Slavery Narratives with Supernatural Elements

Remembrance by Rita Woods is an outstanding debut novel, braiding the stories of four extraordinary women: Gaelle, a young woman living and working in Ohio in present day; Margot, a slave in 1850s New Orleans; Abigail, a slave in late 1700s Haiti and New Orleans; and Winter, a young girl who grows up in a magical space called Remembrance where former slaves and freed men lead idyllic lives away from slave catchers and others who intended to bring them harm.

I really enjoy reading historical fiction, especially novels with dual (or more) timelines; when done well, the bringing together of the storylines is amazing to experience. I don't typically enjoy reading science fiction or fantasy but have grown to appreciate magical realism. Most of the supernatural aspects of Remembrance worked for me because they were gradually introduced and were relatively "realistic."

I sometimes struggled to track the large cast of characters, especially the 'supporting' characters to the primary women. In the middle of this novel, the timelines seemed a bit "muddled" and my interest lagged, but I appreciated how most everything came together in the end. However, I'm still confused by the purpose and meaning for an event that occurred late in the contemporary storyline.

Thank you Bookish First for the opportunity to read this debut. I'm interested to see the next stories Rita Woods tells.