Tademy’s writes about history’s disappointments, along with her family’s personal triumphs and tragedies. Readers are introduced to the Tademy family by way of Polly, Tademy’s great-great-grandmother. This time the author focuses more on the Tademy men and how they handle the responsibility of freedom. Tademy pens characters that hold their ancestry high and make personal choices with both family and community in mind. Men, in each generation, who live and work only to pass on triumphs and lessons to the next generation by way of an item or community achievement. She also writes about those who thought only to survive each day during the reconstruction, only to suffer the fate of a tight community and generations unaware of the sacrifices made for them. It’s a touching, complex novel full of emotion.

Hachette Audio includes an interview with the author. Tademy discusses her vow to discover her heritage and the stories she heard along the way. Tim Cain and Gammy Singer are the narrators of this audio book. Tademy’s words read aloud were captivating. Gammy’s voice drew me in and Cain’s tone carried the burden of the characters he read. Forget the headphones; this is one story that must be heard. Highly Recommended.