Genre: historical fantasy
American South, 1930s
Jane Edwards and her family left their hometown over a decade ago to escape the stains of tragedy, one that has left her mute and haunted by her confession. Her sister Grace, as heartbroken over their loss as Jane, jumped from boarding school to boarding school, then to the city, is now home, pregnant, and also looking for a new start. But one day Jane sees the man who she sentenced to death with her confession, walking around their all-Black town of Awenasa, even though she saw his body taken by the river so long ago. The worlds of the ancestors and other gods have a way of mixing with reality, and Jane is called to see beyond the veil and to save Awenasa.
I love Leslye Penelope's take on reimagining parts of history, and like with Monsters We Defy, she starts with news articles and ideas from the real world and builds a magical world based on stories from the African diaspora and enslaved people set just beyond the real world of her main characters. Daughter of the Merciful Deep comes from the inspiration of towns flooded when large lakes and dams are created. What if those were all-Black towns? What if someone stood in the way of the destruction?
Jane is an intriguing POV character. She’s spent a lot of time observing her world - outside of writing, she can only communicate with a few friends who can sign with her - but she’s still a bit of an unreliable narrator because she stands at the margins even of her own society. But because she feels she condemned her sister’s lover to death a decade ago for a crime she’s sure he didn’t commit, her inner monologue carries the burden of guilt.
I love a book steeped in folklore and blended with magic, and Leslye Penelope strikes such an intricate balance between the real and the imagined.
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History steeped in folklore and blended with magic
Genre: historical fantasyAmerican South, 1930sJane Edwards and her family left their hometown over a decade ago to escape the stains of tragedy, one that has left her mute and haunted by her confession. Her sister Grace, as heartbroken over their loss as Jane, jumped from boarding school to boarding school, then to the city, is now home, pregnant, and also looking for a new start. But one day Jane sees the man who she sentenced to death with her confession, walking around their all-Black town of Awenasa, even though she saw his body taken by the river so long ago. The worlds of the ancestors and other gods have a way of mixing with reality, and Jane is called to see beyond the veil and to save Awenasa.I love Leslye Penelope's take on reimagining parts of history, and like with Monsters We Defy, she starts with news articles and ideas from the real world and builds a magical world based on stories from the African diaspora and enslaved people set just beyond the real world of her main characters. Daughter of the Merciful Deep comes from the inspiration of towns flooded when large lakes and dams are created. What if those were all-Black towns? What if someone stood in the way of the destruction?Jane is an intriguing POV character. She’s spent a lot of time observing her world - outside of writing, she can only communicate with a few friends who can sign with her - but she’s still a bit of an unreliable narrator because she stands at the margins even of her own society. But because she feels she condemned her sister’s lover to death a decade ago for a crime she’s sure he didn’t commit, her inner monologue carries the burden of guilt.I love a book steeped in folklore and blended with magic, and Leslye Penelope strikes such an intricate balance between the real and the imagined.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2024
American South, 1930s
Jane Edwards and her family left their hometown over a decade ago to escape the stains of tragedy, one that has left her mute and haunted by her confession. Her sister Grace, as heartbroken over their loss as Jane, jumped from boarding school to boarding school, then to the city, is now home, pregnant, and also looking for a new start. But one day Jane sees the man who she sentenced to death with her confession, walking around their all-Black town of Awenasa, even though she saw his body taken by the river so long ago. The worlds of the ancestors and other gods have a way of mixing with reality, and Jane is called to see beyond the veil and to save Awenasa.
I love Leslye Penelope's take on reimagining parts of history, and like with Monsters We Defy, she starts with news articles and ideas from the real world and builds a magical world based on stories from the African diaspora and enslaved people set just beyond the real world of her main characters. Daughter of the Merciful Deep comes from the inspiration of towns flooded when large lakes and dams are created. What if those were all-Black towns? What if someone stood in the way of the destruction?
Jane is an intriguing POV character. She’s spent a lot of time observing her world - outside of writing, she can only communicate with a few friends who can sign with her - but she’s still a bit of an unreliable narrator because she stands at the margins even of her own society. But because she feels she condemned her sister’s lover to death a decade ago for a crime she’s sure he didn’t commit, her inner monologue carries the burden of guilt.
I love a book steeped in folklore and blended with magic, and Leslye Penelope strikes such an intricate balance between the real and the imagined.
History steeped in folklore and blended with magic
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2024
Genre: historical fantasyReviewed in the United States on June 15, 2024
American South, 1930s
Jane Edwards and her family left their hometown over a decade ago to escape the stains of tragedy, one that has left her mute and haunted by her confession. Her sister Grace, as heartbroken over their loss as Jane, jumped from boarding school to boarding school, then to the city, is now home, pregnant, and also looking for a new start. But one day Jane sees the man who she sentenced to death with her confession, walking around their all-Black town of Awenasa, even though she saw his body taken by the river so long ago. The worlds of the ancestors and other gods have a way of mixing with reality, and Jane is called to see beyond the veil and to save Awenasa.
I love Leslye Penelope's take on reimagining parts of history, and like with Monsters We Defy, she starts with news articles and ideas from the real world and builds a magical world based on stories from the African diaspora and enslaved people set just beyond the real world of her main characters. Daughter of the Merciful Deep comes from the inspiration of towns flooded when large lakes and dams are created. What if those were all-Black towns? What if someone stood in the way of the destruction?
Jane is an intriguing POV character. She’s spent a lot of time observing her world - outside of writing, she can only communicate with a few friends who can sign with her - but she’s still a bit of an unreliable narrator because she stands at the margins even of her own society. But because she feels she condemned her sister’s lover to death a decade ago for a crime she’s sure he didn’t commit, her inner monologue carries the burden of guilt.
I love a book steeped in folklore and blended with magic, and Leslye Penelope strikes such an intricate balance between the real and the imagined.
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