The Great Wherever

by Shannon Sanders

From an award-winning writer, a debut novel that’s a fresh and dazzling portrait of a family and its history in the American South, from Reconstruction through the present day

At thirty-two, Aubrey Lamb is stumbling into adulthood. A semi-employed gig worker in Washington, DC, she's grieving the recent loss of her father and the end of a relationship that she’d thought would lead to marriage. When Aubrey learns that she has inherited a shared stake in a sizable Tennessee farm from her father, she simply sees an opportunity to get out of the city—and the potential to erase a mounting pile of debts.

Upon her arrival in Lanyer County, though, Aubrey meets the relatives with whom she shares ownership of the farm, and discovers the backstory of the land, beginning with her great-grandfather Thomas—one of the first Black landowners in his community, who gave his four children a homestead on which they could flourish.

But the land proves to be a burdensome inheritance. Over the years, it divides the family, turning Thomas’ descendants against each other and drawing the attention of external forces only too eager to wrest the land from Black hands. These struggles come to a head when a catastrophic tragedy befalls the Lambs, splintering the family and echoing down through the decades, with repercussions for Audrey herself.

As Aubrey learns this history from her living relatives, the ghosts of her ancestors interject with their own exasperated, gossipy commentary on the flaws and foibles of relatives living and dead, and stake their own claims on the farm.

Injecting the expansive family sagas of Honorée Fanonne Jeffers and Margaret Wilkerson Sexton with a very modern voice, The Great Wherever is at once grand and intimate; it explores the ways we learn to define ourselves through and against our family, how we carry on after loss, and how the past lives on in all of us.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Family, Literary Fiction, Family Drama, Race

416 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication July 7, 2026

About the author

Shannon Sanders is a writer and attorney and the author of the short story collection Company. Sanders’s short fiction was the recipient of a 2020 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers and has appeared in several publications including One Story, TriQuarterly, Joyland, Electric Literature, and elsewhere. She lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with her husband and three sons.

Reviews

[Liz Hein]

The Great Wherever opens with someone, our main narrator, telling us they have passed. We know she was in her twenties when she died and that we are going to be in good hands for the next 400 pages. In few words, we quickly come to know this narrator and how hilarious yet thoughtful she is. She is thinking about her outfit and calling herself an ho bag. From her vantage point, looking down on the living is better than the best reality tv. We then meet Aubrey, our central character. She has been dumped, she’s lost her wallet, and is just a bit of a mess. She learns that she has inherited a shared stake in land once owned by her father. She doesn’t know her family that also have a shared stake, but that’s all about to change. Aubrey is about to learn about her ancestors, and we will too as these gossipy haunts help us make connections.

This is one of my favorite literary family sagas I’ve read in some time. One of those books that I couldn’t wait to get back to. From Reconstruction to present day American South, we trace ancestry and all it holds. It’s important to know the tracing isn’t linear, and for me, that made it even more engaging. There is a lot of loss in this book, and the way Sanders put words to loss was moving and so very relatable. Like reaching for a loved one’s face and the sound of their voice when you can only do that with your mind. I loved it. Thank you @henryholtbooks for the e-galley. The Great Wherever publishes July 7th.

[Ellen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful in the most haunting way. I loved Audrey and the way she connects with her ancestors. It was fascinating to see how the plot plays out over the years and the family issues were so relatable. This is one of the greatest family sagas I’ve ever read. It hooked me in and I was gasping for air by the end. The characters are unforgettable! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Dawn529 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartwarming, multi-generational saga that feels deeply real.

Solid 4 stars! This book drew me in from the start. I loved the ghostly element woven into the story and how much the characters are invested, both financially and emotionally, in the family homestead. It was fascinating to see how each generation wrestled with decisions about who deserved the land and how to preserve such a meaningful legacy.

The characters shine with authenticity, flaws and all. Their struggles and losses resonate across the years, and I found myself rooting for them to make the right choices. The writing style is warm and inviting. Almost like a friend sitting down to tell you a story, which makes the narrative even more engaging.

Thank you to the author and Henry Holt & Co. for the ARC. I truly enjoyed this book!

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me about 20 pages to settle in but after that it was the kind of story you think about while you're doing other things and can't wait to get back to. The cast of characters was pretty large and while that can sometimes be a drawback, it worked well here, really giving it a "family history passing down through generations" vibe. (We've all heard stories of this family member and that one, we know we're related but forget how, and stories are passed from generation to generation.) I would love to see a family tree (family Bible style!) drawn up and added to the book. I especially liked the family ghosts, it made me wish for/wonder if my own family ghosts are around somewhere.
The book was full of family drama in the way that all families are, there are a few surprises among the branches of the family, but at the root of it there is love and connection, something we seldom appreciate when we have it but long for when its gone.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

[Jonah 🫶 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much for the author and publishing team sending me an ARC via physical copy!

Writing:
I felt the writing was good but it definitely could have been better. I enjoyed the descriptions and character development though it was just missing something from me.

Characters:
I loved how this story incorporated ghost’s! It was really interesting to read from their POV and I have not read much like it! There were a lot of characters(ghost’s) so it was hard for me at times to recall all of them and what they and stuff. But it was still enjoyable.

Plot:
I felt the plot was very different and intriguing. I could really see the vision the author had when writing the story and the way she developed the story was good!

Extra thoughts:
This wasn’t my main genre I go to when reading (lit-fic) but again, this was still an enjoyable read and I would recommend you pick it up if you like complex characters, ghosts, fiction! Thank you again to the author and publishing team for sending me an ARC!

[Shirleynature · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wise and wry African American family saga includes an insightful view of land stewardship and inheritance, non-linear multi-generational storytelling, complete with benevolent ghosts of passed generations, rooted in western Tennessee, charming and deeply relatable, and is perfect for fans of Happy Land by Dolan Perkins-Valdez and Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders!!! Much heartfelt gratitude to Shannon Sanders, Henry Holt and Co, and Netgalley! Publishing in July 2026 and absolutely a best of this year!

[Hannah]

One of those books I knew I was going to love and then (surprise!) did love. I was a big fan of Sanders's first book, Company, so it was very rewarding to revisit familiar characters and then expand on them in a rich and rewarding way. (This book stands alone, though, so you won't miss anything if you read it before reading Company.) I love multigenerational stories, ghosts, and smart, complex characters, and this novel has all of those things. I thought it was very clever the way Sanders uses the ghosts' limited omniscience to explore the inner lives of the family members, past and present. The characters felt like real people with nuanced differences but familial similarities.

[Emily Poche · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Henry Holt & Company for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders is a sprawling American family epic, spanning generations. Centered around a family farm in rural Tennessee, Aubrey is surprised to find that in the wake of her father’s death that she is the partial owner of the Lamb family farm. With a tumultuous personal life, she must grapple with her way forward, the context and sordid history of the family told from four ghosts tied to the land.

This book has a languid, Tennessee summer pace to it. The book, which switches between a ghostly narrator and a third person present account, tells a twisting and multigenerational account of the Lamb family, its triumphs and falls. The slow pace of this story is absolutely an intentional choice, because as the story grows and spirals and magnifies with each cousin, lover, or daughter, it becomes more and more apparent how the property is more than a house and land, but as a symbol of love, resilience, and of generational promise. I think that this is such a beautiful sweeping family epic that really defines the American dream.

The character work in this book is superb. Each of the different family members are well differentiated, and they are a layered college of hopes, faults, strengths, and ideosyncracies. Lena, Peter, Joah, and Elijah are particularly well written.

Another thing I really enjoyed is the motif that recurs across characters of an unwanted or unexpected pregnancy. For some characters termination is a relief, for others is is a great sadness that defines their lives. One female character, by contrast, is so affected by the very idea of an unwanted pregnancy that she gets on birth control pills well in advance of needing them. What I loved about this was the very frank discussion that not all women feel the same way about an unexpected pregnancy. Their reactions are unique and reflect the time, the character, and their circumstance. It also makes it clear that the lives of these characters are often shaped by these decisions in a way that the male characters are exempted from.

In general I thought this was a really compelling piece of literature. I loved the layered voices and cast or richly crafted characters. Don’t let the slow pacing deter you from a vivid and rich story. 5/5!

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders is a novel I feel grateful to have read. I received an advance review copy from NetGalley, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

From the first pages, the writing is lyrical and  flowing in a way that makes it a true pleasure to read. There’s an elegance to Shannon Sanders’ prose; it's eloquent, and I found myself slowing down simply to savour it. This is very much a character led novel, and I was deeply invested in the slow, careful unfolding of each life on the page. The characters feel real and complex, layered with contradictions, regrets, and longings that feel deeply human.

I particularly loved the way the ghosts are woven through the story, and the gradual revelation of the narrator’s identity was handled beautifully, adding quiet depth. The dual timelines are seamlessly done, allowing the past and present to speak to one another in a way that feels truthful and emotional.

The land itself feels like a character; alive with history, holding generations within it. As a multi-generational family saga, this novel explores family bonds, grief, nostalgia, regret, and the complicated ache of belonging. It moved me and stayed after I'd turned the final page.

I honestly didn’t want this novel to end. It’s one I’ll be thinking about for quite some time and one I will absolutely be recommending.

[Preeti Mahatme · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Great Wherever is strong literary fiction about family, identity, memory and the messy, loving entanglements that come with them. It stands out for character depth and emotional honesty. It's a family saga centered around a Black family in Tennessee. The patriarch Thomas although descended from slavery uses his sheer grit and hard work to make his way up in life. He builds a homestead on his own land purchased from his employer's family. The novel touches upon issues of race, class, identity, inheritance and family dynamics. There is a multitude of characters, and a family tree may help keep track of them. Starting slow, I found the book to be unputdownable somewhere past 30%. I loved it and totally recommend for fans of family drama.

Thank you Henry Holt for the ARC

[Nicole Miletta Schilling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much Goodreads for hosting the giveaway that won this ARC for me! I was very excited to read it based on the description.
The book started VERY slow for me. Around page 60 I started to become more intrigued. However, parts of it were just way too long and unnecessary to keep my attention. There were pages I just skimmed. I didn’t need a description of Aubrey’s UTI every paragraph repeatedly. I just didn’t like Aubrey. She was whiney, lazy, and had no sense. I did not feel bad for her at all. She needed to make better choices. Which I guess made the point in the end.
Some sections were very good. I loved the perspective of the passed on family members. Telling the family stories through their eyes was a great way to do it. I loved the living cousins. The way they accepted Aubrey and her flaws was very heart warming.
Ultimately this book is the telling of a family history using living family members in present time and dead family members from the great Wherever.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am grateful to Goodreads for being chosen to win this book. A family saga exploring the ways we learn to define ourselves through our family. How we carry on after loss & how the past lives in all of us.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aubrey Lamb is having a bad day (or week or month) when her boyfriend, Boyd breaks up with her after many years of an exclusive relationship. Her father has recently passed and her no-where-ville job is defeatist. To make matters worse or at least more unsettling, she receives word of an inheritance in a Tennessee farm.

So, she takes time off to travel from D.C. to Tennessee to meet with cousins who are both distant figuratively and geographically. Once there, even amidst her depression and alcohol infused days, she sees the beauty and connects with the relatives.

All the while, four deceased loved ones are watching, critiquing, and bemoaning the fact the the property may possibly be divided or sold. These ghosts are trying to sway Aubrey in the right direction and do what is right to honor the sacrifices and foresight that past generations made. Their voices are telling and give us insight into the past.

The Great Wherever is a nicely written saga of the Lamb family. Past lives mean something. Modern lives must acknowledge the family’s farm as a place where history is worth saving and preserving.

4 1/2 stars which would have been bumped up to 5 if the incessant ongoing description of Aubrey’s UTI didn’t make me groan. Not to mention, the infuriating and repeated description of Boyd’s ‘whiteness’. Nonetheless though a great story.

[Kaila Alao · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Henry Holt and Company for sending me this ARC!

This was such a wonderful book! The characters were deep and engaging and well-developed. The storylines were cohesive and it was a haunting and beautiful and deeply moving tale. This is one book that will stay with me for along time.

[Mainlinebooker · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Great Wherever, Shannon Sanders offers a quietly ambitious meditation on inheritance—of land, of memory, and of the often invisible threads that bind one generation to the next. The novel asks, with a kind of patient insistence, what truly anchors a family to a place: is it the soil itself, the house that stands upon it, or the accumulated rituals of living—meals shared, grievances nursed, love imperfectly expressed?
The narrative orbits the Lamb family’s Tennessee property, tracing its passage across generations before settling, somewhat uneasily, in the hands of Aubrey. She arrives at the story frayed and uncertain, her personal life in retreat and her finances dwindling. An unexpected offer to purchase her share of the land presents itself not as a simple opportunity, but as a moral and emotional crossroads. Sell, and secure immediate relief; stay, and assume stewardship of something far older—and more complicated—than herself.
Sanders structures the novel as a layered chronicle, moving fluidly through time to illuminate the lives that have imprinted themselves upon the land. We witness familial tensions, small betrayals, reconciliations, and moments of deep tenderness, all of which accumulate into a kind of emotional topography. The land becomes less a backdrop than a living archive, bearing the residue of those who have loved and lost upon it.
It is here that the novel introduces its most distinctive—and, for some readers, perhaps most divisive—element: the presence of ancestral spirits who linger, tethered to the property and to those who inherit it. I will admit that I am not, by inclination, drawn to ghost stories; too often they feel like narrative contrivances rather than organic extensions of character or theme. Yet Sanders employs this device with a lightness that renders it less gothic than reflective. These spirits do not intrude so much as observe, offering a quiet, almost tender witness to Aubrey’s faltering attempts to understand her place within the family continuum. Even for a skeptical reader, their presence comes to feel less like hauntings and more like memory given form.
Aubrey’s journey, seen through both her own struggles and the watchful gaze of her forebears, acquires a gentle poignancy. As she walks the property—the peach orchard, the pond, the house itself—each space seems to murmur with inherited significance. Her ultimate decision is therefore not merely financial, but existential: a question of whether one can ever truly disentangle oneself from the stories that precede them.
What lingers after the final page is not the spectral element, but the novel’s abiding sense of intimacy with its characters. Sanders renders the Lamb family in all their contradictions—fractured yet bound, distinct yet inextricably linked. For readers who appreciate multigenerational sagas, this is a richly textured exploration of how identity is shaped not only by the lives we lead, but by the lives that echo within us.
Though it skirts the edges of the supernatural, The Great Wherever is, at its heart, a deeply human story—one that suggests that home is neither solely a place nor solely a people, but an evolving conversation between the two.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt and Co for this ARC! The Great Wherever publishes 07/07/2026!

What ties family to their home? Is it the land itself, the location itself; or is it the people who gather and break bread together? The Great Wherever follows the Lamb family and their property as it flows through multiple generations, all the way to Aubrey.

Aubrey is hanging on by a thread. The relationship she expected to lead to an engagement abruptly came to an end, and she is living off of the last few pennies in her bank account. A brief glance at her email has opportunity falling into her lap in the form of an offer to buy the family land in Tennessee, of which she has partial ownership. 

The land has been in the Lamb family for multiple generations. Starting with the purchase and original house build, trickling down from father to son, mother to daughter. In the Great Wherever, we follow these family members, in each generation, through their ownership - seeing the family feuds, the drama, and the tender moments too. And these family members have left their mark on the land in the form of spirits who are tethered to the land and the members set to inherit the land next.

Our experience of following Aubrey is done through the eyes of her ancestors and family, who are watching her stumble, fall, and pick herself back up again. And now they watch as she comes to Tennessee to see the land that's been promised to her, and as she weighs the decision that's been handed to her during this tumultuous time in her life. Is Aubrey going to make a decision that puts money in her pocket when she needs it the most? Or will she be wooed by the different areas of the property - the peach orchard, the pond, the house - and decide to keep it in her hands?

I really enjoyed my time with the Lamb family, seeing their interactions from the outside looking in, just like the family spirits who watch over them as well. I think anyone who enjoys a family saga, or a multigenerational story, will enjoy his book! Shannon Sanders did a great job bringing the member of this family to life, each of them so very different in their own ways while still being tangled up together in the ties that bind family together.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars: At times this novel reminded me of the film Sinners in the way it explores inheritance, family legacy, and how the past continues to shape the present. The story centers on generations of a Black family connected to land in Tennessee and the long effort to hold onto it.

The present day storyline follows Aubrey, who travels to Tennessee after a breakup and the death of her father to visit family land she has partly inherited. Her storyline was the easiest for me to follow, though at times she came across as a bit immature for her age.

I appreciated many of the ideas the novel explores, including the experiences Black women navigate in their daily lives, as well as the pressures and hopes surrounding motherhood, interracial relationships, and class differences. The choice to have a deceased family member observing events from the other side was also a unique narrative touch.

Where I struggled somewhat was with the large number of multigenerational characters. The story moves between past and present while revealing family history in pieces, and it sometimes took effort to keep track of everyone. Still, I found the larger history of a Black family working across generations to keep their land compelling.

Overall, I admired the ambition of the story and the important history at its center. I just wish the narrative had been a bit more streamlined so the emotional impact of the family story could come through more clearly.

Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt and Company for sending this DRC book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so well written, and it's modern in language, real in scenes and people, and I would read any book this author pens. I wasn't smitten with the story, and yet, it seemed so realistic. I would like to read something else the author has done, because I think I would like a different story more.

You have to love some of these characters! The story tells about a house and extensive property that is owned by some of the descendents of the original person/couple who built the home and cared for the land. There are basically 4 family members, one of whom is younger and newer to the past history of the house. A decision must be made about whether to sell the home and land or keep it in the family, where it has been for generations. Of course, there are many circumstances and events in the lives of this family that come into consideration.

Then there are 4 ghosts from different generations who live on this property. Occasionally, selected living people are allowed to see them, from a bit of a distance, but mostly the spirits are helpless to affect decisions. Or are they?

They don't want to lose their home, and some of the 4 family members involved want to keep the property, even if they cannot currently live there. The evil is a wealthy family that lives on the next property and they want to own more land. How will this sweet little family fight the big guys who have enough money and power locally to get what they want?

Read the book to see!

[Meliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨ ARC REVIEW ✨

3.5 ⭐

This is a thoughtful and ambitious novel that delves into connection, identity and relationships. 🤍 There’s a lot of care put into exploring those in-between life moments that don’t always get talked about.

The writing is often lyrical with a solid VOICE that brings emotional depth to the novel.

The settings feel grounded and lived-in, and there’s a strong sense of place that anchors the story. ⚓️

The first person narrative is often a MYSTERY… and while this ambiguity can be intentional and even effective at times, it occasionally made me confused and sometimes left me wanting a bit more clarity or development. That being said the paranormal / magical realism element was incredibly UNIQUE and really added to the narrative at times!

BUT… the biggest issue for me was the pacing… it can feel uneven at times and it just felt slow for me 🫠 I get that it’s meant to be subtle and introspective, but at times it dragged a bit too much and I found my attention wandering, so not every story lands with the same impact! It felt slightly fragmented and I don’t think the novel consistently hit its full potential 🥹

The standout for me was definitely the characters. They feel super real and LAYERED. Everyone has their own complexities, contradictions, and emotional depth, which made the stories feel meaningful even when not much was “happening.” 😅

If you love character-driven, literary fiction with a soft, THOUGHTFUL tone, you’ll probably really appreciate this💭 But if you need a stronger plot or faster pace, this might feel like a bit of a slog. It’s way more about character, VIBES and emotions than plot.

Overall it is beautifully written with amazing character work… I just wish it had a little more momentum 💨


Thank you Penguin Random house and Net Galley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review 🙏

[Emboldened · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company, and Henry Holt and Co. for this ARC of "The Great Wherever" in exchange for my honest review.

The writing hooked me immediately—I was six chapters in before I realized it. The book tackles microaggressions Black women face both now and historically, explores the longing and "settling" women consider to fulfill their dreams of motherhood, and examines the ups and downs of interracial relationships and clashing social classes. The POV—a deceased family member watching from the other side—was a unique touch, and I found myself cheering for the characters, hoping they'd make the right choices. It was easy to connect with them because we all have "those" family members.

That said, the plot fell flat at times. Aubrey was kind of annoying and very immature for her age. There are a lot of characters due to the sprawling family tree, and you have to keep track of them all as the story flips back and forth between past and present. The family history and tragedies are told in a very roundabout way—delivered in pieces rather than unfolding naturally over time. At one point the narrator even jokes about keeping up with all the names, and honestly? So true.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Thirty-two-year-old Aubrey Lamb didn’t see the break-up coming. Add the recent loss of her father, and the heartbroken woman find herself struggling more than usual.

The inheritance of her father’s stake in a Tennessee farm, purchased by her great grandfather, provides Aubrey with an opportunity to leave Washington D.C. and reconnect with her family. What will happen if the land, once the property of one of the first Black landowners in the community, is sold?

=========

This multigenerational tale of the Lamb family . . . complete with the thoughts of four ghosts who have made the farm their home . . . provides readers with much food for thought. What makes a family? What role does history play in the story of the family?

The inclusion of the ghosts gives readers some laugh-out-loud moments as the ancestor-spirits help tie the past and the present together and provide insight into the family’s backstory. Atmospheric and heartfelt, the unfolding story will capture readers with its haunting beauty.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Henry Holt & Company / Henry Hold and Co. and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.
#TheGreatWherever #NetGalley

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a debut novel that is audacious in its structure and, fortunately for the reader, the author navigates it rather effectively. As someone who very much fancies generational family sagas, this was a pleasant surprise in its ability to move forward-and-back through time while maintaining organization and a sensible progression in the “present” timeline.

The novel is at once subtle in some themes and overt in others; the protagonist often being the last one to catch on, regardless. Relatedly, the protagonist is frustratingly immature but it’s not something borne of poor characterization that other characters fail to see, thankfully. In many ways her petulance makes the rest of the novel possible.

Finally, the voice; refreshingly contemporary but not in a heavy-handed or obnoxious way. Certainly an interesting choice to angle the entire novel from a deceased relative of the protagonist, but one that seemingly works. While I’m left with a few questions pertaining to some of the minutiae, I must otherwise tip my cap to the author for an excellent debut!

Many thanks to Emily at Henry Holt & Co. for the ARC.

[Rae | The Finer Things Club CA · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 is a captivating family saga, told from different points of view across generations. But the primary protagonists are directionless 32-year-old Aubrey Lamb and a mysterious, ghostly relative watching over her. Aubrey is beautiful but listless, smart but feeling stifled by her family’s Black excellence. Reeling from an unexpected break-up and uninspiring gig work, she impulsively travels from her cramped Washington, D.C. apartment to the sprawling Tennessee farmland that has belonged to the Lambs for almost a century. There, she meets long-lost relatives and an epic family history unfolds. A story with roots in enslavement and dotted with success and loss, love and betrayal, joy and heartbreak.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 is a beautifully written and fascinating novel. Though it does take a while for the plot to gain momentum and the family tree to make sense, ultimately it is a well-crafted multigenerational story that will appeal to historical fiction lovers who enjoyed 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘊𝘢𝘬𝘦 and 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘧. 4.75 stars rounded up. Thank you to Henry Holt and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Keeley Ribchester · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found The Great Wherever to be a beautifully written and deeply immersive read as well as a wonderful introduction to Shannon Sanders’s work. The novel’s blend of multigenerational storytelling, family legacy, and the haunting presence of the past created a narrative that felt both intimate and expansive.
The dual perspectives following Aubrey’s journey alongside the voices of her ancestors for me added remarkable depth and emotional resonance. The writing was rich and evocative, bringing both the setting and the characters vividly to life while exploring themes of inheritance, identity, and belonging.
Thoughtful, atmospheric, and quietly compelling, this was a novel that lingered long after the final pages. I will certainly be seeking out more from this author.
I strongly recommend this book upon release and envision it being highly talked about and a popular addition to many readers tbr.

[Val Millard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aubrey thought her boyfriend was going to propose when she was meeting him for dinner. She was shocked when it was the opposite and he wanted to pause their relationship. Her father had recently died and this with the break up sent her into a spiral of drinking too much. She’d missed a lot of emails from a cousin asking whether she was going to join him on a trip to Tenesee to to visit the family farm and extensive lands she had partly inherited from her father. With hardly any money left in her bank account, she uses it for a cheap flight to meet her relations and see her inheritance. They have to decide if they want to keep the farm in the family or sell it.
While on the trip Aubrey learns a lot about the generations of her family and how hard they worked to escape slavery and become landowners and how important this family farm is to them all. The ghosts of previous generations are around to fill in the beginning of the story. An unusual book.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway, and I enjoyed the time I spent in Shannon Sanders' world. Aubrey took some time for me to appreciate, perhaps primarily because I didn't need to hear so much about her bathroom travails.

Despite that one criticism, I was so moved by the richness of the other characters, their love for their families, and their love for the land. I fell in love with Thomas and Darla's land right alongside them and ached with their losses - especially as the gift they were proud to pass down to generations of ancestors instead caused more pain. Somehow even though Sanders makes the reader keenly feel the tension among family members, their love for and dedication to each other shone through in equal measure. Maybe it was that dichotomy that made the characters come alive so vividly because anyone in a family has likely felt that same push and pull. Sanders has built a beautiful world here, and I am grateful for the time I spent in it.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beginning in the current day with Aubrey, a thirty year old who finds she has inherited part ownership of a Tennessee farm.
The inheritance has come at a point in Aubrey’s life when she desperately needs a distraction.
This book moves from Aubrey’s trip to that Tennessee farm to meet her relatives, who are also inheritors, to the history of the farm.
Moving back through time, her family tells their story of that farm and their lives from generation to generation. A Black family who persevered through the years and spread into all areas of society. Adding to the story are the dead, those family members still linger at the farm, watching everything and everybody, commenting on their observations.
At times, this confluence of characters can be confusing as the narrators change from the living to the dead.
Very well written, amply descriptive, with distinctive characters and an excellent story to tell.
Reviewed as an ARC from LibraryThing.

[Rebecca Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A multi generational historical saga set in Tenesse on a homestead which is passed down through the ages. Exploring slavery, family dynamics, death, grief and inheritance.

However the story begins with Aubrey, a girl who is a very immature 32 year old who finds herself dumped by her wealthy boyfriend. To get over the break up she visits the family homestead that was left to her in her father's will I did find Aubrey difficult to like. However the true hero of the book is Thomas - Aubrey's great-great- grandfather and his children.

I really enjoyed the book but it could definitely benefit with a family tree as there are lots of characters and I found myself struggling to remember who was related to who. Also with 3 different voices, it does jump about but I found myself being able to get into the flow of the story

[Katy Wheatley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the way that this multi-generational family story was constructed. Instead of the traditional, linear narrative we have ghosts from different generations of the family, some of whom were not able to pass on, but who are stuck on the family land, watching the comings and goings of their direct descendants, some of whom can see them and some of whom can't. The protagonist, Aubrey is very much alive and making a complete hash of her life. She is messy, impetuous and self-sabotaging. She is also one of the four extant family members who has inherited the land on which the ghosts reside. When Aubrey reluctantly goes out to visit the plot and becomes entangled with her own family history, what she decides to do in the here and now will directly affect not just the family to come but also those who preceded her. This is warm, witty and well told.

[Hamad Naif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher Henry Holt & Company for this incredible ARC.

The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders is a tender novel that will stay with me for a long time.
Four generations of the Lamb family, a Tennessee farm soaked in history, and the ghosts of ancestors who literally watch and judge the living from the sidelines — and honestly? They're the funniest, most heartbreaking part of the whole book.
Sanders writes with this rare ability to hold grief and humor in the same breath without either one losing its edge. Aubrey inherits more than land — she inherits a whole history she wasn't ready for, and watching her reckon with it is stunning.
If you love multigenerational family sagas, ghosts with opinions, and prose that genuinely makes you feel things — this one's for you.