Crown

by Evanthia Bromiley

A suspenseful, lyrical debut novel tracking three days leading up to the eviction of a pregnant single mother and her nine-year-old twins from a trailer park in the American Southwest.

Jude Woods is on the brink of eviction. Pregnant, jobless, and mother to Evan and Virginia, she has three days to box up her family’s life and find a safe place to live. In the Woods’ quiet trailer park, neighbors keep to themselves, but it’s no secret Jude and her twins are in jeopardy—the eviction notice slapped on their front door like a white shout.

When Jude’s contractions flare just as their power is shut off, she rushes to the hospital instructing Evan and Virginia to hide in their car in the surrounding fields. If the children are discovered outside alone, they will be taken from her. Jude labors through the night in a crowded emergency room while the twins, desperate in the heat of the cramped car and spurred by their wild imaginations, strike out along the dangerous riverbank in search of a new home for their growing family. As night hurtles toward the morning lockout, both mother and children reckon with what it means to live and dream in a modern America insistent on slamming doors.

Poetic and distinct, the voices of the three Woods open to a chorus of waitresses and oil men, veterans and graffiti artists as Crown trawls the laundromats, public bus systems, and waiting rooms of blue-collar America. In this mesmerizing, singular debut, the tenacious spirit of a young family and their community comes to profound and moving life.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Audiobook, Family, Adult, Novels

288 pages, Hardcover

Published June 17, 2025

Reviews

[Shelley's Book Nook · Rating 5 out of 5]

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4.5 Stars

I like this book a lot more than most. Jude has nine-year-old twins Evan and Virginia, and she is very pregnant with her third child. After being evicted from her trailer park home, she only has three days to move. Before she's finished packing, she has to go to the hospital because she's in labour. She leaves the nine-year-old twins alone in her car to hide out in a field. I love that we got three distinct points of view in this one, from Jude, Evan and Virginia; this provided the much-needed window into each of their worlds.

This is an amazing debut that was well written and very emotional, it captured my heart from the first page. It was a suspenseful read that takes place over three days. The author brilliantly weaves a story that is both gripping and touching in equal measure. The author writes about single motherhood, poverty and homelessness with compassion, but she also shows its brutality. We see the characters deal with hopes, fears, and love for each other, and it made me connect with them immediately. And as tense and suspenseful as this story was, it never left me feeling hopeless for the characters.

Overall, Crown is a wonderfully written story that is filled with suspense and heart. This story wasn't just entertaining, it was educational, and I won't soon forget it. It reminded me that in the face of adversity, never let go of the power of hope. This story spoke to my heart and my soul.

This would have been a five-star read for me except for the ending, but I'm rounding up anyway. I'm wondering if there's going to be a sequel. I also like the title and the cover, as you know, crown can relate to being a royal, or it can mean the head crowns during birth. This was a very, very interesting and wonderful debut, and I look forward to what this author has coming up next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Constantine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Literary Fiction

Crown is the debut novel of Evanthia Bromiley, and it follows the story of Jude, a pregnant single mother of 9-year-old twins, Evan and Virginia. This small family is facing an eviction from their trailer park home. It is a story of hardship and struggle.

Without getting into the details, this tale is very relevant in today’s world. This family experiences many difficulties, be it the cut-off of the electricity, the risk of the children being taken away from the mother, or the complications of a pregnancy. All these challenges occur simultaneously.

The writing style is beautiful and has emotional depth to it, despite the book not being a long one. The author concentrates on many themes like poverty, resilience, motherhood, and struggle. What I appreciate about this story is that it sheds light on the lives of marginalized communities in the United States. This is something that not many books do.

Yes, there will be moments that you, as a reader, will feel tense due to the theme, which involves dealing with trauma and child endangerment, but we have to remember this is not fantasy, and whatever happened to this family is also happening to real people, if not worse.

The story is narrated from multiple perspectives, which helps us understand the emotional states of the characters. Though short, this book is hard to read because of its subject, but it is vital for understanding others' struggles.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC of this book.

The Review

[Christy fictional_traits · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Men, money, these things fall from my hands but not children, no; children I can hold'.

Jude is a heavily pregnant, single mother living in a trailer park with her twins, but not for long. Having lost her waitressing job during COVID, she is now about to be locked out of her home with nowhere to go. Over the 3 days the family have left, the reader gets a glimpse into their lives, their neighbours and community. Life is pretty bleak, people are damaged, and although hope is not something present daily, there is a sense of love and care in the community. Problems will not disappear simply because a baby is about to be born however, with every cause there is an effect and just maybe there's hope after all.

'Crown' is told across three POVs. Some chapters are simply a sentence or two. It’s hopeless but it’s hopeful. It’s bleak but beautiful. It's the dark twin and the light twin. It’s lyrical. It's a mood read that will reward readers with its depth of emotion and poetry.

'I hate sleeping. Why? Makes you forget. Then you got to wake up in the morning and the bad has got to happen all over again'.

[TheConnieFox · Rating 3 out of 5]

The “Crown” is a poetic novel about poverty and family bonding. This is the author’s debut novel! This was written in three point of views, the Mom and her two children. This book is about a pregnant Mother and her twins getting evicted from their home and need a place to live. When Covid hits, it changes their lives drastically. The pregnant mother and her twins end up living in a car, which is sad and heartbreaking.

While all of this is going on, they begin imagining what it would be like to feel safe, secure and not having to worry about anything. This is where the family really comes together and bonds, despite their horrible circumstances. I really enjoyed the poetic writing, it was unique. Even though I found this to be a reasonable read, I feel like my only critique would be that the children’s struggles were not explored enough. This was a fast paced, suspenseful read. I felt like it left with a cliffhanger, so I am wondering if another book is in the works. Overall, I give this book a 3 out of 5 stars rating.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Evanthia Bromiley and Grove Atlantic | Grove Press for this digital advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is set to be published on June 17, 2025!

[Sue]

I have decided not to finish this book after completing 33% of it. I took a breather and returned but still found that the book just isn’t working for me. The style, narration by alternating voices of a mother and her young children, I found distracting, especially when coupled with the unrelentingly sad story. There may be some light ahead in this story and it certainly reflects reality in society today, but it is not working for me now.

[Donna Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hard life, hard times and a strong bond that intertwines a struggling family with help from several questionable people throughout this choppy story.

[Donna McCaul Thibodeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jude is pregnant and living in a trailer park, when she receives an eviction notice. She and her nine year old twins, Evan and Virginia, have three days to vacate the premises. When she goes into labor, she hides her car in a field and tells the twins to stay put until she comes for them.
I read this book in one sitting, it was a quick read. It kept me engrossed from the first page to the last. Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley, in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Bronwyn Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short heartbreaking read - reminiscent of Claire Keegan’s work. A pregnant and about-to-be-homeless mother and her 9 year old twins interweave their POV to share a snapshot of life that can’t help but kindle compassion.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lyrical and sparsely written novel centering around a single, pregnant mother and her two twins navigating the world of poverty and homelessness. The twins are busy holding on to each other while dreaming of another life and often dreaming to escape reality while their young mother remembers the past, what moments brought her and her family to where they are now. Evan, the twin brother, speaks to his unborn sibling throughout the novel as if this sibling is his only audience. His encouragement, story telling, and advice to his sibling-to-be is so heartwarming and beautiful. Though dealing with such heavy subjects, this novel was full of hope, childhood innocence, and promise of new life, new beginnings. Here is an exploration of the strength of sibling bonds, the power of community, and what it means to have a home - home as a place and home as people you love

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with these characters and quickly flew through this story. I found it heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once, both defeating at times and inspiring hope within me. I found myself rooting for this family and these children as they navigate such harsh realities. This story pushes readers to consider how our circumstances shape our realities, dreams, and relationships, how we view “home”. Bromiley’s characters may have lacked a physical home to call their own but they always had a home in each other, in their community.

Thank you Grove for the arc!

[Novel Visits · Rating 4 out of 5]

@groveatlantic | #gifted Evanthia Bromiley is the author of 𝗖𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡, one of the most striking books I’ve read this year. This is the story of a young mother with 9-year old twins who’s also very pregnant. It follows them over the 3 days leading up to their eviction from a trailer park they’ve recently called home. What makes it so striking is the way it’s told. Jude and her twins, Evan and Virginia, share the narrative weight, coming at their story of poverty and need, each from their own angle. (The writing style is a bit choppy and without quotation marks, but for me that only added to the story.)⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
There’s no doubt love abounds between this trio, but along the way bad decisions have been made and this isn’t their first eviction. Jude has fought hard to keep her twins with her and they hang onto her with equal resolve, but they’re a hare’s breath away from everything falling apart. The options for another place to stay have dwindled to nothing and a looming birth makes it all so much more complex.⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 gives you a real feel for the hopelessness of poverty and how hard it is to escape. Jude isn’t always a sympathetic character, but she loves her kids and is a fighter. I liked the quickly changing perspectives and how they all wove together to create a singular story. I also liked that it wasn’t without hope and showed a mother’s love in the roughest of conditions. In many ways this book reminded me of 𝘕𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 by Roisin O’Donnell, both about young mothers trying to navigate homelessness. 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 is a little rougher, but also a faster read. This book made me think and feel true compassion for those living with so little support. Bromiley did a beautiful job showing the terror of lives lived on the brink of collapse. A fabulous debut! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣⁣⁣

[Mercuric · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel was challenging to engage with due to its disjointed structure and lack of narrative clarity. Told through multiple voices—presumably the mother, her children, and possibly the father—the perspective shifts were often unclear and difficult to follow. The story begins with a pregnant mother and her children being evicted, then abruptly shifts to the past, including explicit scenes that felt unnecessary and uncomfortable.

The nonlinear timeline, paired with a lyrical, poetic writing style, may appeal to some, but for me, it lacked cohesion and emotional resonance. The absence of quotation marks further blurred the dialogue, disrupting the reading experience and making it harder to connect with the characters.

Though the book aims to explore an important subject, its fragmented delivery and confusing structure ultimately hinder its impact.

A. Emotional Resonance & Inner Life
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Lyrical, raw, and soul-stirring—delivers a visceral emotional experience.

B. Exploration of Womanhood & Identity
⭐⭐:  Touches on gendered themes, but lacks nuance.

C. Prose & Narrative Voice
⭐: Dull, disjointed, or clumsy writing.

D. Character Depth & Personal Growth
⭐⭐⭐: Realistic development and internal conflict.

E. Themes: Relationships, Loss, Growth, Belonging
⭐⭐: Familiar territory, lacking freshness or impact

F. Representation & Inclusivity
⭐⭐: Attempts inclusion, but lacks authenticity or depth.

G. Overall Impact & Lasting Impression
⭐⭐: Some value, but not memorable.

Recommended only for readers who enjoy experimental, poetic narratives and are prepared for a challenging, nonlinear read. Otherwise, it may prove too difficult to follow.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not good. Overly serious—I mean, yes, the book tackles the very serious topic of poverty, I'm not expecting it to be a laugh-a-minute, but it felt ponderous and self-serious (and intentionally Poetic) in a way that tired me. I never want to ask a book to be something it just isn't, so it's probably not fair to want this book to be funny, but I generally find that fiction that examines serious trauma usually succeeds best when there is room for some humor, especially since gallows humor is often how we cope with the worst things in life.

The children in this book are also incredibly precocious in a way I just did not buy. I think Bromiley is trying to write about this subject in a way that does justice to the real people living through this, which I respect, but I also think she overcompensates and therefore tips into poverty porn. The kids are too wonderful, too mature, too sage. And there are some plot developments at the end of the book that are so sentimental they just don't work at all.

We need more fiction that explores these experiences but I don't think this works, unfortunately.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

I read this entire book in one sitting, nothing in this world could have pulled me away from it. The kid’s POVs seemed a little mature for 9-year-olds but I really did enjoy three different perspectives. The whole thing reminded me a bit of “White Oleander” by Janet Fitch and I was just rooting so hard for Jude. I want nothing but good things for this little imaginary family

Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for this arc!

[Susan Kirvan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could hardly put this book down, it was so compelling. The story follows a moment in time in the lives of a young pregnant woman, Jude, and her 9 year old twins, Virginia and Evan. They are on the verge of being evicted from their trailer for not being able to pay the rent, and through the distinct voices of these three characters, I was drawn into the world of what it's like to be homeless in America. The characters and the story itself felt so authentic that I wondered about the author's ability to depict it so well, as if she had gone through something similar herself. My favorite element to this book was the relationship between Evan and Virginia, so heartbreakingly beautiful that I wanted to cry. I also like the way the novel is written, with each character narrating alternate chapters. The chapters themselves are each just a few pages long, or sometimes even shorter, and it makes for a quick read, although I didn't want the book to end, it was that good!

[Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this thought-provoking debut novel that reads almost like a long short story and is best to be divulged in one setting—you won’t want to put it down. The novel starts with a pregnant and about-to-give-birth Jude Woods getting evicted from her trailer with her young twins (Virginia and Evan) in tow. What transpires is an incredibly sad, honest story of the truths many of us do not want to confront but yet we see in our everyday lives: the challenges of being a single mother, the convoluted layers of socioeconomic status and the ensuing judgment of the poor, power imbalance and opportunity between men and women, and our broken healthcare system. However the most profound piece of this novel for me was how one can be on the verge of absolute despair and yet the fortitude to persevere remains endemic to the human experience—this is exemplified by all three of the protagonists. This book is sharp—the dialogue and creativity amongst the twins was perfectly captured and astute as it is obvious they have experienced much more than any 9-year-old child should have to endure. The recurring and metaphorical themes of nature (water, river, trees, Jude “Woods"), the meaning of what and where a “home” truly is and should be, and finally the range of emotion: complete sorrow, anger, despair, love and finally hope is what weaves this story into an engaging and stimulating read. You will laugh and cry while reading this book and it will stay with you long after you have finished it.

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Crown” is a beautiful and unique debut. I felt so many things throughout, but above all was so struck by the portrayal of the poetry of everyday life, particularly the relationship the children have with the natural world around them. Evanthia Bromiley has such a clear love for not only these characters, but for language. A novel for people who appreciate complex female characters, and everyone who sees beauty in the seemingly mundane. Can’t recommend enough.

[Babak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving, imaginative, lyrical, and at times poetic, Crown weaves the perspectives of three members (a pregnant single mom and her twins) of a family on the brink. There are many brinks, in fact, as the story unfolds like a river rushing towards a fall. Like the threads of a waterfall, the polyphonic narrative that emerges from the story's flow is both mesmerizing and awakening to the senses. And if viewed at just the right angle, there is even a rainbow waiting to greet the eyes.

[Kym Harrelson-Pattishall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshingly interesting. I really appreciated this fresh voice and her thoughtfully presented perspective.

[Denise Forrest · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very unusual story. Jude has twins and is pregnant with her third baby but they are being evicted from their home. With no job and little money, she has no idea what she’ll do or where they’ll live.

This could have been a depressing story about the lack of social support in America. Instead it is filled with the beauty of simple things and dreams of what could be. Although there were glimpses into how she felt, such as when Jude threw their belongings into the yard, I felt it downplayed the hopelessness someone would feel in that situation. The poetic style of the book made it more uplifting than it perhaps deserved to be as the book ends with the situation far from resolved.

The story is told through multiple voices - that of Jude and each of her children. It very quickly flits from one to the other.

I found this quite hard to read as there’s a lot of dialogue but no speech punctuation so I had to concentrate to follow the conversation. It’s not a style I particularly enjoyed.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review,

[Susanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, Grove Atlantic | Grove Press and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay in posting, I have had continuing familial health challenges to contend with in the past months.

This debut novel, told in three POVs - a heavily pregnant single mother living on the edge of economic desperation - and her twin children, is at times difficult to read. The non-linear structure and the at times puzzling perspective shifts and coded language made it hard to connect with the characters. Nevertheless, it's an emotional read that exposes the raw need and lack of good choices that many living on the edge of society experience. This is not something I would normally pick to read, so I do not want to judge harshly. If you enjoy experimental narratives, this is the book for you.

[J Kromrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Grove Atlantic and Netgalley for this eARC.

Evanthia Bromiley’s debut novel Crown is a lyrical, heart-wrenching portrait of a family on the edge—of eviction, of collapse, of reinvention. Set in a post-pandemic trailer park in the American Southwest, the novel follows Jude Woods, a pregnant single mother, and her nine-year-old twins, Virginia and Evan, as they navigate three harrowing days that test the limits of endurance, imagination, and love.

Jude is out of options. Her waitressing job vanished with COVID, her power’s been shut off, and the eviction notice on her trailer door is a countdown to displacement. When she goes into labor unexpectedly, she leaves her children hidden in a car near the hospital, knowing that discovery could mean separation by child services. What unfolds is a dual narrative: Jude’s solitary labor in a crowded ER, and the twins’ odyssey through riverbanks and forgotten corners of their city, searching for a new home for their growing family.

Bromiley’s prose is incandescent. She writes with a poet’s ear and a social worker’s eye, capturing the textures of poverty without sentimentality. Phrases like “raven-silent” and “rushaway road” shimmer with originality, while the children’s voices—alternately fierce, funny, and frightened—anchor the novel in emotional truth. The alternating perspectives of Jude, Virginia, and Evan create a chorus of resilience, each voice distinct yet harmonized by shared longing.

Survival, Imagination, and the Myth of the American Dream
Crown interrogates the fragility of home in a country that often equates worth with stability. Bromiley doesn’t romanticize poverty, but she does illuminate the dignity within it. The twins’ invented games, their botanical knowledge of the land, and their fierce loyalty to each other become tools of survival. Jude’s refusal to name the baby’s father—writing “N/A” on hospital forms—is a quiet act of autonomy in a system that demands explanation.

The trailer park, the riverbank, the laundromat—these are not just backdrops but battlegrounds. Bromiley renders the Southwest with a sensory richness that evokes both beauty and desolation. Nature is not a refuge but a mirror, reflecting the family’s precarious place in the world. The title Crown itself is a quiet provocation: Who gets to wear one? What does sovereignty look like when you’re living in a car?

Crown is a stunning debut—urgent, poetic, and deeply humane. Bromiley doesn’t offer easy redemption or tidy resolutions. Instead, she gives us a story that pulses with life, even in its darkest corners. It’s a novel about what it means to be seen, to be safe, and to be sovereign in a world that often denies all three.

[Aika Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

* warning: may contain spoilers *

Crown is a book that I may describe like an indie movie. The book is a deep exploration of family bonds and survival set against the times of the pandemic - when the world was hit by the Corona Virus. It talks about a family of three, Jude the mother, Evan and Virginia the twins as they navigate the challenges of life during a time of crisis.

The novel employs a fragmented storytelling style, with multiple dialogues woven throughout the chapters. While this approach aims to provide depth, I had a hard time reading the dialogues in this book. Sorry! I found the dialogue challenging to follow, and the characters’ identities occasionally unclear—particularly with Evan and Jude's names creating moments of confusion ( or maybe it is just me )

Virginia 1/2 of the twins, characterized as hard headed and courageous, often takes the lead in challenging situations. Her determination is compelling, especially when she and Evan must fend for themselves while their mother is in labor. This moment highlights the siblings' bond and their struggle for autonomy amid chaos.

However, the background of the Sleepless Man, introduced as a mysterious figure, feels underdeveloped ( actually all of the characters in this book.) His abrupt shift to a helping role at the story's climax left me wanting more depth and context to understand his motivations fully. The ending is also a cliffhanger.

The narrative captures the harsh realities faced by families without homes and financial stability, making it a stark reflection of the pandemic's impact on vulnerable communities.

While the writing is beautiful and the imagery is strong, the book could use more character development and clearer dialogue to make it easier to engage with.

I received this book from Netgalley. Thanks to the publisher and author.

#Crown #NetGalley

[Stephanie Carter · Rating 2 out of 5]

More poetry than novel.

It started off well with a beautiful depiction of the natural world. As a fish & wildlife biologist, I really appreciated the imagery I perceived as the author described the river and wetlands surrounding the Woods' home and neighborhood. And while I enjoyed the general plot of the "novel", the story of eviction, motherhood, and family during COVID, I would have appreciated it far more if it were actually written as a novel. Like I said in the beginning, it feels more like one very long and continuous poem than a single, well-designed novel. The lack of a table of contents, uppercasing, quotation marks, and general grammar issues like run on sentences drove me nuts and made me question if the book had even been edited at all. (In case you're wondering, a quick look at the acknowledgements said it was).

Though the story is short enough to read in one sitting (about 2-3 hours), it was absolutely painful for me to do so. I had to keep stopping because I just couldn't get into the style of writing used by Evanthia Bromiley. There are several conversations that occur in the book that leave you wondering who was speaking at each point and what is actually going on. I'm sure some people can get into it and may even love the way it's written; however, I'm not one of them. I'd have no problem retelling the general story to others but I wouldn't recommend anyone to actually read the book.

*Note: I received a print copy of the uncorrected proof through a Goodreads giveaway on March 1, 2025.

[Nicole Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A woman may never be more vulnerable than while giving birth. Childbirth is not a time for a woman to think logically or exercise her executive function. She's a portal. Something powerful is happening TO and THROUGH her. That said, this is novel bordering on psychological horror, as one woman's time to labor ticks down while her responsibilities just keep getting tougher and more urgent...

The main characters are a woman single-parenting young twins and enduring late pregnancy, and the twins themselves. She and her children are almost totally unsupported by the infrastructure of the society they live in. She loses her job due to the pandemic, they are evicted, and the situation is unstable at best, looming crisis and breakdown at worst.

Poetic balance between concepts is this novel's beauty. Being metaphorically "crowned" is a symbol of importance, existing on a pedestal as a sacred mother. "Crowning" is the most painful, vulnerable point of a mother splitting open to welcome a child. "Home" is stability and comfort, and being "homeless" is a stigma that's massively hard to overcome. Even though "mother is home" for children, part of facing poverty and homelessness is too often separation of children from their family of origin.

If you've seen or read Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, you can probably expect to have some familiar experiences reading Crown. It's part dysfunction porn, part vibrant celebration of life and imagination, part childhood resilience and working class grit, part bittersweet redemption.

[Abigail Monti · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there were such a thing as literary Impressionism, Crown would be it. The prose is hazy and precise in the way that only poetry can be. It was the kind of book you devour in a single day, racing through the pages even as you dread the ending. It’s the kind of book that insists on being read quickly, but lingers long after.

What struck me most was how the novel held such opposites in tension: it’s as full of hope and wonder and love as it is of pain and hunger and fear. There’s no neat separation, no clean border between beauty and brutality.

The shifting perspectives are another of Crown’s strengths. Each voice (Jude, Virginia, and Evan’s) is impressively distinct, yet together they weave into one overarching narrative that feels almost choral. I was impressed by how much raw youth the author managed to imbue into Evan and Virginia, while Jude’s voice carried a weight and maturity far beyond her 25 years. The book never lingered in one headspace too long, instead flitting between them like a ladybug caught on the wind.

And then there was the final perspective: you. I can’t say I’ve ever read a novel where the reader is asked to embody an unborn child. It was fascinating, odd, and strangely impressive. I’m always a fan of a daring second-person perspective, and this one made me sit up straighter. It’s a choice that could have gone wrong in less capable hands, but here it felt bold and eerily fitting.

I’d recommend Crown to lovers of literary fiction and poetry, or to readers who aren’t afraid of a novel that’s more atmosphere than plot.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Copy provided by publisher]

READ IF YOU LIKE...
• Children's perspectives
• Beautiful imaginations that can only come from the hope of children
• Strong mother/children bonds

I THOUGHT IT WAS...
A novel that, while written artfully, doesn't feel like it's telling anything particularly new. Jude is 25, a mother to nine-year-old twins, heavily pregnant, and facing eviction in three days. When she goes into labor on the last day, she does the only thing she can think of that will keep her family together: She hides their car in a field and tell her children to stay put while she heads to the hospital.

I enjoyed the experience of reading through this novel. The prose is lyrical, sometimes close to poetic. The chapters from the perspective of Jude's children can sometimes feel scattered and chaotic, but I feel like it mimics well what it's like to be in the mind of a high-energy nine-year-old. However, I do think some of those chapters leaned too literary for that perspective.

What I struggled with was the story overall. I believe the novel is meant to highlight the overlooked people living in poverty in small pockets of America. While it accomplishes that, it also doesn't add anything new to the conversation. We've read these stories before. The parts I liked most showed how people facing hardship can still band together as a community, supporting each other even when they don't have much to give. But those parts happened quickly and then the book was over.

[Mrs. Varela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Evanthia Bromley had me at the first page with character descriptions from her debut novel, Crown. It is an emotionally gripping story about what happens when life shoots bullet after bullet at you. The story of Jude and her nine-year-old twins, Virginia and Evan, is one of survival and resilience.

Single Black mother Jude Woods has lost her job, is due to give birth any day, and has been served an eviction notice. When any day comes, it brings complications that make her life even more difficult. She knows it is time to go to the hospital and tells the children to hide in the car, where they cannot be seen. What ensues proves the strength of a woman and how she ingrained that same strength in her children. Told from the perspective of each of the main characters, I understood why Bromley chose to add the “persons of drama” at the opening of the book. As I read the story, the imagery of what they were thinking and living became vivid to me. This story reveals the real challenges people face when they fall through the cracks of the system and into poverty. I am not a big fan of literary fiction, but I am glad that I took the chance to read this book. I hope the author writes more of this family’s story in a different genre.

Many thanks to Netgalley for gifting this book to me for my honest review.

[Sherry Moyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three days.

That’s how long Jude Wood has before she and her nine year old twins, Evan and Virginia, will be evicted from the trailer they rent in the American southwest. Jobless and partnerless, she is running out of time to find a place to live.

Jude is also days away from her due date. Her third child is about to be born.

When the eviction notice is taped to the door and Jude’s contractions begin, she has to think fast.

In a Volkswagen she buys with her last $108 dollars, Jude takes her kids to a hidden lot and tells them they must wait in the car for her. That she will return for them once the baby is born.

Laboring in the emergency room, Jude fears her children will be taken from her; meanwhile, Evan and Virginia find the heat in the car oppressive and embark on a journey into the night.

All three members of the Wood family, each with a distinct, lyrical voice, share what it’s like to live in a country that tells you to dream and slams the door in the face of those dreams time and again. Through interactions with various members of their blue collar community, the unending spirit of hope pushes its way through the darkness.

Thank you to @grove for the opportunity to read this ARC. It’s due to be released June 17, 2025. I loved it.

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up

[jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

💌 Thank you so much to @groveatlantic for sending me an ARC of this beautiful book. It’s out now and I highly recommend picking this one up!

This fragmented, stream of consciousness, poetic portrayal of poverty, single-motherhood, and compromised childhood — is painfully real. I know Jude. There were times I WAS Jude. I’ve made different choices than her, sure, but similar mistakes and faced the same systems and outside judgements.

What do I even say? This was great. It’s about the resiliency, exhaustion and pain of people (children) living in poverty, unhoused and unsupported. It’s a\bout the systems created that limit the help a person can even ask for, let alone receive. It’s about living inside the judgement of people who don’t have to “try” thinking all you need to do is “try”. It’s about being “trash” to those people and treated like it. BUT… it’s also about the ferocity of love single, impoverished mothers feel and the sense of community built in forgotten neighborhoods.

I genuinely can’t get into it but this felt incredible accurate and I believe it highlights problems in the welfare systems, and the ways in which the places families on assistance can go to for help, often FURTHER the experiences of shaming or vilification. An important read with stark reality but love and hope, throughout.

[Anastasia Kar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of quiet heartbreak. 


Jude Woods has no way out. Heavily pregnant and mother to nine-year old twins, the woman finds herself in the brink of despair. Having lost her job in the dawn of the pandemic, she makes do with any way she can. Her house is in a trailer park in the Southern States, and when the police come to put an eviction notice on her humble abode, she finds herself stranded. 


But it gets worse. 


When Jude finds herself getting into labour, she has to make sure her twins are okay, too. But it's all so sudden, and so she just instructs them to power through the night, staying in their car. And while she is in labour, the kids just try to stay together and fend off their fears. 


This was a powerful narrative, spanning to the three days between the eviction notice of the Woods family and the admittance of Jude for her labour. It's lyrical, and there lies its intensity in revealing the all-too-real struggle for survival in a place where there is no way to receive a helping hand when you're down. 


My thanks to Netgalley and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.