealed with “We Are the Scribes” start arriving at her apartment.

Could these letters truly be from Harriet Jacobs? Harriet Jacobs, the author of the 1861 classic, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is someone Ruth has heard about extensively from her father and sister Virginia. But how could that be possible?

As the letters, which seem to find her no matter where she is, inspire Ruth to once again pick up her pen, she also is the catalyst for her family's healing. Blending two storylines with a bit of magical realism, Pink weaves a thoughtful story of two women, generations apart, finding their voice and their power. This is an underrated gem in my opinion and I hope more readers find this book.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Feiwel Friends for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Saanvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Christi Flaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

After loving the YA Historical Fiction, Angels of Greenwood by Randi Pink, I decided to check out her newest book We Are the Scribes.

This one is less Historical fiction (although there are ties to history) and more the story of family coping in their own ways after a tragic loss with a touch of magical realism.

Ruth Fitz is a teenage girl reeling from the loss of her big sister, Virginia. Her sisters parting words to her were to keep writing as she is a scribe. Now her family is struggling to find their way forward. Her senator mother announces on live TV she's running for vice president (before consulting her family). Her father has lost his spark. Ruth herself has started counting her words and become a selective mute.

When she starts finding scrolls from Harriet Jacob's, the author of the 1861 book, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl with messages personalized to her she is confused. She takes in what Harriet is saying and starts to use her pen to make positive changes for her family and friends through her writing.

I enjoyed this one for the YA fiction it was. At times I wish it had been adult fiction because I wanted more depth, but thats not the audience it was written for so that's on me not the author.

I will continue to pick up Randi Pink's works and would like to explore her backlist as well because she always seems to be tackling something big with her writing while also keeping it accessible.

Thank you to @macmillan.audio @netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this one. I definitely recommend the audio as the narration was well done.

[Zoe Elizabeth (Booksatlunch) · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Are the Scribes has such an interesting premise and I really love what the story did, but now I would have really loved this book to be another 100 pages. Our MC is so wonderful, and there's so much great character growth in this one, but the epilogue came SO abruptly and instead I really wish we had seen all that content happening instead of being told about it.

I think this is a great one for younger teens and/or reluctant readers as it's a quick read and highly enjoyable.

Thanks to the publishers for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the audiobook!

I loved this one!

The characters were so compelling, seeing Ruth navigate her unique family dynamic was so interesting.

The best part of this audiobook though was the narrator. They did a fantastic job bringing the story to life. I honestly think I would of rated this lower if it wasn’t for them.

[Kaitlin Kline · Rating 4 out of 5]

In all honesty, the book is more of a 3.5 for me but the audiobook narration alone is worth at least a half a star if not more. Her performance is EXCELLENT and made me want to keep reading much more than I think the print would have on its own.

[Autumn Brimm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this free advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
We Are the Scribes is the first Randi Pink book I've read and I really enjoyed it. This story was powerful. It addressed so many important issues with a calm elegance that I truly admire. The prose is somewhat simple but I think that helped give the novel more impact. It didn't take fancy words to get the message across. The book was heartbreaking and awe inspiring. I can't even imagine the pain of losing my sister so I have the utmost respect for the main character and her family. I hung on every word of the ghost scrolls from Harriet Jacobs. I think the only thing I would have wanted was for the ghostly aspect of this story to be explained and finalized. I understand why Harriet sent scrolls to Ruth but I don't think the story defined how enough.
That being said, this was a wonderful story with good morals, unique characters, and a wonderful narrator for the audiobook.

[Meg GlitteryOtters · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Katlynn Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really great. I loved Ruth and loved seeing her get her voice back and stand up for herself and her family. An incredible tale of grief, the power of words and family. It was lovely to see every member of the family grow through the campaign trail. With a hint of Harriet Jacobs? What’s not to love!

Thanks NetGalley for an early copy!

[Leigh's Novel Hour · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I’m leaning more so on 3.5 stars for this book, there’s something about how the characters were written that was a bit unrealistic to me and a bit indulgent. But I overall liked reading this novel. You can tell it was written with passion and intention.

[Sacha · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

WOW.

Harriet Jacobs is an incredible figure and writer, and I have loved sharing her indelible work with students in my college-level Early American Literature courses for years. I also love filling my YA catalog with impactful books that are as representative as possible. What could be better than a Harriet Jacobs/modern YA mashup? Only a longer version of this novel.

Ruth, the m.c., is going through way too much. She's recently experienced an unspeakable loss, and her family is dealing with their grief through different kinds of avoidance. The way this is described is so seamless and believable, and it's a feature that many readers will find surprising and relatable here. Ruth's passion is writing, and when she's devastated, she just...can't. It's so powerful that this is when Harriet Jacobs's letters start magically appearing in her life. As a formerly enslaved individual, Jacobs not only experienced her own unimaginable trauma, but she also fought (see her introduction to her famous work) to be listened to and required a proxy to help her find an audience. This added set of connections to Ruth and her current experiences really got me (perhaps the most out of any aspect of this powerful work).

There are endless opportunities for great pedagogical choices here, so anyone with curricular access to teaching both Jacobs and this work will bring students an unforgettable pairing. Readers who are interested in just this novel on its own will win from a tightly constructed work (though still appreciate any incoming knowledge of Jacobs).

My lone wish is that this had been a bit more developed. There's just so much going on with the various characters, historical tie-ins, magical elements, and plotlines, and I'd have loved to spend more time with just Ruth, who's a compelling individual on her own.

I can't wait to get back to my Early American students in a couple of days to strongly recommend this one!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Young Readers for this audio arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic. It follows a teenage girl reeling from the death of her sister and the sudden elevation of her mother from US Senator to Vice Presidential nominee. It all becomes too much for her, and she ceases talking. Until, that is, she starts receiving letters from Harriet Jacobs, one of the bravest, most resilient authors and American Heroes of all time.

I may or may not have picked this up because I spent many of my formative years in Edenton - ifykyk and if you don't you will after reading this book - and therefore have always been interested in Harriet Jacobs (and slightly horrified too because DANG the white guilt comes on strong when one is confronted with the horrors perpetuated by white people in the South - I have tried and failed to read Incidents five times because it is literally too close to home). Edenton is a small town, and when the book actually goes to there, I was pretty shocked and apprehensive. The author described my hometown better than I could've myself. She nailed it. Ok anyway, Edenton aside, the book is awesome. It's got a little bit of everything, but at the end of the day, it's quite cathartic. The main character, Ruth, is so sympathetic as are her family and the side-characters (ily Jane!). There's obviously a lot of social commentary about what it's like to be a black women in the US. And like I said, there's a lot of catharsis, but there's also a Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous element (I mean, the VP nominee gets good stuff, y'all) and some fist-pump-inducing moments. It's got a little bit of everything.

You best believe I'll be booktalking this one. Starting tomorrow (like fr I'm talking to a creative writing class and I will be talking up this book). 5 stars - go read it. For everyone.

Thanks to MacMillan and Netgalley for the eARC which I received in exchange for an unbiased review. We are the Scribes is out 18 October, but you can put it on hold now!

Thanks

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well Randi Pink does it again! I absolutely loved ANGEL OF GREENWOOD so I was excited to see their next book come across on NetGalley and this does not disappoint. WE ARE THE SCRIBES gives readers the other side of politics by showing how teenage Ruth Fitz and her family are impacted by her mother's political run... especially when they find out that she has been nominated as the Vice-Presidential candidate. While readers see how each member of the Fitz family struggles to handle all the pressures of DC and American politics, we also see them try to cope with the sudden death of Ruth's older sister.

Interwoven with the Fitz storyline is that of Harriet Jacobs (an African-American writer born into slavery that wrote LIFE OF A SLAVE GIRL published in 1861) writing letters to Ruth to help her rediscover her voice and power as a writer (a scribe). I now need to read more about Harriet because she sounds like a truly remarkable woman.

Pink's prose is as beautiful as it is powerful and there were many times where I got emotional while reading this book. I was cheering the Fitz family on in the moments that they eloquently fought back and I appreciate how Pink chose to end this novel... even if I needed the story to go on for longer (mostly because I wasn't ready to let go of Ruth or Harriet just yet).

I loved listening to Imani Jade Powers' audiobook performance, their tone fit perfectly with Pink's writing and WE ARE THE SCRIBES lends very well to being listened to.

Advanced Reader’s Copies (I ended up with an egalley and the audiobook) that were provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The audiobook is from Macmillan Audio/Macmillan Young Listeners and the egalley is from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Feiwel & Friends.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review.

I really enjoyed Randi Pink’s prior book, and I was intrigued by the premise of her next book, We Are the Scribes. I love Pink’s exploration of lesser known Black historical figures and events, who weren’t touched on within the limited history education in school, this time bringing to light the life of enslaved woman turned writer Harriet Jacobs, and exploring the possibility of her contacting a young Black girl writer from beyond the grave.

I love how the subtle supernatural elements were used to provide a connection between Harriet and Ruth, with Harriet’s letters appearing magically at various points throughout the book to provide Ruth with insight and wisdom.

Ruth’s story is also compelling, as it explores multiple complex issues. She’s reeling from grief after the loss of her sister who is killed in the middle of a protest, and her family is further fracturing due to her mother’s decision to become a Vice-Presidential candidate in the upcoming election. It’s moving to explore how Ruth is impacted by her mother’s choices, and how she also observes her father respond to her mother’s choices. Everyone is reckoning with grief and loss in their own way, and struggling to grapple with how others in the family are choosing to do the same.

I love how the narrative highlights Ruth’s journey to reckon with her complex feelings and rediscover her love for writing. She also really comes into her own as an activist in her own right.

This is an incredibly moving read, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys hard-hitting contemporaries and/or stories about Black history.

[Chanda Scobee · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We Are the Scribes" is a beautifully written story about a teenage girl named Ruth, whose mother is running in a major political campaign. To add to the stress, Ruth and her family is still grieving the loss of a family member. This story takes poignant themes and conveys them in a way that feels manageable as a reader. It’s an incredibly impactful read that blends history, heart, and hope through the exploration of a lesser-known but highly significant figure in Black history, Harriet Jacobs.

I was deeply moved by the historical depth and the rich storytelling that brought this character to life. It’s a touching narrative of hope and resilience, packed with relatable life lessons and themes of family, grief, and self-confidence are woven throughout. I think this has a lot to offer YA readers, and if I was still teaching, this would absolutely be in my classroom. The message is quite powerful and relevant for that audience, in helping them to see a character whose coming of age struggle is embracing and learning how to not be too afraid to use her gift. It’s a balance of confronting loss, while discovering comfort, and so much more.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I would have loved even more development on certain aspects of the character’s personal struggles. I just wasn’t ready for the story to end, and I think more development in some
places would have made this even more impactful. Nonetheless, this book is an inspiring and heartfelt read that resonates in a really special way, especially as a writer myself. I definitely recommend this for YA readers, and if you enjoy historical aspects blended into a contemporary story, this is a surprising genre-bending story!

[Becca Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Randi Pink is herself a scribe. There is a rhythm to her words that makes this novel best consumed as an audiobook.

At its heart this is a novel about Black familial strength. There are many stereotypes that are assigned to Black people, one of which is that of the broken family. At the start of the novel, the Fitzes are just that, a broken family. Ruth has stopped speaking after the death of her older sister, her mother has thrown herself full force into the world of politics, her baby sister is screaming out for anyone who can hear her, and her father is struggling to try and hold their family together. Spurred on by the words of the ghost of an enslaved woman, Harriet Jacobs, Ruth must find her own words to bring her family back together.

The counting of the words was a clever plot device and I loved the way it came and went throughout. It helped illustrate that Ruth’s journey was not linear, but that there were ups and downs just like in real life. I also really how each character had to find a way to drop the mask they were hiding behind and be true to themselves.

I was disappointed that there was no mention of Judy in the end. She was so critical in helping Ruth find joy in life again and Ruth helped her recognize that she shouldn’t have to hide herself away, yet the ending made it seem like she was basically abandoned by the Fitzes.

This was an excellent novel and I highly recommend the audiobook!

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Macmillan Children’s for providing a copy via Netgalley!

I went into this book with zero expectations, and barely any knowledge of the plot. After finishing, I feel that I can not confidently describe it to you. This isn’t a bad thing. This book is great. It is powerfully written, never shying away from what it wants to say. It’s about a girl, Ruth, who is scared to use her words after her sister tragically dies, but does so anyway after famed American author, Harriet Jacobs (look her up), begins writing to her. That simplifies it so here’s a bullet-point list of all the things this is about:
• Families
• Grief
• How this family handles and works through their grief
• The power of black women and girls
• What it means to trust someone
• The power of words
• American politics, and how they are often not in favor of black women
• Harriet Jacobs
And mostly, this is a book about hope. Through all the grief and trauma and family tension there are these powerful glimpses of hope and love. It’s amazing to read and I encourage everyone to read this. I think it should be taught in schools, so all people can learn what Ruth learns.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this made me an official Randi Pink fan. I read Angel of Greenwood last year and, for the most part, loved it. I think it's main issue was pacing. I feel like this book fixed that. I was invested quickly and flew through this one.

The one critique I might have about this one is the scrolls from Harriet Jacobs. I think the idea? So cool. Loved it. I understand why they chose the font they chose for the scrolls because it was cursive that looked like someone from the past, if that makes sense. The way my grandmothers wrote their cursive is so different than people do now. BUT. Even I, someone who grew up writing in cursive, found it a little difficult to read at times. I would get caught on a word because I couldn't figure out if it was "go" or "so", just for a random example. For me? That's fine. For my students who can't read cursive? That's going to be a huge barrier. And trust me, there are A LOT of them who can't read cursive.

Other than that, I really liked this one a lot. And, unlike a lot of the other books I've read this summer, I think this was the perfect length for the story it was telling.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy for review.

Words cannot describe how much I loved this book and how impactful it is.

Ruth's family all consider themselves activists, which is why her politician mother announces she will be running for vice president. This comes soon after Ruth's sister. Virginia, is killed at a protest. This story is of a grieving family, all coping in their own ways to the detriment of each other. Ruth, an avid writer, stops writing and keeps even her spoken words to a minimum. That is, until, she is contacted via notes and scrolls by Harriet Jacobs, reminding her of her power and the power of her words.

I am going to be thinking about this book for a long time. It does an amazing job at tackling grief, racism, and misogyny in a YA context, as well as including such a remarkable historical figure as Harriet Jacobs to guide Ruth through these things. We Are the Scribes would make a great addition to history curriculum as well.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruth and her family are activists. Unfortunately, her older sister was killed in a protest and it has done lasting damage to her family. For Ruth, who is a writer, she now treasures her words: holding them close, doling them out carefully, counting them, hoarding them. Her mom ran away - has become a senator and is running for vice president. Her dad is struggling to take care of Ruth and her baby sister Melody and still teach his college classes. Now Ruth has started receiving strange scrolls from Harriet Jacobs, who was enslaved. Harriet writes letters of encouragement to Ruth. Harriet talks of her own struggles while motivating Ruth to keep writing, to have faith.

I hadn't heard of Harriet Jacobs before and had to look up her incredible story. I like how Randi Pink has intertwined the past and the present. Ruth's family has reacted to authentically to trauma. Very compelling.
CW racism, enslavement, violence (implied), loss of a family member/grief

[Rebecca of Wilson Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

FULL REVIEW at https://www.wilsonhillworks.com/

Ruth Fitz is part of a powerful Black family, as the daughter of an activist father and the Vice Presidential candidate mother. When her sister tragically dies, Ruth shuts down and is, understandably traumatized. Coincidentally, this is also the time that she unbelievable starts to receive scrolls from Harriett Jacobs, the author of an autobiography written in 1861 called Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Somehow the space time continuum can be breeched so that Ruth in modern times can receive letters from Harriet from the 19th century. Harriet helps Ruth and her family through the pain of loss with the hope of bringing them out on the other side.

4 1/2 STARS

READ THIS IF YOU LIKE Octavia Butler’s Kindred

Contains: cursing, sibling death, parental abandonment, slavery, cruelty, PTSD, grief

Thank you to the author, Randi Pink, the publisher, and NetGalley, for the e-ARC of this book.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

I absolutely loved We Are the Scribes and the way it explored loss and grief along with hope and growth all while bringing focus to lesser known Black historical figures and stories.

This book follows Ruth, a brilliant young writer who struggled with her voice after the loss of her sister. She receives guidance from Harriet Jacobs, author of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, through letters that begin to magically appear in her life. Through this, Ruth begins to find her voice and uses it to unite her family that is struggling both with their loss and Ruth's mother's political campaign.

I highly recommend this story and expect to hear more and more people talking about this book very soon!

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, that's all I can say about this book. It's a brilliant ya novel centered around Ruth (or Rue as she sometimes is called) who is a young Black woman. Her mother is a US Senator and her dad is a professor about African American History. She just had her older sister die and has a younger daughter who is 1/2 years old. Rue is such an incredible character, Randi Pink creates such a wonderful scenario/plot/characters that you just continue to want to read and read and read to go on their journey through being a family, through social justice, through politics and everyone. This was one libby book that I probably will end up buying just so I can a.) reread it and b.) share with those who I think would like this book. It was fantastic.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's between a 2.5 and 3 I think because it appeals more to the adults of YA than a YA audience because the strength in the past meeting the present is better done with other stories like Nic Stone's Dear Martin because the two timelines (present with Ruth's mom running as Vice President of the United States but their family is still struggling with a death in the family and the past where these scrolls are being sent to Ruth that feature Harriet Jacobs, writer of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and an activist).

They seem too disjointed to be one cohesive story and I just liked it for that reason. I was too distracted to feel anything for Ruth though the powerful portrait of a family in mourning and how they deal with it was a strength. And politics is a tough business.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We are the Scribes" tackles racism and slavery, grief and loss, a family learning how to love on the other side of trauma, silence and finding one's voice. There's so much heaviness, but also so much love and hope winding through the pages. Randi Pink is a trustworthy guide and it was hard to stop listening when I had other things to do. I didn't want to leave Ruth's family; I trusted their strengths would carry them through.

This story definitely works beautifully in audiobook format. I'll be reading whatever else Randi Pink writes, for sure.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-copy for review.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished Listening to this book today. I really enjoyed this as it was told by 16 year old Ruth Fitz as she tells the story of her family's loss and pain rediscovery of a family's love. Ruth has been receiving scrolls from Harriet Jacobs the writer of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl who is trying to helping Ruth get over a tragedy in her family which has forced her to quit talking and writing her favorite pastime. The book was really thought provoking and the narrator Imani Jade Powers was very good. I'll stop here as I don't want to give anything away. They saw YA but I enjoyed it as an adult.





#cillasmaniacs

[Cherese · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little on the fence with Harriet Jacobs speaking in present tense but I like how it will push readers to read Incidents in the Life of A Slave Girl. I didn't expect the political aspect of this book and it threw me off for some earlier chapters but it all worked out. I really like how she kept me interested in all of the characters. Even though Ruth ,the main character, was working through her struggles, everyone was and I was rooting for everyone to step into their strengths and felt relieved and proud when they did. It left me feeling inspired to not neglect but cultivate my strengths.