What do you think?
The Great Wherever
The dead are relentless gossips, or at least these dead are.
An impulsive and heartbroken woman inherits her father’s share of a Tennessee farm that is rich in family secrets and occupied with busybody ghosts in this sweeping family portrait.
At thirty-two, Aubrey Lamb is stumbling through adulthood. An underpaid gig worker in Washington, DC, she’s grieving the end of a serious relationship and the recent loss of her father. When Aubrey learns she has inherited his stake in a sizable Tennessee farm she sees an opportunity to get out of the city—and to erase a mounting pile of debt.
Watching her arrival with great interest are four ghosts—Aubrey’s ancestors, who’ve staked their own claims to the farm and who never hesitate to pass judgment on the mistakes made by the living, whether romantic, financial, or sartorial. As Aubrey reconnects with her living family, another story unfolds in parallel: the history of the land, beginning with its purchase by Thomas, Aubrey’s great-grandfather and one of the first Black landowners in his community. Though Thomas hopes to give his children a homestead on which they could flourish, the land proves to be a burdensome inheritance. Over the years, it turns the Lambs against one another, culminating in a catastrophic tragedy that splinters the family and echoes through the decades.
Now, as the clock ticks on a potential sale of the farm, the ghosts fear expulsion from the home they’ve made, and Aubrey must weigh the hopes and burdens of her forebears with the very real needs of her future.
An expansive family saga told with a wry and distinctly modern voice, The Great Wherever is at once grand and intimate; it explores the ways we learn to define ourselves through and against our families, how we carry on after loss, and how the past lives on in all of us.
An impulsive and heartbroken woman inherits her father’s share of a Tennessee farm that is rich in family secrets and occupied with busybody ghosts in this sweeping family portrait.
At thirty-two, Aubrey Lamb is stumbling through adulthood. An underpaid gig worker in Washington, DC, she’s grieving the end of a serious relationship and the recent loss of her father. When Aubrey learns she has inherited his stake in a sizable Tennessee farm she sees an opportunity to get out of the city—and to erase a mounting pile of debt.
Watching her arrival with great interest are four ghosts—Aubrey’s ancestors, who’ve staked their own claims to the farm and who never hesitate to pass judgment on the mistakes made by the living, whether romantic, financial, or sartorial. As Aubrey reconnects with her living family, another story unfolds in parallel: the history of the land, beginning with its purchase by Thomas, Aubrey’s great-grandfather and one of the first Black landowners in his community. Though Thomas hopes to give his children a homestead on which they could flourish, the land proves to be a burdensome inheritance. Over the years, it turns the Lambs against one another, culminating in a catastrophic tragedy that splinters the family and echoes through the decades.
Now, as the clock ticks on a potential sale of the farm, the ghosts fear expulsion from the home they’ve made, and Aubrey must weigh the hopes and burdens of her forebears with the very real needs of her future.
An expansive family saga told with a wry and distinctly modern voice, The Great Wherever is at once grand and intimate; it explores the ways we learn to define ourselves through and against our families, how we carry on after loss, and how the past lives on in all of us.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published July 7, 2026
About the author
Shannon Sanders
9 books208 followersShannon 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,036 reviews
July 1, 2026
summer is made for family sagas.
https://emmareadstoomuch.substack.com...
this is such a fresh take on the (beloved, but admittedly very done) generational family drama. the angle of the genre is often that our ancestors are not long gone, but an inescapable part of our story. this just makes it literal.
our protagonist goes beyond "hard to like" for me and is hard to tolerate. i hate when women are referred to as girls, but for this 32 year old i understood the repeated choice to do so. surrounded by countless more interesting and complex ghosts and relatives and decisions.
still i was completely caught up in the emotional journey this took me on, and when the end came it was unwelcome to me.
bottom line: hard to forget.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
https://emmareadstoomuch.substack.com...
this is such a fresh take on the (beloved, but admittedly very done) generational family drama. the angle of the genre is often that our ancestors are not long gone, but an inescapable part of our story. this just makes it literal.
our protagonist goes beyond "hard to like" for me and is hard to tolerate. i hate when women are referred to as girls, but for this 32 year old i understood the repeated choice to do so. surrounded by countless more interesting and complex ghosts and relatives and decisions.
still i was completely caught up in the emotional journey this took me on, and when the end came it was unwelcome to me.
bottom line: hard to forget.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
July 31, 2026
This is the Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club August 2026 selection and a 2026 Summer Reading Guide Minimalist Pick. The author will join us for a live discussion!
A powerful multigenerational saga about inheritance, a family farm, and meddlesome family ghosts. Things are tough for 32-year-old Aubrey: she’s broke, fresh off a break-up, fighting with her sister, and grieving her father’s death. But things start looking up when she learns her father bequeathed her his share of his family’s Tennessee farm. But little does she know, the farm is haunted by four hilarious, opinionated family ghosts who are deeply invested in that property—and, by extension, Aubrey. As Aubrey travels to Tennessee to connect with her father’s family and—to their horror—contemplate selling her share to a developer, the ghosts unspool the history of the land and how they came to haunt it. I ate up this debut.
A powerful multigenerational saga about inheritance, a family farm, and meddlesome family ghosts. Things are tough for 32-year-old Aubrey: she’s broke, fresh off a break-up, fighting with her sister, and grieving her father’s death. But things start looking up when she learns her father bequeathed her his share of his family’s Tennessee farm. But little does she know, the farm is haunted by four hilarious, opinionated family ghosts who are deeply invested in that property—and, by extension, Aubrey. As Aubrey travels to Tennessee to connect with her father’s family and—to their horror—contemplate selling her share to a developer, the ghosts unspool the history of the land and how they came to haunt it. I ate up this debut.
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April 7, 2026The 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.
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.
July 28, 2026
4.5★
"His grandfather had maintained a successful cotton plantation on the site, wielding business acumen and unfettered cruelty to extract every penny of profit from it for generations."
Thomas Lamb was the grandson of a slave who bought his freedom from the Lanyer family before the Civil War came along and freed his son, Somebody Lamb, so called because his name was lost in history.
Thomas is a key to this story, as he was the man who bought the land that became the family farm around which everything revolves - families, memories, and ghosts.
This is my kind of ghost story. Thomas is the great-grandfather of 32-year-old Aubrey Lamb, who works in Washington D.C. and lives with roommates. She's 'almost' engaged to wealthy Boyd, with whom she's been for the past four years.
As the book opens, she's headed for dinner at a favourite restaurant, and for once, it's not on the usual Discount Day. This hints at something special…finally!
"Boyd came from wealth of a degree at which most small measures of thrift were immaterial, but a class that dictated he pretend otherwise. You know the type, but Aubrey hadn’t at first. It didn’t truly matter to his bank account whether they waited to visit the Marigold on a discount day. But it was important to Boyd’s self-image that they do so. He was two iPhones behind and didn’t eat at trendy places; all his nice clothes had been gifts."
Sadly, he seems to have outgrown Aubrey, who is now alone and broke. Her father had raised her on his own most of her life, and he'd died last year, so her only family is her bossy, older sister Bellamy's family of devoted husband and little kids. And Bellamy has a home and no roommates.
"In recent months, since resolving their father’s estate, Bellamy had moved with her family into their childhood home in the suburbs and now lived there, wearing marriage like a mantle. Her husband was doting, her children gifted and adorable. Bellamy’s Howard and Georgetown degrees hung alongside family photos in the sitting room that had once been their father’s office."
Aubrey, on the other hand, has been told she's inherited a piece of a farm in Tennessee. When she's asked by a cousin to please come to visit the farm and discuss its future with him and other relatives, she figures why not? She's been in an alcoholic haze after the bust-up and needs to get out of D.C. and dry out.
There is a 'choir' of four family ghosts at the farm who occasionally pop up to narrate and discuss the loyalties, the rivalries, the betrayals…and a murder. They also each recount their own histories and compare notes on who saw what.
[My ARC preview copy does not have a family tree, but I gather the 'real' books do. I hope so. I hope the audio has some kind of cheat-sheet, too.]
Thomas is the central character, the man who at 32 decided in 1933 it was time he had some land. He had carried on his grandfather's successful leatherworking trade, and his wife, Darla, taught school. He found the farm je wanted and wandered all over its 150 acres, loving it.
"He’d reached another wall of oaks, on the other side of which his map told him he’d find a small body of water encircled by the same. He stopped to listen, and sure enough, there, beneath the birdsong, was the liquid purl of a pond nearby. Parting a tangle of tree limbs, he passed between the oaks, thinking of his boys and how happy they’d be to have a pond to themselves…
… he heard, nearby, a woman’s gentle laughter.
He snapped his eyes across the water, and there on the opposite bank, lovely in a beige cotton shift dress that hung to her slender knees, stood his great-grandmother Zena."
Thomas and Darla bought it, built a house and moved in with their two sons, Elijah and Joah, later adding a third son, Peter, and daughter Darlena (Lena).
Joah was Aubrey's grandfather, and when she goes to the farm to meet her cousins, she learns who's who and what the farm means to each of them. Between them and the ghosts, (who share the minds and experiences of their family... intimately!) we get a vivid feel for the place.
Here is Lena, Joah's sister.
"We get to be where our people are, perched on their shoulders, figuratively speaking. Some of our people, at least. We can enjoy, almost limitlessly, our hosts’ living bodies, their rich troves of memory. Every dank private emotion they’ve ever felt; every buttery, lemony bite of fish they’ve ever tasted and bothered to remember. And for all intents and purposes, we live here now, on this farm we never got to inherit. Without even trying, we see what happens here, overhear all sorts of conversations, from banal to explosive. Better than the best reality TV."
There is a scene where Aubrey is inviting a visiting real estate salesman into the farmhouse for a cool drink. It is unbearbly hot and she has already noticed him 'noticing' her as they've walked around the farm. She has enjoyed the attention and flirts as she walks in.
"It had been a while, but muscle memory kicked in. She sent a hip out to one side and slowed her blinks."
She had the house to herself at the moment.
" Aubrey herself was purely glad it was happening.
. . .
And most of all for the silence that enveloped them, all hundred and however many acres of it, not a roommate or a judgmental older sister within miles. For the absolute privacy.'
My Lord, wailed Zena. The things these girls do these days.
Oh, just stop it, we others said. Zena likes to act scandalized, but we don’t buy it. She’s seen more than any of us. No point in fretting over what 'girls these days' are doing when there are bigger things to worry about."
Loved it! For those who care about punctuation, the real people have quotation marks when they speak, but the ghosts' dialogue just slips into their narration.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Penguin for a copy of #TheGreatWherever for review.
P.S. I found a family tree in the Amazon kindle preview.
"His grandfather had maintained a successful cotton plantation on the site, wielding business acumen and unfettered cruelty to extract every penny of profit from it for generations."
Thomas Lamb was the grandson of a slave who bought his freedom from the Lanyer family before the Civil War came along and freed his son, Somebody Lamb, so called because his name was lost in history.
Thomas is a key to this story, as he was the man who bought the land that became the family farm around which everything revolves - families, memories, and ghosts.
This is my kind of ghost story. Thomas is the great-grandfather of 32-year-old Aubrey Lamb, who works in Washington D.C. and lives with roommates. She's 'almost' engaged to wealthy Boyd, with whom she's been for the past four years.
As the book opens, she's headed for dinner at a favourite restaurant, and for once, it's not on the usual Discount Day. This hints at something special…finally!
"Boyd came from wealth of a degree at which most small measures of thrift were immaterial, but a class that dictated he pretend otherwise. You know the type, but Aubrey hadn’t at first. It didn’t truly matter to his bank account whether they waited to visit the Marigold on a discount day. But it was important to Boyd’s self-image that they do so. He was two iPhones behind and didn’t eat at trendy places; all his nice clothes had been gifts."
Sadly, he seems to have outgrown Aubrey, who is now alone and broke. Her father had raised her on his own most of her life, and he'd died last year, so her only family is her bossy, older sister Bellamy's family of devoted husband and little kids. And Bellamy has a home and no roommates.
"In recent months, since resolving their father’s estate, Bellamy had moved with her family into their childhood home in the suburbs and now lived there, wearing marriage like a mantle. Her husband was doting, her children gifted and adorable. Bellamy’s Howard and Georgetown degrees hung alongside family photos in the sitting room that had once been their father’s office."
Aubrey, on the other hand, has been told she's inherited a piece of a farm in Tennessee. When she's asked by a cousin to please come to visit the farm and discuss its future with him and other relatives, she figures why not? She's been in an alcoholic haze after the bust-up and needs to get out of D.C. and dry out.
There is a 'choir' of four family ghosts at the farm who occasionally pop up to narrate and discuss the loyalties, the rivalries, the betrayals…and a murder. They also each recount their own histories and compare notes on who saw what.
[My ARC preview copy does not have a family tree, but I gather the 'real' books do. I hope so. I hope the audio has some kind of cheat-sheet, too.]
Thomas is the central character, the man who at 32 decided in 1933 it was time he had some land. He had carried on his grandfather's successful leatherworking trade, and his wife, Darla, taught school. He found the farm je wanted and wandered all over its 150 acres, loving it.
"He’d reached another wall of oaks, on the other side of which his map told him he’d find a small body of water encircled by the same. He stopped to listen, and sure enough, there, beneath the birdsong, was the liquid purl of a pond nearby. Parting a tangle of tree limbs, he passed between the oaks, thinking of his boys and how happy they’d be to have a pond to themselves…
… he heard, nearby, a woman’s gentle laughter.
He snapped his eyes across the water, and there on the opposite bank, lovely in a beige cotton shift dress that hung to her slender knees, stood his great-grandmother Zena."
Thomas and Darla bought it, built a house and moved in with their two sons, Elijah and Joah, later adding a third son, Peter, and daughter Darlena (Lena).
Joah was Aubrey's grandfather, and when she goes to the farm to meet her cousins, she learns who's who and what the farm means to each of them. Between them and the ghosts, (who share the minds and experiences of their family... intimately!) we get a vivid feel for the place.
Here is Lena, Joah's sister.
"We get to be where our people are, perched on their shoulders, figuratively speaking. Some of our people, at least. We can enjoy, almost limitlessly, our hosts’ living bodies, their rich troves of memory. Every dank private emotion they’ve ever felt; every buttery, lemony bite of fish they’ve ever tasted and bothered to remember. And for all intents and purposes, we live here now, on this farm we never got to inherit. Without even trying, we see what happens here, overhear all sorts of conversations, from banal to explosive. Better than the best reality TV."
There is a scene where Aubrey is inviting a visiting real estate salesman into the farmhouse for a cool drink. It is unbearbly hot and she has already noticed him 'noticing' her as they've walked around the farm. She has enjoyed the attention and flirts as she walks in.
"It had been a while, but muscle memory kicked in. She sent a hip out to one side and slowed her blinks."
She had the house to herself at the moment.
" Aubrey herself was purely glad it was happening.
. . .
And most of all for the silence that enveloped them, all hundred and however many acres of it, not a roommate or a judgmental older sister within miles. For the absolute privacy.'
My Lord, wailed Zena. The things these girls do these days.
Oh, just stop it, we others said. Zena likes to act scandalized, but we don’t buy it. She’s seen more than any of us. No point in fretting over what 'girls these days' are doing when there are bigger things to worry about."
Loved it! For those who care about punctuation, the real people have quotation marks when they speak, but the ghosts' dialogue just slips into their narration.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Penguin for a copy of #TheGreatWherever for review.
P.S. I found a family tree in the Amazon kindle preview.
August 12, 2026
I liked the premise of this book about the history of a farm in Tennessee that’s been owned by the same black family since the 1930s.
Now, I wasn’t a fan of the main character. Aubrey is in her early 30s and one of those women still struggling to grow up. She’s just recently gone through a major breakup and isn’t handling it well. She travels to the property when she learns her recently deceased father left his share in the property to her. There, she meets the other three family members that own the other shares. The reason for the meet-up is to discuss a developer's offer to buy the property.
While I wasn’t a fan of Aubrey’s, I appreciated her financial situation being different than the other owners. The dilemma felt very real. In fact, the gist of the story is what does - or doesn’t - bind a family together when individual goals don’t align.
I loved the narrator of the story - a ghost who “lives” on the family farm along with three other ghosts. Their goal is to keep the property in the family because who wants to spend eternity in a Costco. Through the ghosts, which act like a bit of a Greek chorus, the reader learns the history of the family. I was intrigued by each generation. I applaud the author because despite all the characters to keep track of, I never felt it was a problem.
My thanks to Netgalley and Henry Holt and Company for an advance copy of this book.
Now, I wasn’t a fan of the main character. Aubrey is in her early 30s and one of those women still struggling to grow up. She’s just recently gone through a major breakup and isn’t handling it well. She travels to the property when she learns her recently deceased father left his share in the property to her. There, she meets the other three family members that own the other shares. The reason for the meet-up is to discuss a developer's offer to buy the property.
While I wasn’t a fan of Aubrey’s, I appreciated her financial situation being different than the other owners. The dilemma felt very real. In fact, the gist of the story is what does - or doesn’t - bind a family together when individual goals don’t align.
I loved the narrator of the story - a ghost who “lives” on the family farm along with three other ghosts. Their goal is to keep the property in the family because who wants to spend eternity in a Costco. Through the ghosts, which act like a bit of a Greek chorus, the reader learns the history of the family. I was intrigued by each generation. I applaud the author because despite all the characters to keep track of, I never felt it was a problem.
My thanks to Netgalley and Henry Holt and Company for an advance copy of this book.
November 2, 2025
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.
August 17, 2026
the setup…
Aubrey Lamb is a bit of a mess. At thirty-two, she has multiple jobs in Washington DC that are leading nowhere, is suffocating with debt, still grieving the recent death of her father and her boyfriend of four years just dumped her. When her Tennessee cousins reach out to her about the potential sale of her stake in family property left to her by her father, it feels like some sort of lifeline. That farm, purchased by her great-grandfather Thomas Lamb back in the 1930s when it was extraordinary for a Black man, is rich in family history…and ghosts who seemed to be moored to a pond on the property.
the heart of the story…
I found Aubrey frustrating and immature, seeming to stumble through life unfocused, so different from her older sister Bellamy. But the trip to Tennessee is life changing as she walks into a legacy she’d never known. The main narrator is one of those ghosts who is “attached” to her and the transitions to each generation’s story was equally grounding and fascinating. The ghosts were indeed gossipy in the way that felt familiar and like my own family.
the narration…
Keylor Leigh had the daunting task of managing multigenerational voices for a host of characters and she delivered. She’s also a wonderful storyteller.
the bottom line…
The themes of family, legacy and heritage are resounding here. There was a direct tie between Aubrey’s lack of a foothold in life and not knowing her powerful roots. The Lamb family patriarch was an unusual man in his time and left an incredible footprint. I loved the lively, colorful ghosts and their stories who, together with the living, gave Aubrey a pathway to light.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
Aubrey Lamb is a bit of a mess. At thirty-two, she has multiple jobs in Washington DC that are leading nowhere, is suffocating with debt, still grieving the recent death of her father and her boyfriend of four years just dumped her. When her Tennessee cousins reach out to her about the potential sale of her stake in family property left to her by her father, it feels like some sort of lifeline. That farm, purchased by her great-grandfather Thomas Lamb back in the 1930s when it was extraordinary for a Black man, is rich in family history…and ghosts who seemed to be moored to a pond on the property.
the heart of the story…
I found Aubrey frustrating and immature, seeming to stumble through life unfocused, so different from her older sister Bellamy. But the trip to Tennessee is life changing as she walks into a legacy she’d never known. The main narrator is one of those ghosts who is “attached” to her and the transitions to each generation’s story was equally grounding and fascinating. The ghosts were indeed gossipy in the way that felt familiar and like my own family.
the narration…
Keylor Leigh had the daunting task of managing multigenerational voices for a host of characters and she delivered. She’s also a wonderful storyteller.
the bottom line…
The themes of family, legacy and heritage are resounding here. There was a direct tie between Aubrey’s lack of a foothold in life and not knowing her powerful roots. The Lamb family patriarch was an unusual man in his time and left an incredible footprint. I loved the lively, colorful ghosts and their stories who, together with the living, gave Aubrey a pathway to light.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
September 10, 2026
This was a story about a family trying to hold on to a piece of land during troubling times and the loss of family members.For those who think that this is a ghost story it really isn’t, it is more about the land and the loss that families have to deal with through many life experiences and the consequences that affect them. I liked the way it was written and how we learned about life’s tragedies and how a family can drift apart and come together.
July 1, 2026
When all the 1 star comments are angry racist white folks, you KNOW it's gonna be a good book. Just purchased and I can't wait to read it as soon as it gets here!
Edit: I finally got around to reading this. The writing was beautiful and I loved the characters. However, I found it very difficult and confusing to stick with the timelines, who is a ghost and when, etc. I'd prefer it have been formatted with more dates and names. I think the choice not to include those distracted from the journey.
Edit: I finally got around to reading this. The writing was beautiful and I loved the characters. However, I found it very difficult and confusing to stick with the timelines, who is a ghost and when, etc. I'd prefer it have been formatted with more dates and names. I think the choice not to include those distracted from the journey.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.25 This story follows a meandering, back-and-forth timeline of a farm purchased in 1933. Thomas Lamb being one of the first Black members of the community to buy land in Serviceberry is incredibly impressive, and the book thoughtfully traces the inter-generational drama linking our main character, Aubrey, back to her great-grandfather.
The premise of ghosts interjecting to help tell the history is a great concept, but the execution faced some issues. With constant timeline jumps and a massive multi-generational cast, it was quite difficult to keep the characters straight—especially in audio format; this might be easier to follow in print or e-book. There were also some pacing issues where my interest would fluctuate. While the story has so much potential and a wonderful core idea, the narrative overall perhaps needed to be reworked a bit more.
This book is for readers who love multi-generational family sagas, historical fiction with a touch of magical realism, and stories centered on land and legacy.
The premise of ghosts interjecting to help tell the history is a great concept, but the execution faced some issues. With constant timeline jumps and a massive multi-generational cast, it was quite difficult to keep the characters straight—especially in audio format; this might be easier to follow in print or e-book. There were also some pacing issues where my interest would fluctuate. While the story has so much potential and a wonderful core idea, the narrative overall perhaps needed to be reworked a bit more.
This book is for readers who love multi-generational family sagas, historical fiction with a touch of magical realism, and stories centered on land and legacy.
July 14, 2026
4.25 stars. What a debut. The storytelling made both the past and present feel equally alive and deeply connected.
After her fathers passing, our main character Aubrey Lamb inherits her family’s Tennessee farm that she never knew existed. The farm is where she sees and communicates with the ghosts of her ancestors, who are still present, and keeping watch over the land they fought to keep. Narrated in part by the ghost of a young woman, the story weaves past and present together in such a powerful way. As Aubrey navigates her grief, strained relationship with her sister, and complicated history with her ex-boyfriend, she’s also faced with the threat of developers like the Lanyers who want to take the land away from her family.
I really loved this fresh take on family history. As the story reaches back to ancestors once enslaved by the very family that owned the property before them, it becomes a moving, multigenerational story about legacy, resilience, and what home truly means. It’s beautifully written, emotional, full of heart, and is such a meaningful read. Would recommend. 📖🎧 Pub. 7/7/26
After her fathers passing, our main character Aubrey Lamb inherits her family’s Tennessee farm that she never knew existed. The farm is where she sees and communicates with the ghosts of her ancestors, who are still present, and keeping watch over the land they fought to keep. Narrated in part by the ghost of a young woman, the story weaves past and present together in such a powerful way. As Aubrey navigates her grief, strained relationship with her sister, and complicated history with her ex-boyfriend, she’s also faced with the threat of developers like the Lanyers who want to take the land away from her family.
I really loved this fresh take on family history. As the story reaches back to ancestors once enslaved by the very family that owned the property before them, it becomes a moving, multigenerational story about legacy, resilience, and what home truly means. It’s beautifully written, emotional, full of heart, and is such a meaningful read. Would recommend. 📖🎧 Pub. 7/7/26
July 25, 2026
This was a really good historical fiction, multigenerational family debut. I really enjoyed it. Aubrey is grieving the loss of her father and the break-up with her boyfriend. She finds out she inherited a shared stake in a Tennessee farm. She heads to Tennessee and meets the family that she now shares this farm with. I loved seeing Aubrey get to know them, and the family drama that ensued. I thought it was really cool to have parts of the book told through the POV of a ghost. I won't spoil who it is! There was some humor in the book too which I always love. It didn't take me too long to get invested in the story and I read this one pretty fast. I'll definitely read this author's future books.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
July 7, 2026
3.5 stars "The dead are relentless gossips, or at least these dead are. -- An impulsive and heartbroken woman inherits her father’s share of a Tennessee farm that is rich in family secrets and occupied with busybody ghosts in this sweeping family portrait."
Aubrey Lamb is thirty-two and has recently lost her father and gone through a breakup. On top of it, she has a mountain of debt and is short on cash. When she learns that she is inheriting a large interest of land from her father, she optimistically travels from DC to Tennessee thinking this could solve her problems.
The story is told in past and present by ancestors who have passed on. This family saga has a large cast of characters that are fully fleshed out. The writing is beautiful with vivid prose. Aubrey meeting her relatives she didn't know about is a heartwarming part of the story that I loved. At times, the pacing was lost as the order of timelines got a bit mixed up. A thorough edit of the timelines for certain stories would have been beneficial to the flow of the narrative. Parts are told with humor and warmth, especially with the ghosts who seem to be all knowing but have little impact on the living which frustrates them. I do think this is a worthwhile read as I enjoyed reading about some of the first black Tennessee landowners in the early 1900s. It also captures human behavior and family dynamics very well when an inheritance is involved.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Henry Holt and Shannon Sanders for the gifted advance reader's copy. All opinions are my own.
Aubrey Lamb is thirty-two and has recently lost her father and gone through a breakup. On top of it, she has a mountain of debt and is short on cash. When she learns that she is inheriting a large interest of land from her father, she optimistically travels from DC to Tennessee thinking this could solve her problems.
The story is told in past and present by ancestors who have passed on. This family saga has a large cast of characters that are fully fleshed out. The writing is beautiful with vivid prose. Aubrey meeting her relatives she didn't know about is a heartwarming part of the story that I loved. At times, the pacing was lost as the order of timelines got a bit mixed up. A thorough edit of the timelines for certain stories would have been beneficial to the flow of the narrative. Parts are told with humor and warmth, especially with the ghosts who seem to be all knowing but have little impact on the living which frustrates them. I do think this is a worthwhile read as I enjoyed reading about some of the first black Tennessee landowners in the early 1900s. It also captures human behavior and family dynamics very well when an inheritance is involved.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Henry Holt and Shannon Sanders for the gifted advance reader's copy. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Thank you to Goodreads and NetGalley for this advanced readers copy. It will be published on July 7, 2026
Aubrey Lamb has just lost her father and her boyfriend of four years has broken up with her.
She is notified that her father has left her a share in property in Tennessee.
This book starts out with a 27 yr old narrator who presents herself as a ghost from the past. All the ancestors of this land who have passed on are with her. They reflect of times past about this property and it’s original owners. The ghosts are very opinionated about what the living should be doing.
This inheritance for Aubrey is a dream come true. But it is not cracked up to what she thought.
Her great grandfather purchased this land after the Restoration for his four children, this was something a black man could not have done before. He wanted to give his children a legacy and be landowners too. They each would have their own home on the property.
When Aubrey meets her relatives who also own shares in the property she realizes that they have their own ideas of what should be done with the property. Some want to sell others want to keep their share. Meanwhile the ghosts have their own agenda.
This was a beautifully written book I just loved how the ghosts intertwined with the story.
There were many characters in the book. I loved that there was a family tree in the front of the book
Very unique story.
Aubrey Lamb has just lost her father and her boyfriend of four years has broken up with her.
She is notified that her father has left her a share in property in Tennessee.
This book starts out with a 27 yr old narrator who presents herself as a ghost from the past. All the ancestors of this land who have passed on are with her. They reflect of times past about this property and it’s original owners. The ghosts are very opinionated about what the living should be doing.
This inheritance for Aubrey is a dream come true. But it is not cracked up to what she thought.
Her great grandfather purchased this land after the Restoration for his four children, this was something a black man could not have done before. He wanted to give his children a legacy and be landowners too. They each would have their own home on the property.
When Aubrey meets her relatives who also own shares in the property she realizes that they have their own ideas of what should be done with the property. Some want to sell others want to keep their share. Meanwhile the ghosts have their own agenda.
This was a beautifully written book I just loved how the ghosts intertwined with the story.
There were many characters in the book. I loved that there was a family tree in the front of the book
Very unique story.
November 26, 2025
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!
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!
April 9, 2026
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.
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.
August 7, 2026
I think this might’ve been a case of misplaced expectation. From the general synopsis, I thought that the story would be more of a historical fiction story as we learned about the history of this plot of land and the family that has handed it down for decades. And partially it was that, but it felt much more family drama than historical fiction. I found myself constantly wishing we stayed in the past timeline chapters.
There were moments of the story that I absolutely loved. Thomas, Hays and Dalissa in particular were such amazing characters.
But, the character Aubrey who the narrative centers on, drove me a bit insane. She is the same age as me and much like me life hasn’t always gone to plan. She has without a doubt had some tragedies in her life, but I feel like she used that as an excuse to treat those around her terribly and I didn’t enjoy the sections with her story as the focus.
Not a bad book, just not for me.
Thank you Henry Holt for the gifted book!
There were moments of the story that I absolutely loved. Thomas, Hays and Dalissa in particular were such amazing characters.
But, the character Aubrey who the narrative centers on, drove me a bit insane. She is the same age as me and much like me life hasn’t always gone to plan. She has without a doubt had some tragedies in her life, but I feel like she used that as an excuse to treat those around her terribly and I didn’t enjoy the sections with her story as the focus.
Not a bad book, just not for me.
Thank you Henry Holt for the gifted book!
July 16, 2026
Dnf 11%
I get slow burns...I really do, but this was like listening to paint dry.
I get slow burns...I really do, but this was like listening to paint dry.
July 16, 2026
I loved so much about this novel, and it will be great for book clubs. The structure was interesting and the characters memorable. But mercy it needed a heavy edit. This is probably personal to me, because the two cities I probably know best in the world are Memphis and Washington, but I was distracted every 50 pages or so by some of the details that make a place. The geography was all over the map (pun intended, as a simple map would have fixed a LOT of these issues): Memphis is by no means considered "middle Tennessee" (it hugs the very western edge along the Mississippi River), and the neighborhoods around Midtown, downtown, and the airport location in Memphis kept jumping around. This is fiction, so it's probably not going to register with most who haven't lived there, but these are large and passionate cities and the novel was thick with these specific (and wrong!) details that just kept taking me out of the story. In the DC area, I-295 doesn't go through Alexandria and no one in the DMV calls the train system the “subway” but instead the Metro. But most of all... the most deeply egregious and sacrilegious is that NO ONE is eating brisket in Memphis. Deeply offensive. ;)
But overall a great debut, and I'll be watching what Shannon Sanders does next.
But overall a great debut, and I'll be watching what Shannon Sanders does next.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
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.
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.
Read
February 17, 2026One 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.
August 1, 2026
There is no shortage of big, buzzy books this year and I feel this debut novel also deserves all the accolades possible. Aubrey Lamb is 32, living in the shadow of her successful accomplished older sister Bellamy, struggling to get by in Washington D.C. with roommates and several jobs, and newly dumped by her wealthy boyfriend of four years. Not to mention she has a distant cousin emailing her; apparently Aubrey is part-owner, along with three other relatives, of a large plot of family land in western Tennessee. When a decision needs to be made about developers wanting to buy the family out, Aubrey travels to the farm for a few days to see the property firsthand and to meet her cousins. And from there, we learn the Lamb family’s rich, layered history spanning more than a century and why the land means so much to them—and the ghosts who live on it.
Yes, ghosts.
Sanders includes a family tree at the beginning of the novel which proves most helpful especially when you realize several family ghosts narrate this story. They have strong ties to the land and watch over it and their relatives. This is not a cheesy literary gimmick; they are just as much real characters as their living relatives. They aren’t vengeful ghosts—quite the opposite. They have a sense of humor and a few regrets. They get exasperated with their descendants. They talk and collaborate and scheme with each other. They are very much invested in the outcome of their birthplace and in turn, so is the reader. It’s about how family is connected, throughout generations, in known and unknown ways. It’s about the long-reaching legacy of one’s decisions, impulsive and planned. I thought this was absolutely brilliant. I felt like I knew this family and every square inch of this farm. Definitely one of my favorite books of the year.
Yes, ghosts.
Sanders includes a family tree at the beginning of the novel which proves most helpful especially when you realize several family ghosts narrate this story. They have strong ties to the land and watch over it and their relatives. This is not a cheesy literary gimmick; they are just as much real characters as their living relatives. They aren’t vengeful ghosts—quite the opposite. They have a sense of humor and a few regrets. They get exasperated with their descendants. They talk and collaborate and scheme with each other. They are very much invested in the outcome of their birthplace and in turn, so is the reader. It’s about how family is connected, throughout generations, in known and unknown ways. It’s about the long-reaching legacy of one’s decisions, impulsive and planned. I thought this was absolutely brilliant. I felt like I knew this family and every square inch of this farm. Definitely one of my favorite books of the year.
June 23, 2026
The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders, when I first received this book I could not wait to get into it the summary made it sound like it was going to be awesome,but I myself didn’t find it to be that great. Aubrey lives in DC and gets broken up with by her boyfriend of four years and even though she has a college education she barely makes enough to live despite having multiple roommates. she also recently lost her beloved father. So when she learns she has a stake in her ancestral lands down in Tennessee and she must go there to deal with it. This is where she will not only meet families she’s never known But gets to know her ancestors as well. I want to say I have no respect for someone who writes a book and makes a whole race of people look evil while everyone else regardless of their proclivities are just fine AOK and accepted.. This is a trend by black authors that I am not a fan of Not only that it’s like everything else is A-OK like a gay cousin and his husband and her southern black relatives are just fine with that I only say this because I know for a fact most Black southern people aren’t OK with gay relationships Also I agree when uncle Cecil says “who wants to own land in a state you don’t even live in?” “when the money it would make would help the family alive today?” I didn’t understand her cousin at all and I know by the end we were supposed to but whatever I didn’t like the book either way it went. when I was a little girl and people would say ugly things about other races or homosexual people whatever my mom would always say consider the source because happy people don’t act like that and I am so glad that is a lesson she taught me having said that I really did like the book I don’t like a book where every white person is evil and every black person is well to do in the good person in society which makes me wonder if white people are evil why did she make her boyfriend for four years white? Whatever #NetGalley, #BlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview,
July 6, 2026
I recently took a reading color quiz to find out what type of reader I am, and the results revealed that I am a Red Reader, specifically the "Grounded Red" subtype. According to the quiz, Red Readers chase intensity—what matters most to us is momentum you can actually feel. We read for the shock, the stakes, the dread, and putting everything on the line. While I’m usually skeptical about these kinds of personality quizzes, I have to admit that Shannon Sanders’ The Great Wherever perfectly aligns with my reading taste.
In this slow-burn of a family saga, we follow Aubrey Lamb, a young woman stumbling through early adulthood after the devastating loss of her father. We meet her on what is supposed to be a momentous night in her life as she rushes to meet up with her boyfriend. However, as we watch her hurry to her date, we quickly realize that we aren't the only ones watching her—someone else is lurking in the shadows, though we don't yet know who.
Nursing a broken heart and feeling like she has absolutely nothing left to lose, Aubrey receives an unexpected email indicating she has inherited a stake in her family's ancestral farm back in Tennessee. Draining her bank account to book a final-effort trip, she heads south to reconnect with the property and her long-lost family.
As readers, we journey alongside Aubrey through the rich, complex history of the Lambs and discover how they came to own such a sizeable piece of land. But we aren't traveling alone: we are accompanied by a party of ghosts. The narrative gradually reveals which spirits are watching Aubrey and her ancestors throughout the family's history—with the exception of one mysterious entity.
Here is where I get to pat myself on the back! I absolutely love a book that includes a family tree, and the author really came through by providing one here. Because I had that visual layout to study, I was thrilled when I managed to decipher exactly who our mystery ghost was about midway through the story.
Admittedly, Aubrey can be a frustrating protagonist at times, and you will definitely question some of the decisions she makes. But true to my "Red Reader" traits, the massive stakes on the line—the potential loss of a family farm, a legacy, and a brilliant example of true resilience—kept me frantically turning the pages. I just knew Aubrey wouldn't let her family down.
I won't spoil how the story ends, what decision Aubrey ultimately makes, or the identity of that mysterious ghost—you'll have to pick this one up and figure it out for yourself. To my fellow family saga lovers, and especially to anyone who identifies as a Grounded Red reader, this book is absolutely for you. Shannon Sanders does an exceptional job of tracing the Lamb family from slavery to freedom, beautifully capturing all the messiness and complexity typically found in Black family trees. I am an instant fan of her writing and will definitely be checking out her other title, Company.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
In this slow-burn of a family saga, we follow Aubrey Lamb, a young woman stumbling through early adulthood after the devastating loss of her father. We meet her on what is supposed to be a momentous night in her life as she rushes to meet up with her boyfriend. However, as we watch her hurry to her date, we quickly realize that we aren't the only ones watching her—someone else is lurking in the shadows, though we don't yet know who.
Nursing a broken heart and feeling like she has absolutely nothing left to lose, Aubrey receives an unexpected email indicating she has inherited a stake in her family's ancestral farm back in Tennessee. Draining her bank account to book a final-effort trip, she heads south to reconnect with the property and her long-lost family.
As readers, we journey alongside Aubrey through the rich, complex history of the Lambs and discover how they came to own such a sizeable piece of land. But we aren't traveling alone: we are accompanied by a party of ghosts. The narrative gradually reveals which spirits are watching Aubrey and her ancestors throughout the family's history—with the exception of one mysterious entity.
Here is where I get to pat myself on the back! I absolutely love a book that includes a family tree, and the author really came through by providing one here. Because I had that visual layout to study, I was thrilled when I managed to decipher exactly who our mystery ghost was about midway through the story.
Admittedly, Aubrey can be a frustrating protagonist at times, and you will definitely question some of the decisions she makes. But true to my "Red Reader" traits, the massive stakes on the line—the potential loss of a family farm, a legacy, and a brilliant example of true resilience—kept me frantically turning the pages. I just knew Aubrey wouldn't let her family down.
I won't spoil how the story ends, what decision Aubrey ultimately makes, or the identity of that mysterious ghost—you'll have to pick this one up and figure it out for yourself. To my fellow family saga lovers, and especially to anyone who identifies as a Grounded Red reader, this book is absolutely for you. Shannon Sanders does an exceptional job of tracing the Lamb family from slavery to freedom, beautifully capturing all the messiness and complexity typically found in Black family trees. I am an instant fan of her writing and will definitely be checking out her other title, Company.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Grieving her father and reeling from a recent breakup, Aubrey flees Washington DC to the family farm in Tennessee to learn more about her inheritance of the farm and meet her long lost relatives as well. As the ghosts of her ancestors watch the present living relatives, they offer commentary on the family and farm’s history over the generations.
This multigenerational family saga explores a plethora of complex themes like legacy, race, generational wealth, and grief. The ghostly element feels more natural than paranormal as it weaves together the connections between the past and present. I would have loved to see a family tree included, and maybe there will be for the finished copies.
Though it does take a few shakes of the family tree for the plot to fully take root and grow, I really enjoyed 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 with its blend of historical fiction, witty ghosts, and affable livings.
🎙 Keylor Leigh gives a wonderful narration, bringing the ghosts to life as vividly as the living. I enjoyed tandem reading this one. Nothing against the narration, but I do think I enjoyed this one better with my eyes as it kept it easier to track the characters and ghosts with the present and past stories intermixed.
✨️ Thank you to Henry Holt for the ARC & Macmillan Audio for the ALC!
[𝘗𝘶𝘣 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦: 7•7•2026]
This multigenerational family saga explores a plethora of complex themes like legacy, race, generational wealth, and grief. The ghostly element feels more natural than paranormal as it weaves together the connections between the past and present. I would have loved to see a family tree included, and maybe there will be for the finished copies.
Though it does take a few shakes of the family tree for the plot to fully take root and grow, I really enjoyed 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 with its blend of historical fiction, witty ghosts, and affable livings.
🎙 Keylor Leigh gives a wonderful narration, bringing the ghosts to life as vividly as the living. I enjoyed tandem reading this one. Nothing against the narration, but I do think I enjoyed this one better with my eyes as it kept it easier to track the characters and ghosts with the present and past stories intermixed.
✨️ Thank you to Henry Holt for the ARC & Macmillan Audio for the ALC!
[𝘗𝘶𝘣 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦: 7•7•2026]
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August 30, 2026
This was a ghost story, historical fiction, a speculative magical realism, and a series of character portraits so beautifully done I feel like I know each voice in this story. Absolutely gorgeous writing, and it takes us through a family lineage in a way that could feel disjointed in less skillful hands but instead feels as natural and intentional as following a river.
I was genuinely curious as to why this receive any 1 star reviews - and from what I can see - at least some seemed to be based in racism and homophobia. So I guess if you are racist and homophobic - don't read this book. Also - do better, be better.
Loved this. I am a little sad I can never read it again for the first time.
I was genuinely curious as to why this receive any 1 star reviews - and from what I can see - at least some seemed to be based in racism and homophobia. So I guess if you are racist and homophobic - don't read this book. Also - do better, be better.
Loved this. I am a little sad I can never read it again for the first time.
August 1, 2026
3.5 that rounds down
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
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.
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.
August 26, 2026
I stayed up past my bedtime multiple times to read one more chapter. What a fantastic story, one of those experiences where you don't remember you are reading a book. My main thought is that generations on generations, a woman's biology is ultimately the enemy of their own agency. More such morbid thoughts soon!
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