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Kin
Win a free print copy of this book!
0 days and 02:31:45
100 copies available
U.S. only
A magnificent new novel from the bestselling, award-winning author of An American Marriage-a novel that sparkles with wit, intelligence and deep feeling about two lifelong friends whose worlds collide in the face of a devastating tragedy.
Vernice and Annie, two motherless daughters raised in Honeysuckle, Louisiana, have been best friends and neighbours since earliest childhood, but are fated to live starkly different lives.
Raised by a fierce aunt determined to give her a stable home in the wake of her mother's death, Vernice leaves Honeysuckle at eighteen for Atlanta, where she joins a sisterhood of powerfully connected Black women and discovers a world of affluence, manners, aspiration and inequality.
Annie, abandoned by her mother as a child, and fixated on the idea of finding her, sets off on a journey that will take her into a world of peril and adversity, as well as love and adventure, culminating in a battle for her life.
A novel about mothers and daughters, friendship and sisterhood, and the complexities of being a woman in the American South, Kin is an exuberant, emotionally rich, unforgettable work from one of the brightest and most irresistible voices in contemporary fiction.
Vernice and Annie, two motherless daughters raised in Honeysuckle, Louisiana, have been best friends and neighbours since earliest childhood, but are fated to live starkly different lives.
Raised by a fierce aunt determined to give her a stable home in the wake of her mother's death, Vernice leaves Honeysuckle at eighteen for Atlanta, where she joins a sisterhood of powerfully connected Black women and discovers a world of affluence, manners, aspiration and inequality.
Annie, abandoned by her mother as a child, and fixated on the idea of finding her, sets off on a journey that will take her into a world of peril and adversity, as well as love and adventure, culminating in a battle for her life.
A novel about mothers and daughters, friendship and sisterhood, and the complexities of being a woman in the American South, Kin is an exuberant, emotionally rich, unforgettable work from one of the brightest and most irresistible voices in contemporary fiction.
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First published February 24, 2026
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About the author
Tayari Jones
24 books30k followersTayari Jones is the author of the novels Leaving Atlanta, The Untelling, Silver Sparrow, and An American Marriage (Algonquin Books, February 2018). Her writing has appeared in Tin House, The Believer, The New York Times, and Callaloo. A member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, she has also been a recipient of the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, Lifetime Achievement Award in Fine Arts from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, United States Artist Fellowship, NEA Fellowship and Radcliffe Institute Bunting Fellowship. Silver Sparrow was named a #1 Indie Next Pick by booksellers in 2011, and the NEA added it to its Big Read Library of classics in 2016. Jones is a graduate of Spelman College, University of Iowa, and Arizona State University. She is currently an Associate Professor in the MFA program at Rutgers-Newark University.
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February 28, 2026
This book is the literary hit of 2026—full stop. It’s gut-wrenching, thought-provoking, empowering, heartbreakingly realistic, deeply embracing, and profoundly resonant. It takes the word kin and restores its true meaning: kin isn’t defined by blood, but by the people who truly see you, who hear the words you can’t say, who touch your soul, who hold space for your flaws, your mistakes, your missteps, and still call you theirs. Your real kin is your person—and this novel captures that truth with unforgettable clarity.
Vernice (Niecy) and Annie’s story begins in Honeysuckle, Louisiana, where both girls are raised not by their mothers, but by the imperfect, complicated, loving “kin” who stepped in when their mothers stepped out.
Niecy’s mother was murdered by her own father, who then took his own life—an unthinkable tragedy that left Niecy in the care of her eccentric, once-wayward aunt. This aunt, who fled Honeysuckle years before, returns with every intention of not just raising Niecy, but mothering her, filling the fractured spaces left behind.
Annie, on the other hand, was abandoned at birth by her mother and never knew her father. Her grandmother raised her with a stern kind of love, but Annie always carried the raw, aching absence of the woman who left her. That absence becomes her compass—her obsession—shaping every choice she makes.
From their earliest years, the girls form a bond so private it almost feels sacred. Annie is bold, restless, animated—a girl determined to fill the void her mother left by searching for her someday. Niecy is the opposite: obedient, careful, loyal, observant, the one who follows rules while Annie breaks them. Their bond is exquisite in its contradictions.
But when Annie decides to escape Honeysuckle at eighteen—right before prom—Niecy’s heart shatters. Abandonment comes back for her a second time, this time wearing the face of the person she loved most. Their lives split apart, and for years, their only bridge is the letters they exchange.
Niecy goes to Spelman College, where the world opens to her in ways both beautiful and brutal. She discovers the power and elegance of Black womanhood, the complexities of class and wealth, the breathtaking force of civil rights activism—and the sting of inequality that catches her off guard like a slap. She befriends Mrs. McHenry, a refined woman of influence who climbed her way up from poverty, becoming an unexpected mentor and mother figure.
Annie’s path is wilder, more precarious. She runs away with a group of friends, and when their car breaks down in the least likely place, she ends up living in a world she never expected—one filled with danger, oddity, and surprising tenderness. There, she forms a deep bond with Lulabella, reading her Bible passages, combing her hair, offering comfort in small, intimate ways that shape them both.
Both young women find unusual, eccentric mother figures who guide them, teach them hard-earned lessons, and nudge them toward identities they never imagined for themselves. And both make choices—some brave, some reckless—that carry weighty, life-altering consequences. When tragedy finally strikes, it pulls them back toward each other, stitching their lives together once more in the most devastating and beautiful way.
This book is a punch to the gut—in the best possible way. It’s emotional, haunting, and powerful. It is an extraordinary character study not just of Annie and Niecy, but of the women who raise them, the community that shapes them, and the people who walk beside them.
Along with the unforgettable leads, the supporting cast shines. Miss Jamison, Mrs. Ola Mae, and even Babydoll become characters you genuinely grow to love. And the men—Bobo, Franklin, and Mr. Daniel, the bar owner—bring depth, dimension, and emotional richness that elevate the story even further.
At its core, this book is a luminous exploration of sisterhood, found family, sacrifice, self-discovery, dignity, the brutal reality of inequality and racism, the fire of social justice awakening—and above all, a story about love: pure, unguarded, raw, and real.
I loved this book even more than An American Marriage, and I’m absolutely convinced it will become one of the biggest breakout novels of 2026. Its storytelling is unique, intimate, and fiercely moving in every chapter.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for sharing one of the most anticipated books of 2026 with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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Vernice (Niecy) and Annie’s story begins in Honeysuckle, Louisiana, where both girls are raised not by their mothers, but by the imperfect, complicated, loving “kin” who stepped in when their mothers stepped out.
Niecy’s mother was murdered by her own father, who then took his own life—an unthinkable tragedy that left Niecy in the care of her eccentric, once-wayward aunt. This aunt, who fled Honeysuckle years before, returns with every intention of not just raising Niecy, but mothering her, filling the fractured spaces left behind.
Annie, on the other hand, was abandoned at birth by her mother and never knew her father. Her grandmother raised her with a stern kind of love, but Annie always carried the raw, aching absence of the woman who left her. That absence becomes her compass—her obsession—shaping every choice she makes.
From their earliest years, the girls form a bond so private it almost feels sacred. Annie is bold, restless, animated—a girl determined to fill the void her mother left by searching for her someday. Niecy is the opposite: obedient, careful, loyal, observant, the one who follows rules while Annie breaks them. Their bond is exquisite in its contradictions.
But when Annie decides to escape Honeysuckle at eighteen—right before prom—Niecy’s heart shatters. Abandonment comes back for her a second time, this time wearing the face of the person she loved most. Their lives split apart, and for years, their only bridge is the letters they exchange.
Niecy goes to Spelman College, where the world opens to her in ways both beautiful and brutal. She discovers the power and elegance of Black womanhood, the complexities of class and wealth, the breathtaking force of civil rights activism—and the sting of inequality that catches her off guard like a slap. She befriends Mrs. McHenry, a refined woman of influence who climbed her way up from poverty, becoming an unexpected mentor and mother figure.
Annie’s path is wilder, more precarious. She runs away with a group of friends, and when their car breaks down in the least likely place, she ends up living in a world she never expected—one filled with danger, oddity, and surprising tenderness. There, she forms a deep bond with Lulabella, reading her Bible passages, combing her hair, offering comfort in small, intimate ways that shape them both.
Both young women find unusual, eccentric mother figures who guide them, teach them hard-earned lessons, and nudge them toward identities they never imagined for themselves. And both make choices—some brave, some reckless—that carry weighty, life-altering consequences. When tragedy finally strikes, it pulls them back toward each other, stitching their lives together once more in the most devastating and beautiful way.
This book is a punch to the gut—in the best possible way. It’s emotional, haunting, and powerful. It is an extraordinary character study not just of Annie and Niecy, but of the women who raise them, the community that shapes them, and the people who walk beside them.
Along with the unforgettable leads, the supporting cast shines. Miss Jamison, Mrs. Ola Mae, and even Babydoll become characters you genuinely grow to love. And the men—Bobo, Franklin, and Mr. Daniel, the bar owner—bring depth, dimension, and emotional richness that elevate the story even further.
At its core, this book is a luminous exploration of sisterhood, found family, sacrifice, self-discovery, dignity, the brutal reality of inequality and racism, the fire of social justice awakening—and above all, a story about love: pure, unguarded, raw, and real.
I loved this book even more than An American Marriage, and I’m absolutely convinced it will become one of the biggest breakout novels of 2026. Its storytelling is unique, intimate, and fiercely moving in every chapter.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for sharing one of the most anticipated books of 2026 with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
February 25, 2026
the only thing better than family sagas is found family sagas
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
December 9, 2025
Separate life journeys of two young black girls growing up together in Honeysuckle, Louisiana as best friends unfold in this moving and so well written novel. Both are orphans , one by death of her parents, the other by abandonment. One raised by an aunt reluctant to be a parent . The other by her grandmother. Both wanting to leave, but with different hopes and dreams.
Alternating chapters take us on the roads they travel with their intimate points of view . One off to college to Atlanta. The other to Memphis to find the mother who left her as an infant . A beautiful story of two unforgettable characters facing the impact of the racism of Jim Crow in the 1950’s. Their journeys are separate , but connections are impossible to break when the bonds are deep. A different story from An American Marriage, but equally as thought provoking and moving. I loved the inclusion of letters in both novels. Tayari Jones is a wonderful storyteller reminding us what family means.
I received a copy of this from Knopf through NetGalley.
Alternating chapters take us on the roads they travel with their intimate points of view . One off to college to Atlanta. The other to Memphis to find the mother who left her as an infant . A beautiful story of two unforgettable characters facing the impact of the racism of Jim Crow in the 1950’s. Their journeys are separate , but connections are impossible to break when the bonds are deep. A different story from An American Marriage, but equally as thought provoking and moving. I loved the inclusion of letters in both novels. Tayari Jones is a wonderful storyteller reminding us what family means.
I received a copy of this from Knopf through NetGalley.
Read
February 25, 2026In one of his loveliest and most idealistic sonnets, Shakespeare writes,
Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds
Or bends with the remover to remove.
Tayari Jones knows that’s poppycock.
In novel after novel, she explores the dynamic quality of love without questioning its persistence. How we relate to one another — even those most dear to us — is not “an ever-fixèd mark.” Given the vicissitudes of time, she asks, how could it be? Our affections are altered by distance, thinned in some places, amplified in others, the way sound changes as it travels.
Separation is often physical in Jones’s fiction, as in her most famous novel, An American Marriage, about a husband incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. While his prison sentence drags on, the intensity of their relationship swells and warps in heartbreaking ways.
Jones’s latest novel, Kin, returns again to that interplay of alternating perspectives, a structure that places us in the position of judge, arbiter and intimate confidant. In alternating chapters, two girls — Vernice and Annie, best friends forever — tell their stories, which begin entangled but eventually veer apart. Both young women strike out into the world to reclaim a satisfying foundation that was crushed in infancy. But only one of them will ever find it....
You can read the rest of this review — and see a short video from Tayari Jones — on Substack:
https://substack.com/home/post/p-1889...
Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds
Or bends with the remover to remove.
Tayari Jones knows that’s poppycock.
In novel after novel, she explores the dynamic quality of love without questioning its persistence. How we relate to one another — even those most dear to us — is not “an ever-fixèd mark.” Given the vicissitudes of time, she asks, how could it be? Our affections are altered by distance, thinned in some places, amplified in others, the way sound changes as it travels.
Separation is often physical in Jones’s fiction, as in her most famous novel, An American Marriage, about a husband incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. While his prison sentence drags on, the intensity of their relationship swells and warps in heartbreaking ways.
Jones’s latest novel, Kin, returns again to that interplay of alternating perspectives, a structure that places us in the position of judge, arbiter and intimate confidant. In alternating chapters, two girls — Vernice and Annie, best friends forever — tell their stories, which begin entangled but eventually veer apart. Both young women strike out into the world to reclaim a satisfying foundation that was crushed in infancy. But only one of them will ever find it....
You can read the rest of this review — and see a short video from Tayari Jones — on Substack:
https://substack.com/home/post/p-1889...
October 27, 2025
4.5
Vernice and Annie, two black babies born in Honeysuckle, Louisiana who shared a cradle after birth.
Both baby girls were left motherless as infants..Vernice’s mother shot dead by her husband before he killed himself, her Aunt (her mother’s sister) raising her up …and Annie’s mother just taking off and leaving Annie with her grandmother to raise.
Both girls bonded by the cradle and the loss of their mothers.
The time frame for their coming up years was the 1950’s and 60’s, the time of segregation in the South.
So the story follows this close relationship until the time in their teens when Annie up and leaves taking up with a boyfriend to get out of town, following her leaving.. Vernice is off to Spelman College as her Aunt saved and saved and the church plate was often passed around to help with expenses.
Both their lives change immensely..
Vernice gets through college Annie’s life is complicated by the search for her mother and it takes her to Tennessee and then Georgia.
The girl’s relationship.. mostly by letters stays close throughout their different situations and romances and difficulties
This is a story of friendships and sisterhood and the power of love.
Loved it… but the ending is not concrete…we are not given the final outcome straight out..but still a very enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the free ebook in exchange for my honest review!
Release date February 24
Vernice and Annie, two black babies born in Honeysuckle, Louisiana who shared a cradle after birth.
Both baby girls were left motherless as infants..Vernice’s mother shot dead by her husband before he killed himself, her Aunt (her mother’s sister) raising her up …and Annie’s mother just taking off and leaving Annie with her grandmother to raise.
Both girls bonded by the cradle and the loss of their mothers.
The time frame for their coming up years was the 1950’s and 60’s, the time of segregation in the South.
So the story follows this close relationship until the time in their teens when Annie up and leaves taking up with a boyfriend to get out of town, following her leaving.. Vernice is off to Spelman College as her Aunt saved and saved and the church plate was often passed around to help with expenses.
Both their lives change immensely..
Vernice gets through college Annie’s life is complicated by the search for her mother and it takes her to Tennessee and then Georgia.
The girl’s relationship.. mostly by letters stays close throughout their different situations and romances and difficulties
This is a story of friendships and sisterhood and the power of love.
Loved it… but the ending is not concrete…we are not given the final outcome straight out..but still a very enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the free ebook in exchange for my honest review!
Release date February 24
January 16, 2026
“Before I opened the door, I said, “I love you,” tossing the word over my shoulder like a handful of wildflower seeds.”
Once in a blue moon, a novel arrives that doesn’t just tell a story but claims a piece of your heart. Kin is that rare kind of book. Tayari Jones, already known for her rich explorations of family and belonging, delivers a sweeping, emotionally charged masterpiece.
Set across several decades of the Jim Crow South and beyond, Kin begins with two baby girls Vernice, known as Niecy, and Annie born into nearly parallel lives yet fated for different paths. Both are motherless from infancy. Niecy’s mother is murdered by her abusive father, leaving behind a grief that never entirely fades. Annie’s mother abandons her early on, a loss that drives her lifelong search for connection and meaning.
Jones traces their journeys with breathtaking intimacy. Niecy’s path leads to Spelman College in Atlanta, a place of both discovery and danger. Annie’s takes her through the working class bars and backroads of the South, where she learns to survive on grit and grace. Across the years and miles, the two women exchange letters intricate, tender, and fierce that serve as the heartbeat of the novel. Through them, we witness the evolution of friendship, womanhood, and the enduring power of hope.
“You could only fight scripture with scripture,” Jones writes, a line that captures both the moral weight and the poetic rhythm of the book.
Kin is more than a story of two women; it’s a meditation on the meaning of family, the scars of history, and the resilience required to live and love in a world determined to deny one’s humanity. Jones’s prose is lush yet deliberate, her storytelling both intimate and epic in scope.
“It’s a future butterfly,” one character reflects. “If we were together, I’d have treated creatures gently too. But we were not together, and I didn’t care that one day this worm would fly.”
There is a scene that takes place in a bus station, where we watch a little girl who anxiously needs to use the restroom. Tayari Jones manages to make us on edge, like a thriller, to see if she will use it responsibly. I anticipated a racist attack against her if she were to go on the bus station floor, and I was anxious to see what would happen next. This tone is meticulously done.
“Finally, the colored folks trickled in, drained from the trip but glad to be where it was that they were going. The lady’s husband was dressed smart in jeans, starch-stiff. He dipped his wife and kissed her like that one soldier did in Life Magazine. Then he picked up his daughter who looped her arms around him like a life preserver. Despite everything that led up to it, it was nice to watch.”
That image fragile, defiant, and beautiful captures the essence of Kin. It is a novel about transformation, about becoming, and about the quiet acts of survival that make us who we are.
Do not miss this extraordinary book when it’s released on 2.24.26
Once in a blue moon, a novel arrives that doesn’t just tell a story but claims a piece of your heart. Kin is that rare kind of book. Tayari Jones, already known for her rich explorations of family and belonging, delivers a sweeping, emotionally charged masterpiece.
Set across several decades of the Jim Crow South and beyond, Kin begins with two baby girls Vernice, known as Niecy, and Annie born into nearly parallel lives yet fated for different paths. Both are motherless from infancy. Niecy’s mother is murdered by her abusive father, leaving behind a grief that never entirely fades. Annie’s mother abandons her early on, a loss that drives her lifelong search for connection and meaning.
Jones traces their journeys with breathtaking intimacy. Niecy’s path leads to Spelman College in Atlanta, a place of both discovery and danger. Annie’s takes her through the working class bars and backroads of the South, where she learns to survive on grit and grace. Across the years and miles, the two women exchange letters intricate, tender, and fierce that serve as the heartbeat of the novel. Through them, we witness the evolution of friendship, womanhood, and the enduring power of hope.
“You could only fight scripture with scripture,” Jones writes, a line that captures both the moral weight and the poetic rhythm of the book.
Kin is more than a story of two women; it’s a meditation on the meaning of family, the scars of history, and the resilience required to live and love in a world determined to deny one’s humanity. Jones’s prose is lush yet deliberate, her storytelling both intimate and epic in scope.
“It’s a future butterfly,” one character reflects. “If we were together, I’d have treated creatures gently too. But we were not together, and I didn’t care that one day this worm would fly.”
There is a scene that takes place in a bus station, where we watch a little girl who anxiously needs to use the restroom. Tayari Jones manages to make us on edge, like a thriller, to see if she will use it responsibly. I anticipated a racist attack against her if she were to go on the bus station floor, and I was anxious to see what would happen next. This tone is meticulously done.
“Finally, the colored folks trickled in, drained from the trip but glad to be where it was that they were going. The lady’s husband was dressed smart in jeans, starch-stiff. He dipped his wife and kissed her like that one soldier did in Life Magazine. Then he picked up his daughter who looped her arms around him like a life preserver. Despite everything that led up to it, it was nice to watch.”
That image fragile, defiant, and beautiful captures the essence of Kin. It is a novel about transformation, about becoming, and about the quiet acts of survival that make us who we are.
Do not miss this extraordinary book when it’s released on 2.24.26
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A magnificent and unforgettable novel about family and resilience set in the American South on the cusp of the Civil Rights movement. It follows two motherless best friends Vernice and Annie from late teens to early twenties and how not having a mother impacts both of them for years. Upon high school graduation, the girls take different paths in life. They stay in touch through letters until circumstances bring them together again.
This is simply a masterpiece. Tayari Jones writes with both precision and nuance utilizing lush and vibrant prose that completely immerses the reader in this dual POV story. The epistolary aspect of the novel is brilliant and adds another layer of richness to it. The characters are fully fleshed and memorable, including the supporting characters. The use of setting, time and place give the reader insight into segregation, race, class, women's issues and civil rights. I loved reading this book which will continue to stay with me for a long time. The exploration of mothers and daughters, grief and loss, friendship and family is masterful. I highly recommend this novel. Tayari Jones you have a new fan and I plan to read your backlist as well.
Many thanks to NetGalley; Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage & Anchor; and Tayari Jones for an advance reader's copy. All opinions are my own.
This is simply a masterpiece. Tayari Jones writes with both precision and nuance utilizing lush and vibrant prose that completely immerses the reader in this dual POV story. The epistolary aspect of the novel is brilliant and adds another layer of richness to it. The characters are fully fleshed and memorable, including the supporting characters. The use of setting, time and place give the reader insight into segregation, race, class, women's issues and civil rights. I loved reading this book which will continue to stay with me for a long time. The exploration of mothers and daughters, grief and loss, friendship and family is masterful. I highly recommend this novel. Tayari Jones you have a new fan and I plan to read your backlist as well.
Many thanks to NetGalley; Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage & Anchor; and Tayari Jones for an advance reader's copy. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5⭐️
Whew! This was a ride. At first I didn’t know what kind of ride I was on-I was just on it.
As the story progressed, I was able to understand the underlying meaning of it all.
Life is all about the choices we make with the hands we’re dealt.
Told in alternating POVs from Annie and Vernice, this story is about two motherless girls from the Deep South that were both dealt an unfair deal at life. Their original circumstances were similar, but the paths they chose were totally different.
This story was beautifully written, but I will say that the pacing felt off at times. The middle portion was toughest part of the book to get through as it read extremely slow and had a tad bit of repetitiveness that seemed used simply as a filler. Nevertheless, this story has a deeper tone and I could have missed some impactful messages had I rushed through.
Being considered “the next of kin” doesn’t always mean the closest family member. It can be that one unrelated person in your life that knows the the WHOLE you-inside and out 💔👩🏾🤝👩🏽
**Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Whew! This was a ride. At first I didn’t know what kind of ride I was on-I was just on it.
As the story progressed, I was able to understand the underlying meaning of it all.
Life is all about the choices we make with the hands we’re dealt.
Told in alternating POVs from Annie and Vernice, this story is about two motherless girls from the Deep South that were both dealt an unfair deal at life. Their original circumstances were similar, but the paths they chose were totally different.
This story was beautifully written, but I will say that the pacing felt off at times. The middle portion was toughest part of the book to get through as it read extremely slow and had a tad bit of repetitiveness that seemed used simply as a filler. Nevertheless, this story has a deeper tone and I could have missed some impactful messages had I rushed through.
Being considered “the next of kin” doesn’t always mean the closest family member. It can be that one unrelated person in your life that knows the the WHOLE you-inside and out 💔👩🏾🤝👩🏽
**Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
![Profile Image for Chasing Chapters with KP [Kristina P] (ARC Reviewer).](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1772263312i%2F43342393._UY200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
February 1, 2026
Kin by Tayari Jones
This book was a slow start for me. In the beginning, the pacing felt deliberate to the point of being difficult, and I struggled to understand where the story was taking me or how I was meant to connect with the writing. But as the book unfolded, it became something deeply heartfelt and emotionally powerful.
My experience shifted as I began to truly know the characters. Although their lives were very different from mine, set during segregation and shaped by experiences far removed from my own, their humanity bridged that gap. Their emotions, relationships, longings, and heartbreak made them feel real and relatable in ways that transcended time and circumstance.
The turning point for me came when Annie began writing letters after arriving in Memphis. Those letters unlocked the emotional core of the story. It was in those moments that the characters’ humanness came fully into focus, and I found myself deeply connected to them. From there on, I was completely invested.
At its heart, this is a story about relationships and family. It explores the deep human need for love, the ache that forms when that love is absent, and the ways people seek belonging and identity through one another. The friendships in this book are especially moving. By the end, their bond felt less like friendship and more like sisterhood, forged through shared history, pain, loyalty, and love.
The ending devastated me. It was sad in a way that felt honest rather than manipulative, and I found myself sobbing as I finished the final chapters. The emotional payoff was profound.
This is not a fast-paced novel, and it won’t be for readers looking for constant momentum. But for those who are ready for a deep, emotional story that explores love, grief, identity, and belonging, this book delivers something lasting. It broke me in the best way, because by the end, I truly felt the weight and beauty of the connections these characters shared.
Content Note:
This book includes a same-sex relationship and themes of questioning sexual identity. It did not stop me from appreciating the depth and emotional impact of the story, and it was not descriptive or graphic.
PUBLISH DATE: Feb 24 2026
BOOK TITLE: Kin
AUTHOR: Tayari Jones
PUBLISHER: Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf
FORMAT: ebook
PAGES: 368
I received a complimentary digital ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This book was a slow start for me. In the beginning, the pacing felt deliberate to the point of being difficult, and I struggled to understand where the story was taking me or how I was meant to connect with the writing. But as the book unfolded, it became something deeply heartfelt and emotionally powerful.
My experience shifted as I began to truly know the characters. Although their lives were very different from mine, set during segregation and shaped by experiences far removed from my own, their humanity bridged that gap. Their emotions, relationships, longings, and heartbreak made them feel real and relatable in ways that transcended time and circumstance.
The turning point for me came when Annie began writing letters after arriving in Memphis. Those letters unlocked the emotional core of the story. It was in those moments that the characters’ humanness came fully into focus, and I found myself deeply connected to them. From there on, I was completely invested.
At its heart, this is a story about relationships and family. It explores the deep human need for love, the ache that forms when that love is absent, and the ways people seek belonging and identity through one another. The friendships in this book are especially moving. By the end, their bond felt less like friendship and more like sisterhood, forged through shared history, pain, loyalty, and love.
The ending devastated me. It was sad in a way that felt honest rather than manipulative, and I found myself sobbing as I finished the final chapters. The emotional payoff was profound.
This is not a fast-paced novel, and it won’t be for readers looking for constant momentum. But for those who are ready for a deep, emotional story that explores love, grief, identity, and belonging, this book delivers something lasting. It broke me in the best way, because by the end, I truly felt the weight and beauty of the connections these characters shared.
Content Note:
This book includes a same-sex relationship and themes of questioning sexual identity. It did not stop me from appreciating the depth and emotional impact of the story, and it was not descriptive or graphic.
PUBLISH DATE: Feb 24 2026
BOOK TITLE: Kin
AUTHOR: Tayari Jones
PUBLISHER: Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf
FORMAT: ebook
PAGES: 368
I received a complimentary digital ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
October 15, 2025
This is a beautiful and amazing novel from an author I am a huge fan of. I was captivated by the relationship between Vernice and Annie and their plight is relatable in so many ways. An amazing look at what it is to be a black woman in the world while navigating grief, trauma, friendships, family, hardship, The characters are so complex yet so well explained to the reader. The writing is beautiful as always and this is certainly a book with a plot that will stick with me for a long time. Realistic and raw - this book is meant to be devoured. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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February 18, 2026I had high expectations for this because I read and loved An American Marriage when it first came out nearly a decade ago now. That novel also employed multiple perspectives, though I felt that their unique voices grew stronger as the story went on. Similarly, this new one out on February 24th follows two women–Vernice (“Niecy”) and Annie–childhood best friends from Jim Crow era Louisiana who grow up without mothers, a wound that deeply impacts them in different ways throughout the course of their lives.
Tayari Jones does a great job painting the plights of these two women in a time and place where their identities didn’t allow them as much agency in the wider world. They do what they have to to survive and get their needs met, whether that’s physical, financial, or emotional. They are complex individuals with secrets, shames, passions, and desires and I think over the course of the novel you really grow to love them as people.
For me, the story or ‘plot’ was a bit too loose and meandering at times. I think I expected, from the description, for this book to have a bit more narrative thrust beyond watching two women grow up and into their own people, each dealing with their motherlessness in unique ways. It’s much more slice of life as we witness how they seek out things to fill the holes in themselves, and how that affects their various relationships: to family, to each other, and to themselves. Readers who enjoy strong historical settings, compelling fiction about female friendship, and rich character work will definitely find a lot to love in this one!
Tayari Jones does a great job painting the plights of these two women in a time and place where their identities didn’t allow them as much agency in the wider world. They do what they have to to survive and get their needs met, whether that’s physical, financial, or emotional. They are complex individuals with secrets, shames, passions, and desires and I think over the course of the novel you really grow to love them as people.
For me, the story or ‘plot’ was a bit too loose and meandering at times. I think I expected, from the description, for this book to have a bit more narrative thrust beyond watching two women grow up and into their own people, each dealing with their motherlessness in unique ways. It’s much more slice of life as we witness how they seek out things to fill the holes in themselves, and how that affects their various relationships: to family, to each other, and to themselves. Readers who enjoy strong historical settings, compelling fiction about female friendship, and rich character work will definitely find a lot to love in this one!
October 21, 2025
The symmetry in this book is stunning - 4.5 ⭐️
February 6, 2026
KIN
by Tayari Jones
An unforgettable story of resilience and found family that lingers long after the final page.
A powerful work of historical fiction set in the 1950s and ’60s South, Kin unfolds against the backdrop of the social change leading up to the Civil Rights Movement. We meet Vernice and Annie, whose special bond begins in the cradle and carries through their lives. Both women long for the kind of motherly love they have never truly known.
As they grow into young women and head in different directions, living vastly different lives, I became fully invested in their story. Their paths diverge, their lifestyles contrast sharply, yet they never lose sight of the deep love they share for one another. A devastating situation ultimately brings them back together in a way that is both beautiful and shocking.
The dual POV structure works exceptionally well here, allowing the reader to fully understand each woman’s inner world. The epistolary elements—letters sprinkled throughout the novel—create an even deeper sense of intimacy and connection with the characters. I was especially drawn to Annie’s journey, which pulls her into a world filled with danger and adversity, brimming with life and adventure, and ultimately becomes a fight for survival.
Jones’s writing is haunting and intimate—clear, reflective, and marked by emotional restraint and intellectual clarity. The feeling of being unlovable lingers throughout the novel and is carried by many of its characters, making their struggles feel deeply human and achingly real.
If you enjoy books about found family, complex relationships, messy family dynamics, tragedy, and resilience, this is a must-read. Tayari Jones has crafted a brilliant, soul-stirring story that will stay with you long after the final page. This was my first time reading her work, and it certainly won’t be my last.
What does it mean to be family? How does abandonment shape who we become? Can love—especially maternal love—be replaced, reimagined, or reclaimed?
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for the eARC.
by Tayari Jones
An unforgettable story of resilience and found family that lingers long after the final page.
A powerful work of historical fiction set in the 1950s and ’60s South, Kin unfolds against the backdrop of the social change leading up to the Civil Rights Movement. We meet Vernice and Annie, whose special bond begins in the cradle and carries through their lives. Both women long for the kind of motherly love they have never truly known.
As they grow into young women and head in different directions, living vastly different lives, I became fully invested in their story. Their paths diverge, their lifestyles contrast sharply, yet they never lose sight of the deep love they share for one another. A devastating situation ultimately brings them back together in a way that is both beautiful and shocking.
The dual POV structure works exceptionally well here, allowing the reader to fully understand each woman’s inner world. The epistolary elements—letters sprinkled throughout the novel—create an even deeper sense of intimacy and connection with the characters. I was especially drawn to Annie’s journey, which pulls her into a world filled with danger and adversity, brimming with life and adventure, and ultimately becomes a fight for survival.
Jones’s writing is haunting and intimate—clear, reflective, and marked by emotional restraint and intellectual clarity. The feeling of being unlovable lingers throughout the novel and is carried by many of its characters, making their struggles feel deeply human and achingly real.
If you enjoy books about found family, complex relationships, messy family dynamics, tragedy, and resilience, this is a must-read. Tayari Jones has crafted a brilliant, soul-stirring story that will stay with you long after the final page. This was my first time reading her work, and it certainly won’t be my last.
What does it mean to be family? How does abandonment shape who we become? Can love—especially maternal love—be replaced, reimagined, or reclaimed?
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for the eARC.
January 21, 2026
Klay Thompson playing in Game 6’s, Beyoncé dropping surprise albums, Tayari Jones writing characters. Those moments when you witness the best cook, that’s this.
I haven’t loved a book this much in a while. The type of book I wanted to immediately run back at page 1. And shit, I might even do it.
Here’s why:
-The narrator’s voice is astounding. She captures Niecy and Annie over shifting seasons as kids, teens, and adults perfectly.
-It’s efficient in its profundity. Every sentence felt carefully placed, yet never overdone. And every 150th sentence there’d be some deep, Southern generational passing down on a front porch type wisdom that stopped me in my tracks.
-It’s sharp. Not exactly funny, but filled with character types that we all know and can’t help but make you smile in their accuracy.
Read this when it comes out February 24th—unless you hate incredible books, then do whatever you want.
Thanks to Knopf and Netgalley for the ARC.
I haven’t loved a book this much in a while. The type of book I wanted to immediately run back at page 1. And shit, I might even do it.
Here’s why:
-The narrator’s voice is astounding. She captures Niecy and Annie over shifting seasons as kids, teens, and adults perfectly.
-It’s efficient in its profundity. Every sentence felt carefully placed, yet never overdone. And every 150th sentence there’d be some deep, Southern generational passing down on a front porch type wisdom that stopped me in my tracks.
-It’s sharp. Not exactly funny, but filled with character types that we all know and can’t help but make you smile in their accuracy.
Read this when it comes out February 24th—unless you hate incredible books, then do whatever you want.
Thanks to Knopf and Netgalley for the ARC.
February 26, 2026
Kin is absolutely going to be a standout historical/literary fiction book of the year!! A beautiful, emotional story about motherhood, women, female friendships, and how we make choices based on the cards we are dealt in life. I had a feeling this book could have a tragic ending but BOY did I not expect to end this book crying, overwhelmed with how much I had grown to love and root for Vernice and Annie 🥺 Thank you so much to Knopf for the free early copy!! 🤍
Kin follows Vernice and Annie, two Southern Black girls, who have been best friends and inseparable since birth. Their main connection? They both are motherless, adrift in a world where they are convinced being raised without knowing their mother has marred them. Vernice’s mom was tragically killed when she was a baby, and Annie’s mom disappeared and left her with her grandmother. Throughout the book, Vernice and Annie leave their small town, take different paths in life, but are still haunted by their missing mothers.
I felt myself drawn into this story from the beginning, captivated by the lives of Vernice and Annie. Especially as their stories deviated and they each took different life paths, it was so interesting to see how two young Black girls from the same place, raised with the same missing piece in their family, could end up living such different lives. Vernice goes down the path of getting an education and becomes swept up in a more high society family. Annie cannot move on from her missing mother, and finds her entire life dictated by the ghost of her mother and her determination to find her.
Kin explores so many important themes, including racism, queer relationships, the power of female friendships, daughters raised without a mother, and the power of our choices. I felt so swept up in the story as we waited to find out whether Annie would find her mother and how Vernice and Annie would be reunited. Above all, I loved the female friendship of Vernice and Annie and how much they cared for each other.
February 14, 2026
As a daughter of a southern Black family, this book’s words felt like a warm hug from the women who came before me. As modern as I am, there’s something so comforting about those old down south adages that almost make sense but kind of don’t that just make me think of my own mama and her mama, too.
Needless to say. I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. I was completely rapt by these two divergent paths Annie and Niecey took. The books told from their separate POVs and the voices are so distinct, even without looking at the chapter titles, you know exactly who is talking. The prose was so beautiful, I was brought to tears several times, happy and sad alike. Even though fiction, it’s based so much in the actual happenings of the time; it just as easily could be a true story. The south felt like a character of its own: I could feel the mugginess of Mississippi, the bustle of Black Atlanta.
I felt so much for each of them and it really goes to show just how easy life can be different from one person to the next who come from very similiar upbringings. Annie spent her whole life chasing a mother that she didn’t even get to live while Niecey sought to prove that she was more than a motherless child people looked at her as. While both girls ended up in different places, they were forever bonded by that intrinsic need for love & they found it with one another; sadly, this wasn’t enough for them entirely. The ending felt resolute while also leaving a lot to be imagined. I found myself closing the book and wishing nothing but the best for these two girls who don’t actually exist but could’ve just as easily been my own kin.
Needless to say. I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. I was completely rapt by these two divergent paths Annie and Niecey took. The books told from their separate POVs and the voices are so distinct, even without looking at the chapter titles, you know exactly who is talking. The prose was so beautiful, I was brought to tears several times, happy and sad alike. Even though fiction, it’s based so much in the actual happenings of the time; it just as easily could be a true story. The south felt like a character of its own: I could feel the mugginess of Mississippi, the bustle of Black Atlanta.
I felt so much for each of them and it really goes to show just how easy life can be different from one person to the next who come from very similiar upbringings. Annie spent her whole life chasing a mother that she didn’t even get to live while Niecey sought to prove that she was more than a motherless child people looked at her as. While both girls ended up in different places, they were forever bonded by that intrinsic need for love & they found it with one another; sadly, this wasn’t enough for them entirely. The ending felt resolute while also leaving a lot to be imagined. I found myself closing the book and wishing nothing but the best for these two girls who don’t actually exist but could’ve just as easily been my own kin.
February 24, 2026
As always, Tayari Jone's truly delivers with her story telling. This story was extremely captivating and invoked a lot of emotions out of me. I was so stressed for Annie and Vernice. It truly shows the complexities of womanhood and relationships with others. True Kinship. And not just between them, but all throughout the book as they formed new bonds.
This was a heart wrenching story, but also so fascinating to see them grow and how their lives change as they go in opposite directions . Despite their new paths on their own, you can definitely see how life without their mothers has truly impacted them in life. This books really reminds me of why I love fiction because the empathy I felt for these fictional girls was huge! I adored them and cared for them deeply as they try to navigating their way through the world with and without each other. This book moved me, but it was so heartbreaking.
Thank you to Knopf for the ARC!
This was a heart wrenching story, but also so fascinating to see them grow and how their lives change as they go in opposite directions . Despite their new paths on their own, you can definitely see how life without their mothers has truly impacted them in life. This books really reminds me of why I love fiction because the empathy I felt for these fictional girls was huge! I adored them and cared for them deeply as they try to navigating their way through the world with and without each other. This book moved me, but it was so heartbreaking.
Thank you to Knopf for the ARC!
February 28, 2026
2.5 stars
January 20, 2026
Two motherless daughters, two different life paths. I loved this book. The way Vernice and Annie stayed each other’s best friend and sister throughout their lives was so inspiring. If you love exploring sisterhood, friendship, found family, and love in all forms then this is the book for you.
January 18, 2026
This was incredible
December 22, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 (rounded up)
A special thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC.
Kin is an emotional, character-driven novel that has stayed with me after I finished. The story explores sisterhood, found family, self-discovery, racism, and segregation, set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow South.
The novel follows Vernice and Annie, who have known each other since they were babies and grow up without mothers. Though raised side by side, their lives take very different paths as they leave home in search of independence, belonging, and identity. The book alternates between their perspectives, giving readers a picture of how their experiences, choices, and circumstances shape their lives.
Tayari Jones does an excellent job with storytelling, creating rich, emotionally grounded characters. While I found the novel moving, I did wish there had been a bit more at the ending. Even so, this was a powerful and thoughtful read that I would happily recommend.
A special thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC.
Kin is an emotional, character-driven novel that has stayed with me after I finished. The story explores sisterhood, found family, self-discovery, racism, and segregation, set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow South.
The novel follows Vernice and Annie, who have known each other since they were babies and grow up without mothers. Though raised side by side, their lives take very different paths as they leave home in search of independence, belonging, and identity. The book alternates between their perspectives, giving readers a picture of how their experiences, choices, and circumstances shape their lives.
Tayari Jones does an excellent job with storytelling, creating rich, emotionally grounded characters. While I found the novel moving, I did wish there had been a bit more at the ending. Even so, this was a powerful and thoughtful read that I would happily recommend.
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February 21, 2026This is a novel about mothers and daughters, mothering the motherless and finding love in sisterhood and friendship. It starts with an orphaned black baby girl and an abandoned black baby girl in the American South and we follow these two cradle friends into adulthood in alternating chapters. It’s all classic Tayari Jones territory. I always want to spend time with characters created and conjured by Tayari Jones. I want to learn their speech mannerisms and turns of phrase, and follow them where they go. She draws such rich characters and the stakes are always so high. This is a fitting follow up to An American Marriage.
February 24, 2026
Tayari Jones has done it again.
That is, made me cry.
Kin is aptly named as it explores the friendship/found sisterhood of two motherless girls from birth to adulthood. The book provides depth to the vast setting of the American South, moving between Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia, from segregated busses to college, from rural poverty to a thriving Black upper-middle class. While the friendship between Niecy and Annie grounds the story, much of the book is spent on their separate journeys as Annie looks to find her deadbeat mother and Niecy finds a new life at Spelman. With this divergence, we encounter a cast of side characters that are also well-fleshed manifestations of the various lives available to Black southerners at the time.
As I have recently been revisiting Adrienne Rich's concept of the lesbian continuum, I found a lot of overlap with this story. Beyond the two main characters, there are many instances of homosocial bonds among women that land on various places on that continuum anywhere between kinship and romantic love.
I highly recommend this for folks who like historical fiction about found family, social mobility, and challenging relationships.
That is, made me cry.
Kin is aptly named as it explores the friendship/found sisterhood of two motherless girls from birth to adulthood. The book provides depth to the vast setting of the American South, moving between Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia, from segregated busses to college, from rural poverty to a thriving Black upper-middle class. While the friendship between Niecy and Annie grounds the story, much of the book is spent on their separate journeys as Annie looks to find her deadbeat mother and Niecy finds a new life at Spelman. With this divergence, we encounter a cast of side characters that are also well-fleshed manifestations of the various lives available to Black southerners at the time.
As I have recently been revisiting Adrienne Rich's concept of the lesbian continuum, I found a lot of overlap with this story. Beyond the two main characters, there are many instances of homosocial bonds among women that land on various places on that continuum anywhere between kinship and romantic love.
I highly recommend this for folks who like historical fiction about found family, social mobility, and challenging relationships.
February 27, 2026
This story is more than friendship… it’s survival, So many things and tidbits conjoined together for so many circles of conversations that need to be had today… yesterday… and tomorrow. Just write Niecy… I’m the one who gave her that name 😩😩😭😭😭 - Tayari Jones, Kin (Why am I a wreck? How do people not read books mannnn they be so good 😫😫😫)
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January 7, 2026
Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026:
From the bestselling, award-winning author of An American Marriage comes a tale of sisterhood, mothers, and daughters in the American South. Vernice and Anne are two motherless girls who grow up as best friends in Honeysuckle, Louisiana, but whose lives are set on very different trajectories. Vernice eventually goes to Spelman, where she enters into a world of affluent and connected Black women. And then there's Anne. The hole left by her mother's absence sends her on an all-consuming journey, which takes her down a road of love and hardship. Throughout it all, we see the various permutations and complexities of women and girls in community. —Erica Ezeifedi
From the bestselling, award-winning author of An American Marriage comes a tale of sisterhood, mothers, and daughters in the American South. Vernice and Anne are two motherless girls who grow up as best friends in Honeysuckle, Louisiana, but whose lives are set on very different trajectories. Vernice eventually goes to Spelman, where she enters into a world of affluent and connected Black women. And then there's Anne. The hole left by her mother's absence sends her on an all-consuming journey, which takes her down a road of love and hardship. Throughout it all, we see the various permutations and complexities of women and girls in community. —Erica Ezeifedi
February 25, 2026
Kin by Tayari Jones is the story of two “cradle friends,” Vernice (Neicy) and Annie, whose lives ultimately take very different paths. Annie escapes their hometown at eighteen, leaving Neicy behind. Years pass, and the events of their lives shape the women they become. Neicy grew up knowing privilege and stability, eventually earning acceptance to Spelman College. Annie’s life, in contrast, had been marked by adversity and uncertainty. As their formative years unfold against the backdrop of the rising Civil Rights Movement and persistent inequality, both women are molded by forces far beyond their control.
Despite the stark contrasts in their circumstances, a powerful bond connects Neicy and Annie. This bond bridges the widening gaps between their lives. Over the years, they exchange a series of letters, and the fractured pieces of their friendship begin to mend. These letters become more than mere correspondence; they become a sanctuary of healing.
Both women grow up motherless. Neicy’s mother was tragically murdered by her father, and Annie’s mother had abandoned her, leaving her to be raised by her stern grandmother. Later in life they each encounter strong maternal figures who help guide them, thus illustrating just one way people can be kin to one another.
“Kin,” a word commonly used in the Southern United States and throughout Appalachia, signifies a deep connection rooted in shared history and loyalty. As the story had already established, Neicy and Annie are kin. While the term “kin” may be informal, it carries immense weight, encompassing both familial bonds and community ties. Neicy and Annie are undoubtedly kin, and despite the years that have separated them, their bond remains unbreakable, transcending the limitations of time.
While Neicy and Annie are the central focus of this compelling novel, Tayari Jones crafts strong secondary characters who leave a lasting impression. These supporting voices add richness and dimension, deepening an already emotionally layered story.
This heartbreaking novel reminds us that even when lives diverge, shared beginnings leave an indelible thread. Neicy’s structured, privileged upbringing and Annie’s unpredictable, often painful journey may stand in contrast, but their connection remains rooted in something deeper, that of loss, resilience, and the enduring power of chosen family. This was especially the case with Annie’s determination to find her mother.
This review would be incomplete without mentioning a particular scene. It depicts a poignant moment involving a little girl while Annie waits for Neicy at a bus station. This scene vividly captures the harshness of the Jim Crow era and leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Jones’s poetic writing style transports us back to a time when many of us still carry the memories of that era. If Jones’s previous works, including An American Marriage, had not gained recognition, Kin certainly makes up for that in spades.
Many thanks to Knopf and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Despite the stark contrasts in their circumstances, a powerful bond connects Neicy and Annie. This bond bridges the widening gaps between their lives. Over the years, they exchange a series of letters, and the fractured pieces of their friendship begin to mend. These letters become more than mere correspondence; they become a sanctuary of healing.
Both women grow up motherless. Neicy’s mother was tragically murdered by her father, and Annie’s mother had abandoned her, leaving her to be raised by her stern grandmother. Later in life they each encounter strong maternal figures who help guide them, thus illustrating just one way people can be kin to one another.
“Kin,” a word commonly used in the Southern United States and throughout Appalachia, signifies a deep connection rooted in shared history and loyalty. As the story had already established, Neicy and Annie are kin. While the term “kin” may be informal, it carries immense weight, encompassing both familial bonds and community ties. Neicy and Annie are undoubtedly kin, and despite the years that have separated them, their bond remains unbreakable, transcending the limitations of time.
While Neicy and Annie are the central focus of this compelling novel, Tayari Jones crafts strong secondary characters who leave a lasting impression. These supporting voices add richness and dimension, deepening an already emotionally layered story.
This heartbreaking novel reminds us that even when lives diverge, shared beginnings leave an indelible thread. Neicy’s structured, privileged upbringing and Annie’s unpredictable, often painful journey may stand in contrast, but their connection remains rooted in something deeper, that of loss, resilience, and the enduring power of chosen family. This was especially the case with Annie’s determination to find her mother.
This review would be incomplete without mentioning a particular scene. It depicts a poignant moment involving a little girl while Annie waits for Neicy at a bus station. This scene vividly captures the harshness of the Jim Crow era and leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Jones’s poetic writing style transports us back to a time when many of us still carry the memories of that era. If Jones’s previous works, including An American Marriage, had not gained recognition, Kin certainly makes up for that in spades.
Many thanks to Knopf and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
February 27, 2026
This is my first read from author Tayari Jones but it will definitely not be my last.
Kin follows two motherless girls growing up as fast friends in Honeysuckle, Louisiana: Vernice and Annie. Though their circumstances differ, they are united by the pain and trauma of maternal abandonment and loss. Vernice’s mother has died, and she is raised under the strict care of her aunt. Annie’s mother, however, chose to leave and Annie is haunted by not knowing exactly where she went or whether she is alive or dead. Vernice and Annie form an inextricable bond over their shared experiences but, as the approach high school graduation, their paths begin to drastically diverge.
Vernice moves to Atlanta, Georgia to attend Spellman College. Here, she experiences a level of privilege and opportunity that she had never known existed. Meanwhile, Annie chooses to flee the confines of Honeysuckle on a journey in search of her long lost mother. The friends' stories unfold in diametric opposition of one another and yet, they remain bonded to each other by maintaining a long-distance correspondence.
The title - Kin - is so perfect for a story about found family and chosen family and the bonds we forge that are closer than blood. Spanning years and landscapes of the American South, Kin is a coming-of-age story that explores friendship, identity, class, motherhood, and the ways abandonment shapes a woman’s sense of self. It is both intimate and expansive, capturing how two girls bound by shared loss can grow into very different women while still carrying the imprint of the soil from which they grew.
This novel is ambitious and very emotionally layered. I went from laughter to tears and damn near everywhere inbetween. The complex family dynamics are so beautifully rendered and felt very honest and authentic. I especially appreciated the examination of how the impact of childhood wounds ripple into adult lives, shaping our identity and influencing personal choices. You don't have to know anything about Atlanta or Louisiana or even The South for this book to resonate but it will hit extra hard if you have those ties.
Kin is a magnifcent character-focused drama that unfolds through conversations, memories, and emotional revelations. I also loved the epistolary storytelling! Perfect for anyone who loves emotional, character-driven LitFic, stories about mother/daughter bonds, coming-of-age stories and historical pieces set in the American South. Highly recommended. 5 stars
Kin follows two motherless girls growing up as fast friends in Honeysuckle, Louisiana: Vernice and Annie. Though their circumstances differ, they are united by the pain and trauma of maternal abandonment and loss. Vernice’s mother has died, and she is raised under the strict care of her aunt. Annie’s mother, however, chose to leave and Annie is haunted by not knowing exactly where she went or whether she is alive or dead. Vernice and Annie form an inextricable bond over their shared experiences but, as the approach high school graduation, their paths begin to drastically diverge.
Vernice moves to Atlanta, Georgia to attend Spellman College. Here, she experiences a level of privilege and opportunity that she had never known existed. Meanwhile, Annie chooses to flee the confines of Honeysuckle on a journey in search of her long lost mother. The friends' stories unfold in diametric opposition of one another and yet, they remain bonded to each other by maintaining a long-distance correspondence.
The title - Kin - is so perfect for a story about found family and chosen family and the bonds we forge that are closer than blood. Spanning years and landscapes of the American South, Kin is a coming-of-age story that explores friendship, identity, class, motherhood, and the ways abandonment shapes a woman’s sense of self. It is both intimate and expansive, capturing how two girls bound by shared loss can grow into very different women while still carrying the imprint of the soil from which they grew.
This novel is ambitious and very emotionally layered. I went from laughter to tears and damn near everywhere inbetween. The complex family dynamics are so beautifully rendered and felt very honest and authentic. I especially appreciated the examination of how the impact of childhood wounds ripple into adult lives, shaping our identity and influencing personal choices. You don't have to know anything about Atlanta or Louisiana or even The South for this book to resonate but it will hit extra hard if you have those ties.
Kin is a magnifcent character-focused drama that unfolds through conversations, memories, and emotional revelations. I also loved the epistolary storytelling! Perfect for anyone who loves emotional, character-driven LitFic, stories about mother/daughter bonds, coming-of-age stories and historical pieces set in the American South. Highly recommended. 5 stars
February 26, 2026
Kin is a wonderfully written story of two black girls, born in Honeysuckle, Louisiana, each without a mother in their life. Annie and Niecy (Vernice) share their early years, from cradle to school, Annie living with her Grandma who is anxious to be on her own, Niecy with her Aunt who changed her own life to return to Louisiana and care for the baby after its mother’s death. This lack of a mother’s presence would affect each girl’s life profoundly though in quite different ways.
The story is told in alternating chapters by these two girls as they become young women and move beyond their small town into a larger world. Each has her own plan: Niecy plans to go to Spelman College in Atlanta to open up her possibilities. Annie wants to head to Memphis to search for the mother that left when she was one month old. Both are about to have experiences they would never have imagined, meet new people of all kinds. As Niecy and Annie move on and their worlds enlarge, so does this novel. I found myself wanting to read faster as the story progressed. This is a portrait of a wide swath of black Southern life of the 1950s moving into the 1960s, rural and city, honky tonk and city society. Recommended highly.
I received a copy of this book from Knopf through NetGalley.
The story is told in alternating chapters by these two girls as they become young women and move beyond their small town into a larger world. Each has her own plan: Niecy plans to go to Spelman College in Atlanta to open up her possibilities. Annie wants to head to Memphis to search for the mother that left when she was one month old. Both are about to have experiences they would never have imagined, meet new people of all kinds. As Niecy and Annie move on and their worlds enlarge, so does this novel. I found myself wanting to read faster as the story progressed. This is a portrait of a wide swath of black Southern life of the 1950s moving into the 1960s, rural and city, honky tonk and city society. Recommended highly.
I received a copy of this book from Knopf through NetGalley.
January 26, 2026
This is my favorite book of the year so far. I know we just started 2026 but I am 25 books in and I already know this one will be in my top 10 rankings.
The is a story about friendship and found family “Kin”. Annie and Neicy are motherless cradle sisters. They are raised by their kin but both of them long for the love and affection they never receive from their kin.
Annie’s mother runs off when she is one month old. She is raised by her granny. Annie runs off to Tennessee right before graduation without telling Neicy, breaking Neicy’s heart. Annie spends her time in search of her trifling mother. She looks for her in every women she sees. It’s starting affecting her relationship with BoBo.
Neicy’s mother is murdered by her father when she is a baby. Neicy is raised by her aunt. Her aunt left Honeysuckle as soon as she could. There is no one
else to raise Neicy so she stays. She provides everything thing she needs except love. Neicy leaves for Spelman college. Her aunt returns to Ohio before Neicy is even in the bus. Neicy is forever in search for
a family to belong to.
I loved this book. I loved it even more than an
even more than An American Marriage. Tayari Jones out does herself. It so intriguing. It pulls you in and keeps you there. I love the all of the letters. I lived learning about what was going on each of their lives. It was so emotional. I felt for Annie and her never ending quest to find her trifling mother. I loved watching Neicy’s continued search to find a family to belong to.
I will be recommending this to everyone I know who reads. My only wish is that it was longer. I want to know how Franklin reacted to the information. I’m
Nosey. lol
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The is a story about friendship and found family “Kin”. Annie and Neicy are motherless cradle sisters. They are raised by their kin but both of them long for the love and affection they never receive from their kin.
Annie’s mother runs off when she is one month old. She is raised by her granny. Annie runs off to Tennessee right before graduation without telling Neicy, breaking Neicy’s heart. Annie spends her time in search of her trifling mother. She looks for her in every women she sees. It’s starting affecting her relationship with BoBo.
Neicy’s mother is murdered by her father when she is a baby. Neicy is raised by her aunt. Her aunt left Honeysuckle as soon as she could. There is no one
else to raise Neicy so she stays. She provides everything thing she needs except love. Neicy leaves for Spelman college. Her aunt returns to Ohio before Neicy is even in the bus. Neicy is forever in search for
a family to belong to.
I loved this book. I loved it even more than an
even more than An American Marriage. Tayari Jones out does herself. It so intriguing. It pulls you in and keeps you there. I love the all of the letters. I lived learning about what was going on each of their lives. It was so emotional. I felt for Annie and her never ending quest to find her trifling mother. I loved watching Neicy’s continued search to find a family to belong to.
I will be recommending this to everyone I know who reads. My only wish is that it was longer. I want to know how Franklin reacted to the information. I’m
Nosey. lol
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 9, 2026
this is one of my favorites of the year - and definitely moving into one of my all-time favorites! what a beautiful, glorious book! tayari jones has such a way with language - these characters leapt off the page and i loved them all so deeply! the friendship between niecy and annie was written with such care and tenderness and humor and wisdom. i haven’t read a book this good about friendship in a very long time and i feel so grateful to have found it.
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