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Long After We Are Gone
An explosive and emotional story of four siblings—each fighting their own personal battle—who return home in the wake of their father's death in order to save their family's home from being sold out from under them, from the author of One Summer in Savannah .
"Don't let the white man take the house."
These are the last words King Solomon says to his son before he dies. Now all four Solomon siblings must return to North Carolina to save the Kingdom, their ancestral home and 200 acres of land, from a development company, who has their sights set on turning the valuable waterfront property into a luxury resort.
While fighting to save the Kingdom, the siblings must also save themselves from the secrets they've been holding onto. Junior, the oldest son and married to his wife for 11 years, is secretly in love with another man. Second son, Mance, can't control his temper, which has landed him in prison more than once. CeCe, the oldest daughter and a lawyer in New York City, has embezzled thousands of dollars from her firm's clients. Youngest daughter, Tokey, wonders why she doesn't seem to fit into this family, which has left an aching hole in her heart that she tries to fill in harmful ways. As the Solomons come together to fight for the Kingdom, each of their façades begins to crumble and collide in unexpected ways.
Told in alternating viewpoints, Long After We Are Gone is a searing portrait on the power of family and letting go of things that no longer serve you, exploring the burden of familial expectations, the detriment of miscommunication, and the lessons and legacies we pass on to our children.
"Don't let the white man take the house."
These are the last words King Solomon says to his son before he dies. Now all four Solomon siblings must return to North Carolina to save the Kingdom, their ancestral home and 200 acres of land, from a development company, who has their sights set on turning the valuable waterfront property into a luxury resort.
While fighting to save the Kingdom, the siblings must also save themselves from the secrets they've been holding onto. Junior, the oldest son and married to his wife for 11 years, is secretly in love with another man. Second son, Mance, can't control his temper, which has landed him in prison more than once. CeCe, the oldest daughter and a lawyer in New York City, has embezzled thousands of dollars from her firm's clients. Youngest daughter, Tokey, wonders why she doesn't seem to fit into this family, which has left an aching hole in her heart that she tries to fill in harmful ways. As the Solomons come together to fight for the Kingdom, each of their façades begins to crumble and collide in unexpected ways.
Told in alternating viewpoints, Long After We Are Gone is a searing portrait on the power of family and letting go of things that no longer serve you, exploring the burden of familial expectations, the detriment of miscommunication, and the lessons and legacies we pass on to our children.
419 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 14, 2024
817 people are currently reading
33387 people want to read
About the author
Terah Shelton Harris
4 books1,066 followersTERAH SHELTON HARRIS is an author and former librarian, who now writes upmarket fiction with bittersweet endings. She is the author of One Summer in Savannah and Long After We Are Gone. Her books have been chosen as a Target Book Club pick, LibraryReads pick, Kobo Best Book, Together We Read pick, Publisher’s Marketplace Buzz Book, and a Goodreads Choice Awards nominee for Best Debut. Terah was also named Target’s first Author of the Year. Her third book, Where the Wildflowers Grow, will be published in February 2026.
Find Terah online:
Website: www.terahsharris.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terahsharris/
Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/13825...
Find Terah online:
Website: www.terahsharris.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terahsharris/
Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/13825...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 909 reviews
August 7, 2024
**Many thanks to NetGalley, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, and Terah Shelton Harris for an ARC of this book! Now available as of 5.14!**
📞 Calling all fans of Black Cake...this one is for you! 📞
The Kingdom has always rightfully belonged to the King....King Solomon, that is. The sprawling 200 acres of North Carolina land has been part of the family for generations, and although King's children have grown up and moved away, they all hold a piece of home close in their hearts. So when the King's four grown children, Junior, Mance, CeCe, and Tokey, are faced with the death of their beloved father, they are particularly alarmed by his last words: "Don't let the white man take the house." Although cryptic at first, the children quickly learn that the concept of 'heir property' is often exploited by developers and wealthy landowners, who use loopholes in the law to deny up to 90% of black families land and property that is rightfully theirs...and with its picture-perfect location and expansive acreage, they feel that the Kingdom would make a PERFECT resort...and have every intention of 'taking' it from the Solomon family.
Each of the siblings, however, is struggling with their own demons. Gruff and commanding Mance is fresh from his latest prison stint...but is desperate to keep his clean and keep his wife and child part of his life...and to be able to provide hearing aids for his son who has been newly diagnosed as deaf. Junior has the picture perfect life: solid job as a superintendent, lovely wife Genesis and two twin daughters to call his own...but he's living a double life, and his romantic partner Simon is tired of the secrets and lies. CeCe has landed herself in an ugly blackmail situation at her fancy law firm, and engages in certain 'acts' to keep her financial crimes a secret. Tokey, the youngest of the group, is desperate to fill every void in her life with food...especially the one left by the mother she never knew and the father she so tenderly cared for until his recent demise
With such an intricate web of problems keeping the family trapped in a constant state of uncertainty, angst, and fear, can the four Solomon siblings band together to defeat those who would take their rightful inheritance away? And when the siblings' uncle decides to AID the enemy rather than protect his family...will the Solomon siblings have what it takes to overcome the forces set to keep them apart and to hold the 'keys' to the Kingdom...for generations to come?
At the center of this story is a discussion of heir property and the devastation it has caused for black families over the years. But what is heir property? Essentially, according to farmers.gov, "Heirs' property is family-owned land that is jointly owned by descendants of a deceased person whose estate did not clear probate. The descendants, or heirs, have the right to use the property, but they do not have a clear or marketable title to the property since the estate issues remain unresolved." In this case, King's lack of a will (which many cannot afford to have) left the Kingdom in this muddy state of flux...and left his children vying to pick up the pieces. For such an impactful and LARGE loss of rightful property ownership and farmland in this country, I'm almost ashamed to say that prior to this book, I had no knowledge of it...and to that end, ALL the credit goes to Terah Shelton Harris for casting such a needed light on the subject! 👏
This is most definitely historical fiction at its core, but it is the sort of historical fiction that I truly LOVE: it is character driven, emotional, complex, and well-plotted historical fiction that also manages to explore familial relationships, the burden of secrets, and the grey areas surrounding what is morally right and wrong. I was a bit nervous at first that this book has FOUR POVs throughout, not to mention lots of important ancillary characters (including yet more family members!) as it can be complicated to both give characters breadth and depth AND to tell a compelling story without this sort of text feeling wordy or too bogged down in detail...but Harris manages this balance with ease. Within a chapter or two of each sibling's perspective, I felt I had a solid grasp of each character and it was also easy to see how their slightly varying childhoods had led them in different directions, and how the absence of their mother Hazel in much of their lives affected each child in completely different ways.
While I wouldn't necessarily call this book unputdownable in a traditional sense, there is something about it that is both intense and riveting. I read much of it sitting out on my deck in the summer sunshine, and Harris did a magnificent job of pulling me into the throes of the North Carolina heat. She also takes the reader on a journey back through time as the book neatly weaves in and out of King and Hazel's romantic past, for one, and the choices that have led CeCe down her own damaging path of embezzlement, Mance's anger issues, Junior's painful decision to break up his family or remain in the closet, and also into the mind of Tokey and her sugary carb fueled food addiction. None of these plot points felt added for shock value or to simply give the characters something to do...and I couldn't imagine the book without any ONE of the four narrators, which points to a fully-fleshed out cohesive family unit that is both dysfunctional and works better as a group than alone. I felt myself constantly questioning loyalties, motives, and waiting with bated breath for the resolution...WHO will end up with the Kingdom? I promise you will change your mind plenty of times on the 'correct' answer...but the ending is befitting of such a dynamic tale...so as usual, no spoilers here! 🙊
And whether or not the inheritance remains with this family, by journey's end I can tell you that the siblings ALL learn that King left them something far more valuable than any stretch of land.
After all..."An inheritance is what you leave with people. A legacy is what you leave in them." - Craig D. Lounsbrough
4 stars
📞 Calling all fans of Black Cake...this one is for you! 📞
The Kingdom has always rightfully belonged to the King....King Solomon, that is. The sprawling 200 acres of North Carolina land has been part of the family for generations, and although King's children have grown up and moved away, they all hold a piece of home close in their hearts. So when the King's four grown children, Junior, Mance, CeCe, and Tokey, are faced with the death of their beloved father, they are particularly alarmed by his last words: "Don't let the white man take the house." Although cryptic at first, the children quickly learn that the concept of 'heir property' is often exploited by developers and wealthy landowners, who use loopholes in the law to deny up to 90% of black families land and property that is rightfully theirs...and with its picture-perfect location and expansive acreage, they feel that the Kingdom would make a PERFECT resort...and have every intention of 'taking' it from the Solomon family.
Each of the siblings, however, is struggling with their own demons. Gruff and commanding Mance is fresh from his latest prison stint...but is desperate to keep his clean and keep his wife and child part of his life...and to be able to provide hearing aids for his son who has been newly diagnosed as deaf. Junior has the picture perfect life: solid job as a superintendent, lovely wife Genesis and two twin daughters to call his own...but he's living a double life, and his romantic partner Simon is tired of the secrets and lies. CeCe has landed herself in an ugly blackmail situation at her fancy law firm, and engages in certain 'acts' to keep her financial crimes a secret. Tokey, the youngest of the group, is desperate to fill every void in her life with food...especially the one left by the mother she never knew and the father she so tenderly cared for until his recent demise
With such an intricate web of problems keeping the family trapped in a constant state of uncertainty, angst, and fear, can the four Solomon siblings band together to defeat those who would take their rightful inheritance away? And when the siblings' uncle decides to AID the enemy rather than protect his family...will the Solomon siblings have what it takes to overcome the forces set to keep them apart and to hold the 'keys' to the Kingdom...for generations to come?
At the center of this story is a discussion of heir property and the devastation it has caused for black families over the years. But what is heir property? Essentially, according to farmers.gov, "Heirs' property is family-owned land that is jointly owned by descendants of a deceased person whose estate did not clear probate. The descendants, or heirs, have the right to use the property, but they do not have a clear or marketable title to the property since the estate issues remain unresolved." In this case, King's lack of a will (which many cannot afford to have) left the Kingdom in this muddy state of flux...and left his children vying to pick up the pieces. For such an impactful and LARGE loss of rightful property ownership and farmland in this country, I'm almost ashamed to say that prior to this book, I had no knowledge of it...and to that end, ALL the credit goes to Terah Shelton Harris for casting such a needed light on the subject! 👏
This is most definitely historical fiction at its core, but it is the sort of historical fiction that I truly LOVE: it is character driven, emotional, complex, and well-plotted historical fiction that also manages to explore familial relationships, the burden of secrets, and the grey areas surrounding what is morally right and wrong. I was a bit nervous at first that this book has FOUR POVs throughout, not to mention lots of important ancillary characters (including yet more family members!) as it can be complicated to both give characters breadth and depth AND to tell a compelling story without this sort of text feeling wordy or too bogged down in detail...but Harris manages this balance with ease. Within a chapter or two of each sibling's perspective, I felt I had a solid grasp of each character and it was also easy to see how their slightly varying childhoods had led them in different directions, and how the absence of their mother Hazel in much of their lives affected each child in completely different ways.
While I wouldn't necessarily call this book unputdownable in a traditional sense, there is something about it that is both intense and riveting. I read much of it sitting out on my deck in the summer sunshine, and Harris did a magnificent job of pulling me into the throes of the North Carolina heat. She also takes the reader on a journey back through time as the book neatly weaves in and out of King and Hazel's romantic past, for one, and the choices that have led CeCe down her own damaging path of embezzlement, Mance's anger issues, Junior's painful decision to break up his family or remain in the closet, and also into the mind of Tokey and her sugary carb fueled food addiction. None of these plot points felt added for shock value or to simply give the characters something to do...and I couldn't imagine the book without any ONE of the four narrators, which points to a fully-fleshed out cohesive family unit that is both dysfunctional and works better as a group than alone. I felt myself constantly questioning loyalties, motives, and waiting with bated breath for the resolution...WHO will end up with the Kingdom? I promise you will change your mind plenty of times on the 'correct' answer...but the ending is befitting of such a dynamic tale...so as usual, no spoilers here! 🙊
And whether or not the inheritance remains with this family, by journey's end I can tell you that the siblings ALL learn that King left them something far more valuable than any stretch of land.
After all..."An inheritance is what you leave with people. A legacy is what you leave in them." - Craig D. Lounsbrough
4 stars
February 5, 2024
It pains me to give this book a solitary star because I absolutely adored One Summer in Savannah. I was so impressed with the sensitive and interesting introduction and the premise, that I went into the story with high hopes. This book, however, felt like it was written by a completely different author.
As opposed to the author's debut novel, which was creative and had amazing characters, this book was hugely disappointing. The Solomon family is not only a train wreck, but an exaggerated train wreck; a quartet of selfish, oversexed, immature siblings who are so unlikable, it is difficult to have any compassion for them. They have all made extremely poor life decisions that serve only their most base desires. And, while the subject of "heir property" in Black families is a fascinating one, it was eclipsed by the terrible people at the center of it.
This was an opportunity missed, in my opinion, because the subject is an important one and the story had so much potential. But how can we feel the gravity of the family's predicament if we have no one to root for? The answer is: we can't. By the time the land was in jeopardy, I didn't care if they lost it or not.
My thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. I wish I enjoyed it more.
As opposed to the author's debut novel, which was creative and had amazing characters, this book was hugely disappointing. The Solomon family is not only a train wreck, but an exaggerated train wreck; a quartet of selfish, oversexed, immature siblings who are so unlikable, it is difficult to have any compassion for them. They have all made extremely poor life decisions that serve only their most base desires. And, while the subject of "heir property" in Black families is a fascinating one, it was eclipsed by the terrible people at the center of it.
This was an opportunity missed, in my opinion, because the subject is an important one and the story had so much potential. But how can we feel the gravity of the family's predicament if we have no one to root for? The answer is: we can't. By the time the land was in jeopardy, I didn't care if they lost it or not.
My thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. I wish I enjoyed it more.
May 9, 2024
King Solomon is a man who’s larger than life, his home is his Kingdom, in North Carolina and it’s been in his family for over two hundred years. King's ancestors were slaves here, and their blood, sweat and hard work made the plantation profitable and he doesn't want any white man owning it again. The house sits on two hundred acres of prime land, with water front views and the perfect place to build a luxury resort.
King has four children, Junior, Mance, CeCe and Tokey and he never mentions their mother and his adult kids don’t anything about her. Mance lives with his father and so does Tokey, Junior is married to Genesis and they have two young daughters, and CeCe is a lawyer in New York.
When King drops dead it’s a big shock, the family gathers at Kingdom, Mance is making his father’s coffin, Junior is organizing the funeral, CeCe arrives and she hates returning to North Carolina and Tokey is finding comfort in food. Each of King's offspring are dealing with their personal issues, their father’s death and the sharks circling and wanting to get their teeth into the Kingdom and take a bite.
As the Solomon's come together to fight for Kingdom, the walls each one has put up, slowly begin to crumble and the real Junior, Mance, CeCe and Tokey are revealed. Junior is a black man living a lie, he’s attracted to men and not women. Mance has been in trouble with the law, he needs to keep his nose clean and so he can propose to the mother of his son, CeCe has embezzled money from the firms she works for clients and to fund her extravagant lifestyle and Tokey is eating her way into an early grave.
I received a copy of Long After We Are Gone by Terah Shelton Harris from Sourcebooks and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. Set in a fictional town in North Carolina, the story looks at heir property, how land and houses are passed down between generations of family members, without a will or a formal estate strategy and it's the main cause of land loss amongst people of colour.
The narrative includes topics such as inter-generational trauma, secrets, making bad choices, the burden of family expectations, and lack of communication and not telling the truth, deafness in children and treatment options, the shame of being gay and overeating, blackmail, extortion, and workplace misconduct.
Four stars from me, I had never heard of heir property before and the stigma around African American men and same sex relationships.
King has four children, Junior, Mance, CeCe and Tokey and he never mentions their mother and his adult kids don’t anything about her. Mance lives with his father and so does Tokey, Junior is married to Genesis and they have two young daughters, and CeCe is a lawyer in New York.
When King drops dead it’s a big shock, the family gathers at Kingdom, Mance is making his father’s coffin, Junior is organizing the funeral, CeCe arrives and she hates returning to North Carolina and Tokey is finding comfort in food. Each of King's offspring are dealing with their personal issues, their father’s death and the sharks circling and wanting to get their teeth into the Kingdom and take a bite.
As the Solomon's come together to fight for Kingdom, the walls each one has put up, slowly begin to crumble and the real Junior, Mance, CeCe and Tokey are revealed. Junior is a black man living a lie, he’s attracted to men and not women. Mance has been in trouble with the law, he needs to keep his nose clean and so he can propose to the mother of his son, CeCe has embezzled money from the firms she works for clients and to fund her extravagant lifestyle and Tokey is eating her way into an early grave.
I received a copy of Long After We Are Gone by Terah Shelton Harris from Sourcebooks and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. Set in a fictional town in North Carolina, the story looks at heir property, how land and houses are passed down between generations of family members, without a will or a formal estate strategy and it's the main cause of land loss amongst people of colour.
The narrative includes topics such as inter-generational trauma, secrets, making bad choices, the burden of family expectations, and lack of communication and not telling the truth, deafness in children and treatment options, the shame of being gay and overeating, blackmail, extortion, and workplace misconduct.
Four stars from me, I had never heard of heir property before and the stigma around African American men and same sex relationships.
April 27, 2024
“Diggs gets in your blood, and what you run from is often where you are always supposed to be.”
I’ve never read a family drama like this.
Four siblings: Junior, Mance, Cece and Tokey come together when their father, King passes away. The Kingdom in Diggs, NC - the ancestral home of the Solomons with over 200 acres of land is now in limbo and could possibly be taken from underneath them.
We get the point of view from each sibling, all who are hiding a deep secret. Power, money, abuse and blackmail run rampart but the heart of this book is FAMILY. What happened to their Mom? Why can’t they find a deed to the land? Why did Uncle Shad leave? Why doesn’t Tokey look like the others? Why did Cece really come back?
Still over here taking deep breaths after that ending. Simply stunning.
I’ve never read a family drama like this.
Four siblings: Junior, Mance, Cece and Tokey come together when their father, King passes away. The Kingdom in Diggs, NC - the ancestral home of the Solomons with over 200 acres of land is now in limbo and could possibly be taken from underneath them.
We get the point of view from each sibling, all who are hiding a deep secret. Power, money, abuse and blackmail run rampart but the heart of this book is FAMILY. What happened to their Mom? Why can’t they find a deed to the land? Why did Uncle Shad leave? Why doesn’t Tokey look like the others? Why did Cece really come back?
Still over here taking deep breaths after that ending. Simply stunning.
May 28, 2025
I bought this book last summer yall and it’s been collecting dust because it just seemed like it was going to be super slow (and was😂) But slow in a good way. This is the perfect book for a good ol lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon.
.
I actually enjoyed this one about the same as I did One Summer In Savannah and didn’t expect to at all.
This follows four siblings, with TONS of secrets, trying to do all they can to save their home aka The Kingdom after their father passes away.
This is about breaking the curses of generational trauma, forgiveness and acceptance.
I’d definitely recommend but again, it’s slow😂.
Now don’t say I didn’t warn you LOL
If you go in knowing that, this is definitely one that I think everyone would enjoy.
.
I actually enjoyed this one about the same as I did One Summer In Savannah and didn’t expect to at all.
This follows four siblings, with TONS of secrets, trying to do all they can to save their home aka The Kingdom after their father passes away.
This is about breaking the curses of generational trauma, forgiveness and acceptance.
I’d definitely recommend but again, it’s slow😂.
Now don’t say I didn’t warn you LOL
If you go in knowing that, this is definitely one that I think everyone would enjoy.
July 11, 2024
Completely blown away! I could not get enough of the complex, real and raw emotions throughout this story. Each character was gritty and layered, with so much hidden drama going on in their own lives.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?
I was there for all the emotionally intense topics from homophobia, body identity, theft, blackmail and more. BUT, the power of family is what really spoke to me. Watching each of the siblings come together in order to discover what no longer served them and letting go of past expectations was what made the story so emotionally engaging.
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
Multiple POV
Secrets
Family Drama
Family Legacy
Dysfunctional Relationships
Self Discovery
Diverse Characters
Fully fleshed out characters
Siblings coming together
Southern Lit
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
Diontae Black is one of my favorite narrators. He has a way of bringing both male and female characters to life in their own unique ways.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
Alternates between a slow burn and steady pace
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
This is the kind of powerful family drama I love to read and truly recommend it.
Thank you Sourcebooks for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinions
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?
I was there for all the emotionally intense topics from homophobia, body identity, theft, blackmail and more. BUT, the power of family is what really spoke to me. Watching each of the siblings come together in order to discover what no longer served them and letting go of past expectations was what made the story so emotionally engaging.
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
Multiple POV
Secrets
Family Drama
Family Legacy
Dysfunctional Relationships
Self Discovery
Diverse Characters
Fully fleshed out characters
Siblings coming together
Southern Lit
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
Diontae Black is one of my favorite narrators. He has a way of bringing both male and female characters to life in their own unique ways.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
Alternates between a slow burn and steady pace
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
This is the kind of powerful family drama I love to read and truly recommend it.
Thank you Sourcebooks for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinions
January 13, 2024
Lies, secrets, sex, violence, addiction, and betrayal have estranged the Solomon siblings from each other and the people who love them the most. Each one has to come to terms with the messes they’ve made as they try to reconnect as a family in an attempt to save their legacy. I was a big fan of One Summer in Savannah and am in awe of how easily Harris juggles multiple POVs and creates living, breathing characters that you don’t know whether to hug or shake. The drama in this book chewed up my Kindle battery and kept me up late reading in the dark. Don’t miss it.
April 23, 2025
2025 update
I had to read this again for book club, mostly against my will! I've decided I'm just too gay to care about lEgAcY as it's described in these sorts of stories. None of the "patriarchs" in this story are worth having their "bloodline" live on, and that includes Ellis, who was wayyy more controlling in the second read. I think I missed it the first time because CeCe was such a stereotypical Tyler Perry villain (think Sanaa Lathan in Family That Preys), but there's no avoiding it in the reread. To Harris' credit, I actually thought Simon and Junior were the strongest relationship in the story, but that might not be saying much…
Finally, I'm just tired of all the bare minimum Southern lit out there. No one wants to consult a genealogist, because HOW would it make sense for a former plantation to have been owned by a formerly enslaved family "for over 200 years"?!?!? (188) Would that not be since BEFORE emancipation?!?!?! No one wants to get creative about the description, and stop just checking off the same stars/weather/cicada cliches (317 hits them all in one pass!) I'm taking this down a star, as it just felt way too formulaic and unmemorable. UGH!!
Original 2024 review
Once again, this book was *fine.* I'd be ridiculous to complain that much about it, as it's a mostly smooth read (or listen, as this was another audiobook I found on Libby.) At the same time, I won't find any real cause to celebrate this one. I might recommend to my mom, just because of her family's history with land ownership, stewardship, and preservation in North Carolina. That history makes her a "captive audience" for stories like this, and probably me as well.
Long After We Are Gone is primarily set in the fictional town of Diggs, North Carolina, which has been the home of the Solomon Family for over two centuries. From how they described the town and its migration patterns, I was thinking it's supposed to be a stand-in for places like Anson County, or maybe some of the towns around Badin Lake. This novel's other setting is the "big city" of Charlotte, which I think was realtively underexplored, despite us spending a good amount of time there. This was a bit disappointing, because the current development trajectories of Charlotte are very relevant to Long After We Are Gone's focal topics: Black land loss/dispossession, community formation, and familial estrangement. I know part of my desire to see authors be incredibly thoughtful about place is due to my planning background, and particularly my appreciation of regional (rather than city-only) planning. There is so much to write about the linked fates of rural, exurban, suburban, and urban settings in a given state/region, if only people could walk and chew gum at the same time! My gold standard novel for this would be An American Marriage, because the Old South/New South contrasts between Eloe, Louisiana and Atlanta, Georgia are done in a way that seems thoughtful, and not just coincidental. Of course, you can't ask most novelists to be as skilled as Tayari Jones!
Before it sounds like I'm being too mean to Terah Shelton Harris, I should say that I don't think any of the individual parts of this story were objectionable! I just felt that she mostly delivered them in the way you expected, without any real flourishes in storytelling, characterization, or overall message. If this were an Algebra I test, Terah Shelton Harris would get a 100%. She follows the typical formula for these sorts of stories well, but aren't novels supposed to feel more inspired than that?!?! Nothing here, from the patriarchal relationships to the cartoonish small-town villains, feels like a departure from the norm. Again, this why Tayari Jones comes to mind as the gold standard for this subgenre--Jones' knowledge of her characters and scene execution is superb enough to make even the most straightforward story feel worth reading.
On that note, I felt like Harris just didn't understand her characters very well! I kept waiting for her to tell us more about Tokey, or to have the character serve any purpose outside of "person whose chapters can be used to explain the family history." Instead, it seems like Harris sidelines Tokey as the "less interesting sibling", even while the book attempts to criticze fatphobic people in Diggs for making the same mistake. She similarly has nothing interesting to say about the evolution of Mance's anger issues, and I particularly hated the whole "Beauty and the Beast" trope where Lesha always seemed to be calming him down from the next blow-up. I did really enjoy the tension between CeCe and Ellis throughout this story, but overall, I hated how Ellis' attractiveness seemed to once again rely on the "protector myth" that plagues so much heterosexual discourse in our community. It's ruining podcasts, movies, and novels--you can see this in my review of Gaslight by Femi Kayode and nearly all of my S.A. Cosby reviews.
In Long After We Are Gone, Harris ruins the promise of a relationship that could be compelling based on how well the characters understand each other even after decades apart. Instead of getting to sit and enjoy how well Ellis and CeCe are drawn to each other based on this shared knowledge, Ellis quickly becomes another macho "protector" murderer type, who CeCe is drawn to based on how well he "defends" her from danger. I am so tired of all of these tropes in all of these stories--I need the authors to grow up and stop publishing their damsel in distress fantasies! Like get a grip the world is not that dangerous!!! The greatest threats to our safety are things like domestic violence, the military industrial complex, and injustices in healthcare, none of which can be solved by your man being good at fighting people. I particularly hate how frequently comes up in any book that has to do with (rural) Southern masculinity. I will be starting a "write about Black country men without benevolent patriarchal narratives" challenge for these authors ASAP.
I will say that I did appreciate the focus on heirs property status and the very real challenges facing Black Carolinians seeking to preserve their family's land. Unfortunately, I felt like Harris handled this in a way that was a little bit too preachy and explanatory for the novel format. The mid-dialogue inclusion of lengthy statistics about property law was clunky, and verging on overkill. I would've loved to see her take a similar footnote approach to the one used in Chain-Gang All Stars! There is no problem with wanting to show some of the research/important real-life examples that guide your story. However, I would love to see authors include that information WITH TASTE.
Finally, I wish Harris had engaged more deeply with the points about preserving the land at what cost!! Despite being a generally villainous character, Shad did make some points about the fact that the Solomon Family has worked so hard to keep the land that it’s ruining some of their lives. I wish there could have been a broader exploration of this perspective, instead of all the characters who wanted to sell the Solomon land being cast as evil and money-hungry. So many people I know have great shame about "selling Grandma's house", even when they faced enormous barriers to keeping it. What would it look like to have an approach that recognizes the importance of Black land stewardship, while also being compassionate towards the many Black families who could not keep their family's land or homes, and the many others who chose to sell in order to prioritize their health or other life goals? Like, are there ever instances where we should make peace with "the family" being a living concept that does not always have to be tied to a certain place? Or is that just my bias as a reverse migrator? The world may never know!!
Overall, I would recommend this story to anyone else who is a big fan of the genre (multi-generational family sagas about Black Southerners.) Some of the "we are family" and come to Jesus moments at the end were forced, but even with that, you are mostly in for a fun time in this story.
I had to read this again for book club, mostly against my will! I've decided I'm just too gay to care about lEgAcY as it's described in these sorts of stories. None of the "patriarchs" in this story are worth having their "bloodline" live on, and that includes Ellis, who was wayyy more controlling in the second read. I think I missed it the first time because CeCe was such a stereotypical Tyler Perry villain (think Sanaa Lathan in Family That Preys), but there's no avoiding it in the reread. To Harris' credit, I actually thought Simon and Junior were the strongest relationship in the story, but that might not be saying much…
Finally, I'm just tired of all the bare minimum Southern lit out there. No one wants to consult a genealogist, because HOW would it make sense for a former plantation to have been owned by a formerly enslaved family "for over 200 years"?!?!? (188) Would that not be since BEFORE emancipation?!?!?! No one wants to get creative about the description, and stop just checking off the same stars/weather/cicada cliches (317 hits them all in one pass!) I'm taking this down a star, as it just felt way too formulaic and unmemorable. UGH!!
Original 2024 review
Once again, this book was *fine.* I'd be ridiculous to complain that much about it, as it's a mostly smooth read (or listen, as this was another audiobook I found on Libby.) At the same time, I won't find any real cause to celebrate this one. I might recommend to my mom, just because of her family's history with land ownership, stewardship, and preservation in North Carolina. That history makes her a "captive audience" for stories like this, and probably me as well.
Long After We Are Gone is primarily set in the fictional town of Diggs, North Carolina, which has been the home of the Solomon Family for over two centuries. From how they described the town and its migration patterns, I was thinking it's supposed to be a stand-in for places like Anson County, or maybe some of the towns around Badin Lake. This novel's other setting is the "big city" of Charlotte, which I think was realtively underexplored, despite us spending a good amount of time there. This was a bit disappointing, because the current development trajectories of Charlotte are very relevant to Long After We Are Gone's focal topics: Black land loss/dispossession, community formation, and familial estrangement. I know part of my desire to see authors be incredibly thoughtful about place is due to my planning background, and particularly my appreciation of regional (rather than city-only) planning. There is so much to write about the linked fates of rural, exurban, suburban, and urban settings in a given state/region, if only people could walk and chew gum at the same time! My gold standard novel for this would be An American Marriage, because the Old South/New South contrasts between Eloe, Louisiana and Atlanta, Georgia are done in a way that seems thoughtful, and not just coincidental. Of course, you can't ask most novelists to be as skilled as Tayari Jones!
Before it sounds like I'm being too mean to Terah Shelton Harris, I should say that I don't think any of the individual parts of this story were objectionable! I just felt that she mostly delivered them in the way you expected, without any real flourishes in storytelling, characterization, or overall message. If this were an Algebra I test, Terah Shelton Harris would get a 100%. She follows the typical formula for these sorts of stories well, but aren't novels supposed to feel more inspired than that?!?! Nothing here, from the patriarchal relationships to the cartoonish small-town villains, feels like a departure from the norm. Again, this why Tayari Jones comes to mind as the gold standard for this subgenre--Jones' knowledge of her characters and scene execution is superb enough to make even the most straightforward story feel worth reading.
On that note, I felt like Harris just didn't understand her characters very well! I kept waiting for her to tell us more about Tokey, or to have the character serve any purpose outside of "person whose chapters can be used to explain the family history." Instead, it seems like Harris sidelines Tokey as the "less interesting sibling", even while the book attempts to criticze fatphobic people in Diggs for making the same mistake. She similarly has nothing interesting to say about the evolution of Mance's anger issues, and I particularly hated the whole "Beauty and the Beast" trope where Lesha always seemed to be calming him down from the next blow-up. I did really enjoy the tension between CeCe and Ellis throughout this story, but overall, I hated how Ellis' attractiveness seemed to once again rely on the "protector myth" that plagues so much heterosexual discourse in our community. It's ruining podcasts, movies, and novels--you can see this in my review of Gaslight by Femi Kayode and nearly all of my S.A. Cosby reviews.
In Long After We Are Gone, Harris ruins the promise of a relationship that could be compelling based on how well the characters understand each other even after decades apart. Instead of getting to sit and enjoy how well Ellis and CeCe are drawn to each other based on this shared knowledge, Ellis quickly becomes another macho "protector" murderer type, who CeCe is drawn to based on how well he "defends" her from danger. I am so tired of all of these tropes in all of these stories--I need the authors to grow up and stop publishing their damsel in distress fantasies! Like get a grip the world is not that dangerous!!! The greatest threats to our safety are things like domestic violence, the military industrial complex, and injustices in healthcare, none of which can be solved by your man being good at fighting people. I particularly hate how frequently comes up in any book that has to do with (rural) Southern masculinity. I will be starting a "write about Black country men without benevolent patriarchal narratives" challenge for these authors ASAP.
I will say that I did appreciate the focus on heirs property status and the very real challenges facing Black Carolinians seeking to preserve their family's land. Unfortunately, I felt like Harris handled this in a way that was a little bit too preachy and explanatory for the novel format. The mid-dialogue inclusion of lengthy statistics about property law was clunky, and verging on overkill. I would've loved to see her take a similar footnote approach to the one used in Chain-Gang All Stars! There is no problem with wanting to show some of the research/important real-life examples that guide your story. However, I would love to see authors include that information WITH TASTE.
Finally, I wish Harris had engaged more deeply with the points about preserving the land at what cost!! Despite being a generally villainous character, Shad did make some points about the fact that the Solomon Family has worked so hard to keep the land that it’s ruining some of their lives. I wish there could have been a broader exploration of this perspective, instead of all the characters who wanted to sell the Solomon land being cast as evil and money-hungry. So many people I know have great shame about "selling Grandma's house", even when they faced enormous barriers to keeping it. What would it look like to have an approach that recognizes the importance of Black land stewardship, while also being compassionate towards the many Black families who could not keep their family's land or homes, and the many others who chose to sell in order to prioritize their health or other life goals? Like, are there ever instances where we should make peace with "the family" being a living concept that does not always have to be tied to a certain place? Or is that just my bias as a reverse migrator? The world may never know!!
Overall, I would recommend this story to anyone else who is a big fan of the genre (multi-generational family sagas about Black Southerners.) Some of the "we are family" and come to Jesus moments at the end were forced, but even with that, you are mostly in for a fun time in this story.
May 13, 2024
[Authors Note
The US Dept. of Agriculture has recognized heir property as the leading cause of Black involuntary land loss. It’s estimated that between 1910-1997, Blacks lost 90% of farmland worth billions of dollars.]
There’s so much to unpack in LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE that I don’t know where to start. I had no clue nor the legality of developers challenging inherited land. It’s unconscionable this law is still in existence. We need to push for these inherited land laws + any/all loopholes to be changed. That being said, this is one heck of a powerful family saga that brings to life family legacy, facing adversity, embezzlement and blackmail.
When the larger than life King Solomon dies, his last words to his son are “don’t let the white man take the house.” The house he’s referring to is the Solomon’s 1700’s North Carolina plantation home that sits on the Kingdom.. 200 acres the Solomon’s have had for generations where their descendants were enslaved. King Solomon left no will, but there is a checkered uncle who goes against Kings wishes.
Told in four POV’s, we follow the variously different four Solomon siblings within their own chaotic lives, as they try to keep developers from taking their ancestral land. Each sibling has their own idea how to handle these developers, but can they collectively work together to save it? These siblings felt messy and real, each complex in their own way. I enjoyed the way Harris focused on each siblings personal growth, strong family bond, and of their friendships and romances. After reading this + ONE SUMMER IN SAVANNAH, Harris has become a go-to author for me. I’ll read anything she writes. 4.5 stars — Pub. 5/14/24
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
The US Dept. of Agriculture has recognized heir property as the leading cause of Black involuntary land loss. It’s estimated that between 1910-1997, Blacks lost 90% of farmland worth billions of dollars.]
There’s so much to unpack in LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE that I don’t know where to start. I had no clue nor the legality of developers challenging inherited land. It’s unconscionable this law is still in existence. We need to push for these inherited land laws + any/all loopholes to be changed. That being said, this is one heck of a powerful family saga that brings to life family legacy, facing adversity, embezzlement and blackmail.
When the larger than life King Solomon dies, his last words to his son are “don’t let the white man take the house.” The house he’s referring to is the Solomon’s 1700’s North Carolina plantation home that sits on the Kingdom.. 200 acres the Solomon’s have had for generations where their descendants were enslaved. King Solomon left no will, but there is a checkered uncle who goes against Kings wishes.
Told in four POV’s, we follow the variously different four Solomon siblings within their own chaotic lives, as they try to keep developers from taking their ancestral land. Each sibling has their own idea how to handle these developers, but can they collectively work together to save it? These siblings felt messy and real, each complex in their own way. I enjoyed the way Harris focused on each siblings personal growth, strong family bond, and of their friendships and romances. After reading this + ONE SUMMER IN SAVANNAH, Harris has become a go-to author for me. I’ll read anything she writes. 4.5 stars — Pub. 5/14/24
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
March 13, 2024
After the patriarch dies his children come together to bury him and to settle his estate, which is in danger of being stolen from the family. The adult children all have major personal issues and they do not have a loving or close relationship with each other. The children are the main characters in this book and they are all rather unlikable and are extremely dysfunctional.
The story line did not draw me in as I had hoped. Unfortunately for me this was not an enjoyable or a memorable read.
The story line did not draw me in as I had hoped. Unfortunately for me this was not an enjoyable or a memorable read.
October 23, 2023
I really enjoy the way Terah crafts her characters and stories. They are complex but draw me in. Long After We Are Gone explores one of my favorite genres - family relationships, lies, secrets, difficult situations... this was so well done. Five stars. I will probably read it again for a buddy book read. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
May 30, 2024
After reading One Summer in Savannah I could not wait to read the sophomore book from Ms. Harris.
While this book did not disappoint I can only give it 3.5 stars. The writing is incredible & the plot twists are insane but the ending fell flat & left me confused.
I buddy read this with my Bestie Shaye & we laughed at a lot of the scenes because we’re just unserious like that. Be sure to check the trigger warnings before reading‼️
Yall better not let Tyler Perry or Oprah read this!
While this book did not disappoint I can only give it 3.5 stars. The writing is incredible & the plot twists are insane but the ending fell flat & left me confused.
I buddy read this with my Bestie Shaye & we laughed at a lot of the scenes because we’re just unserious like that. Be sure to check the trigger warnings before reading‼️
Yall better not let Tyler Perry or Oprah read this!
June 22, 2024
This is probably an unpopular opinion. Maybe it is a case of it’s me, not you. This was a book that I had highly anticipated. One Summer in Savannah was a real favorite for me last year. But this book is quite different, both in style and content. And to be fair, the author acknowledges from the outset that this book may be difficult for some to read, and that it contains characters that are flawed and not very likable. Perhaps this won’t be as much of an issue for some.
Some things I liked are the authors' easy style of writing. The premise, pertaining to heir rights, is quite intriguing to me. It’s a subject that can send you down a rabbit hole for information. This kept me reading the book. I often enjoy southern fiction in general, as well. This one just didn’t hit the mark for me, unfortunately.
Some cons for me were that the story felt quite slow. I also felt a lack of investment in the characters. Tokey, I would say, being an exception. She's more of a product of circumstances. I could feel for her. We all have flaws, and some have demons. These characters have them in spades. The amount of steam and crude talk overtook the story for me. It would have made for a more interesting book without it. These are my own personal preferences and opinions.
{borrowed copy}
CW | Contains strong profanity throughout. Homophobia, eating disorders, violence, marital discord and sexual manipulation.
Some things I liked are the authors' easy style of writing. The premise, pertaining to heir rights, is quite intriguing to me. It’s a subject that can send you down a rabbit hole for information. This kept me reading the book. I often enjoy southern fiction in general, as well. This one just didn’t hit the mark for me, unfortunately.
Some cons for me were that the story felt quite slow. I also felt a lack of investment in the characters. Tokey, I would say, being an exception. She's more of a product of circumstances. I could feel for her. We all have flaws, and some have demons. These characters have them in spades. The amount of steam and crude talk overtook the story for me. It would have made for a more interesting book without it. These are my own personal preferences and opinions.
{borrowed copy}
CW | Contains strong profanity throughout. Homophobia, eating disorders, violence, marital discord and sexual manipulation.
May 12, 2024
Honestly, I did not finish this book. I got a little more than half way through and just couldn't bring myself to finish the book. I may pick it back up later to see how everything turns out, but for now, I'm done. The reason I lost interest was the characters. First of all, there are too many characters. The book is written from the point of view of the 4 children, and the chapters rotate between them. However, on top of the 4 children, there are also multiple side characters. It was taking too much to keep up with them
The 4 children have come home to visit when their father, King, passes away. The find out that their family home may be snatched up by a development company, despite the property being passed down through the heirs for decades. The children are terrible people, except for Tokey, who suffers from an eating disorder. I found myself not really caring if the children inherited or not due to their awful choices they made and are continuing to make. From sex for favors, embezzling money, cheating on your wife, and carrying a sledgehammer to solve problems when you are upset.
This just is not the book for me.
I received an Advanced Readers Copy from NetGalley and the publisher in turn for an honest review.
The 4 children have come home to visit when their father, King, passes away. The find out that their family home may be snatched up by a development company, despite the property being passed down through the heirs for decades. The children are terrible people, except for Tokey, who suffers from an eating disorder. I found myself not really caring if the children inherited or not due to their awful choices they made and are continuing to make. From sex for favors, embezzling money, cheating on your wife, and carrying a sledgehammer to solve problems when you are upset.
This just is not the book for me.
I received an Advanced Readers Copy from NetGalley and the publisher in turn for an honest review.
June 3, 2024
LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE by Terah Shelton Harris
Narration by Diontae Black was very well done.
I enjoyed her previous book, One Summer in Savannah, and I enjoyed this one, as well. I am a huge fan of Terah Shelton Harris’ writing style and her artfully done story telling. A generational family drama set in North Carolina, where patriarch King’s last words are, “Don’t let the white man take the house.” Thus, binding his children to the preservation of his legacy, and his dreams.
A family so at odds but also so filled with love. Four siblings that are each battling personal problems, must come together to try and save the Kingdom from a development company.
Touching on buried secrets, forgiveness, love, homophobia, heir property (which I had never heard about), addiction, and violence.
I look forward to more from this accomplished author.
Narration by Diontae Black was very well done.
I enjoyed her previous book, One Summer in Savannah, and I enjoyed this one, as well. I am a huge fan of Terah Shelton Harris’ writing style and her artfully done story telling. A generational family drama set in North Carolina, where patriarch King’s last words are, “Don’t let the white man take the house.” Thus, binding his children to the preservation of his legacy, and his dreams.
A family so at odds but also so filled with love. Four siblings that are each battling personal problems, must come together to try and save the Kingdom from a development company.
Touching on buried secrets, forgiveness, love, homophobia, heir property (which I had never heard about), addiction, and violence.
I look forward to more from this accomplished author.
September 1, 2025
This book is SO GOOD!
The drama!
The love!
The history!
The grief!
The relationships!
I loved that it had 4 characters and EACH of their stories had me locked in until the very end.
I’ll be recommending this over and over again!
Would also make a great book club pick!
The drama!
The love!
The history!
The grief!
The relationships!
I loved that it had 4 characters and EACH of their stories had me locked in until the very end.
I’ll be recommending this over and over again!
Would also make a great book club pick!
Read
December 1, 2024This could’ve been 70 pages shorter and the “emotional eating” piece wasn’t that great imo but this was entertaining and raw. Good for fans of An American Marriage.
January 24, 2024
"Don't let the white man take the house."
They are King's words before he dies, leaving four siblings to fight off a bank claiming they own part of the nearly 200 acres of land in North Carolina. This is not the first book I have read that address heir land ownership this year, it's a hot topic when speaking about African Americans in terms of equity, reparations and our sordid American history. When a person dies without a will, the ownership of land and objects move on to the heirs. This can create a large-scale problem if two brothers, for instance, marry and have children (who have children) creating more and more heirs. It is fairly easy for a large wealthy person/company to seduce one of the heirs into selling their portion which can lead to what can only be compared to as a hostile takeover.
In Long After We Are Gone we watch as siblings scamper to address this takeover of their land following the death of their beloved Patriarch. It's an amazing story on it's own, but Shelton Harris adds 4 incredibly interesting characters for us to follow - There is Junior, the oldest and secretly in love with another man. Mance, who fights his own temper and loses frequently, CeCe, the first daughter who has backed herself into a corner in her work in NYC and Tokey a woman who has succumbed to her own demons and overeats excessively. The four unlikely heroes are brought together and forced to face their childhood, their current obstacles and make peace with each other. I was enthralled by this story and am still thinking about it days after. Shelton Harris has an amazing talent of putting you in the place, and you should grab this book!
#sourcebooks #sourcebookslandmark #longafterwearegone #terahsheltonharris
They are King's words before he dies, leaving four siblings to fight off a bank claiming they own part of the nearly 200 acres of land in North Carolina. This is not the first book I have read that address heir land ownership this year, it's a hot topic when speaking about African Americans in terms of equity, reparations and our sordid American history. When a person dies without a will, the ownership of land and objects move on to the heirs. This can create a large-scale problem if two brothers, for instance, marry and have children (who have children) creating more and more heirs. It is fairly easy for a large wealthy person/company to seduce one of the heirs into selling their portion which can lead to what can only be compared to as a hostile takeover.
In Long After We Are Gone we watch as siblings scamper to address this takeover of their land following the death of their beloved Patriarch. It's an amazing story on it's own, but Shelton Harris adds 4 incredibly interesting characters for us to follow - There is Junior, the oldest and secretly in love with another man. Mance, who fights his own temper and loses frequently, CeCe, the first daughter who has backed herself into a corner in her work in NYC and Tokey a woman who has succumbed to her own demons and overeats excessively. The four unlikely heroes are brought together and forced to face their childhood, their current obstacles and make peace with each other. I was enthralled by this story and am still thinking about it days after. Shelton Harris has an amazing talent of putting you in the place, and you should grab this book!
#sourcebooks #sourcebookslandmark #longafterwearegone #terahsheltonharris
January 17, 2024
Soulful
This was quite the saga, so I took my time with it. I read it in small chunks so that I could savor it. This wasn’t a light read. It required me to sit with my own emotions and failures. The characters were all so damaged, but not broken. That made them feel relatable. By the end of the story, it even made them feel lovable. This was a powerful story of honoring our ancestors and their traditions. It was an emotional look at mending a family that had unraveled.
The writing was excellent. It was so vivid and descriptive. The author did a great job with the character development. She made their flaws feel authentic. She made me want to hug them at times and shake them at other times. I absolutely adored Ellis from beginning to end. He was such a pillar of strength and stability in the midst of so much chaos. Junior grew on me after he learned to love himself. I cheered for him when he finally decided to fight back. By the end of the book, I had become fond of each of the siblings. I was rooting for them and they didn’t disappoint me.
This was such a robust story. It really pulled at my heartstrings. I gave it a four star rating simply because I wanted a better explanation on a few things. The children not having any information on their long lost mother didn’t work for me. The rest of the book was a success. Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Terah Shelton Harris for this advanced copy to review.
This was quite the saga, so I took my time with it. I read it in small chunks so that I could savor it. This wasn’t a light read. It required me to sit with my own emotions and failures. The characters were all so damaged, but not broken. That made them feel relatable. By the end of the story, it even made them feel lovable. This was a powerful story of honoring our ancestors and their traditions. It was an emotional look at mending a family that had unraveled.
The writing was excellent. It was so vivid and descriptive. The author did a great job with the character development. She made their flaws feel authentic. She made me want to hug them at times and shake them at other times. I absolutely adored Ellis from beginning to end. He was such a pillar of strength and stability in the midst of so much chaos. Junior grew on me after he learned to love himself. I cheered for him when he finally decided to fight back. By the end of the book, I had become fond of each of the siblings. I was rooting for them and they didn’t disappoint me.
This was such a robust story. It really pulled at my heartstrings. I gave it a four star rating simply because I wanted a better explanation on a few things. The children not having any information on their long lost mother didn’t work for me. The rest of the book was a success. Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Terah Shelton Harris for this advanced copy to review.
November 30, 2023
I so loved One Summer in Savannah that I was delighted to get this ARC and was just as enamored with this bittersweet story of a family in crisis. As King dies, his last words are, "Don't let the white man take the house." And so begins the tale of siblings, each with their own secrets, failures, and inadequacies, as they attempt to reconcile in the face of adversity as their land is about to be taken away from them. It's a magnificent tale of the siblings' foibles, as well as blackmail, embezzlement, and above all: understanding. And as outsiders try to destroy what was once--and always will be--their property, Harris shows us that the only foundation that cannot be razed is family!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
March 24, 2024
Long After We Are Gone by Terah Shelton Harris
Overall Grade: B
Plot: B
Characters: B-
Writing: A
Ending: A
Pacing: B
Setting: B+
Best Aspect: An important topic and the ending was perfect.
Worst Aspect: Too many characters to make the story as deep as rich as One Summer in Savannah by this author. (One of my top books of all time.)
Recommend: Yes.
Overall Grade: B
Plot: B
Characters: B-
Writing: A
Ending: A
Pacing: B
Setting: B+
Best Aspect: An important topic and the ending was perfect.
Worst Aspect: Too many characters to make the story as deep as rich as One Summer in Savannah by this author. (One of my top books of all time.)
Recommend: Yes.
September 27, 2025
I knew I was beginning a great book when it opened with this quote by Odysseus: "Men are haunted by the vastness of eternity. And so we ask ourselves: Will our actions echo across the centuries? Will strangers hear our names long after we are gone and wonder who we were, how bravely we fought, how fiercely we loved?" And that's really what this book is about--4 siblings who are battling for their inheritance and the complicated process of 'heir property' as well as loving fiercely. (Terah shares that between 1910 and 1997, Blacks lost about 90 percent of farmland that was worth billions of dollars.) As sobering as that statistic and the subject are, what kept me turning the pages were the voices of the 4 siblings. Each individual was so unique and the secrets within the family were so numerous! It's a story about flawed characters that you can't help but root for because of what they have endured and how they are learning to take responsibility for past decisions and to repair relationships. In fact, I love this quote: "You can't change what you did. But you can choose where you go from here." A little tough to read at times, yet written with such description.
January 6, 2025
2nd book of 2025 and I was not disappointed! This was great story and enjoy every minute of it….
December 30, 2023
The sophomore novel by Terah Shelton Harris is a powerful family drama that is a must read!!! I was pulled into this story very quickly and everyone should preorder now!!!
Four siblings gather at the family home in NC after the passing of their father. All four of them carry so much baggage..so many secrets!! Can they come together to try to save the family land?? Can they start to be truthful with each other but more importantly, can they be truthful with themselves??? These four characters are so well written that they will jump into your heart!!!!
Four siblings gather at the family home in NC after the passing of their father. All four of them carry so much baggage..so many secrets!! Can they come together to try to save the family land?? Can they start to be truthful with each other but more importantly, can they be truthful with themselves??? These four characters are so well written that they will jump into your heart!!!!
June 8, 2024
I picked this up without realizing this was the same author who wrote One Summer In Savannah (an excellent book) and once again she’s given us another fantastic story. The way this author paints a picture and writes about flawed, complicated characters is really impressive. I found myself at multiple points being annoyed and/or rooting for these characters; none of them were perfect but they were all so human - in the best possible way.
Overall I really enjoyed this. It was such a rich, wonderful story of Blackness and family and the multitudes of things both of those contain.
Overall I really enjoyed this. It was such a rich, wonderful story of Blackness and family and the multitudes of things both of those contain.
August 31, 2024
3.5 stars ⭐️
I really enjoyed how different of a story this was for me. This felt like historical fiction sometimes because of the history and ancestry of the family. It was a lot to follow, I'm not even gonna hold you. There are four siblings that we follow, though it's written in third person which wasn't the easiest to get me to connect with each character. Unsurprisingly, there are a couple of characters' perspectives that I didn't care about or have as much interest in. It felt like filler or for a conduit for certain information to be revealed in the story, but in terms of the character themselves....yea I couldn't tell you one significant thing about em.
There is a lot of room for growth among the characters. We can tell from reading the back that all four siblings are in a season of conflict/pain so naturally, we assume (or hope) there is some growth to be experienced here. Unfortunately for me, the execution of each person's journey fell short for me. I think this story suffered for me because of the number of main characters. There was definitely potential for an amazing story for each of the characters but there really just wasn't enough time or pages available to give each what they needed. This is not a short book already (and the chapters are MAD long...like 40 pages long!) so to say it needed to be longer...eh. I actually probably would have made four different books--one for each character and then I think it would have hit better.
I do really enjoy the premise of the book and how it ended as a whole?! I got a little misty-eyed. That ending tipped it to 3.5 stars rather than just a 3 for me. The backbone of the plot is strong, the characters...hit or miss mostly because we don't get enough from each. The book is missing something but I wouldn't not recommend it.
I really enjoyed how different of a story this was for me. This felt like historical fiction sometimes because of the history and ancestry of the family. It was a lot to follow, I'm not even gonna hold you. There are four siblings that we follow, though it's written in third person which wasn't the easiest to get me to connect with each character. Unsurprisingly, there are a couple of characters' perspectives that I didn't care about or have as much interest in. It felt like filler or for a conduit for certain information to be revealed in the story, but in terms of the character themselves....yea I couldn't tell you one significant thing about em.
There is a lot of room for growth among the characters. We can tell from reading the back that all four siblings are in a season of conflict/pain so naturally, we assume (or hope) there is some growth to be experienced here. Unfortunately for me, the execution of each person's journey fell short for me. I think this story suffered for me because of the number of main characters. There was definitely potential for an amazing story for each of the characters but there really just wasn't enough time or pages available to give each what they needed. This is not a short book already (and the chapters are MAD long...like 40 pages long!) so to say it needed to be longer...eh. I actually probably would have made four different books--one for each character and then I think it would have hit better.
I do really enjoy the premise of the book and how it ended as a whole?! I got a little misty-eyed. That ending tipped it to 3.5 stars rather than just a 3 for me. The backbone of the plot is strong, the characters...hit or miss mostly because we don't get enough from each. The book is missing something but I wouldn't not recommend it.
February 12, 2024
I really wanted to enjoy this book but the four POV, one from each of the four siblings this book is centered around, felt disparate. There did not seem to be enough cross over or interaction between them to make a singular story and on top of that, they were rather unlikeable, or lacked depth, or both. I DNF'd at 72% which I only pushed myself to because I felt obligated to really try and finish since this was an ARC. I was also not expecting nearly every character to have significant romances resulting in some fairly steamy scenes. That isn't necessarily a reason to like or dislike the book, of course, but few of them seemed to really add to the underlying story.
At the end of the day, I think this book was simply not for me. I will share that the moment I knew a DNF was inevitable was when the youngest sibling began to draw comparisons between her parents relationship (viewed through personal letters) and the relationship one of her siblings was having. 1) She did not seem to have any "ick" regarding reading about her mom getting hot for her dad and 2) her character was so shallow (she had a food addiction) she couldn't even relate it to herself but instead had to reach for the relationship she perceived her sibling to be having. I made it a good bit past that, but I knew that was it for me.
Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the digital ARC I received of this book.
At the end of the day, I think this book was simply not for me. I will share that the moment I knew a DNF was inevitable was when the youngest sibling began to draw comparisons between her parents relationship (viewed through personal letters) and the relationship one of her siblings was having. 1) She did not seem to have any "ick" regarding reading about her mom getting hot for her dad and 2) her character was so shallow (she had a food addiction) she couldn't even relate it to herself but instead had to reach for the relationship she perceived her sibling to be having. I made it a good bit past that, but I knew that was it for me.
Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the digital ARC I received of this book.
January 12, 2024
Terah does it again! She writes another Southern tale centered on family, faith, and fortune. While reading this book, I couldn't help but think about the show Queen Sugar, where estranged siblings come together to run and keep the family's sugar cane farm. I also thought about the beautiful 93-year-old South Carolina woman whom Tyler Perry helped because developers were harassing her about the land that her home resided. In this book, the Solomon siblings, with their respective life trials, come together to save their family home and land from developers. I loved the multiple POV storytelling because I could learn each life story from each sibling's mouth. Their life stories weren't new phenomena; however, they showed how paths of family members can veer off in several ways but can intersect at various points. I loved that we learned about King, the family patriarch, after he died because the multiple other perspectives of his life made the story more interesting. Generational wealth, especially for black folks, often seems to be an uphill battle, and this book highlighted that. We have to work twice as hard to keep our possessions in the familial line, and that's sad.
The ending may surprise folks, but I saw it as a necessary cleansing and reset. Lastly, can we talk about the gorgeousness of the book title? Just gorgeous!
The ending may surprise folks, but I saw it as a necessary cleansing and reset. Lastly, can we talk about the gorgeousness of the book title? Just gorgeous!
May 2, 2024
Long After We Are Gone by Terah Shelton Harris. Thanks to @sourcebookslandmark for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When King Solomon dies, his last words are “don’t let the white man take the house”. Now the Solomon siblings are trying to stop just that, after King died without a will and a developer is after their ancestral home.
I love fiction where you learn facts about society, as disconcerting as they can be. This story is about heir property, which while the story itself is fiction, is the leading cause of involuntary land loss to Black Americans. In my privilege bubble, I had no idea about this concept but I’m glad I was made aware, especially through an entertaining story and family drama. Every sibling was unique and each had their own issues going on. I wish we spent a little bit more time with Tokey, as her backstory was interesting to me.
“There’s an angel and devil in every family and you don’t get to decide which one you are. It chooses you.”
Long After You Are Gone comes out 5/17.
When King Solomon dies, his last words are “don’t let the white man take the house”. Now the Solomon siblings are trying to stop just that, after King died without a will and a developer is after their ancestral home.
I love fiction where you learn facts about society, as disconcerting as they can be. This story is about heir property, which while the story itself is fiction, is the leading cause of involuntary land loss to Black Americans. In my privilege bubble, I had no idea about this concept but I’m glad I was made aware, especially through an entertaining story and family drama. Every sibling was unique and each had their own issues going on. I wish we spent a little bit more time with Tokey, as her backstory was interesting to me.
“There’s an angel and devil in every family and you don’t get to decide which one you are. It chooses you.”
Long After You Are Gone comes out 5/17.
February 21, 2025
As much as I loved One Summer in Savannah this fell a little flat for me 😔. It just seemed like too much going on at once. The pacing kept throwing me off. I'll definitely keep reading from this author but this just wasn't my favorite
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