On Sundays, She Picked Flowers

by Yah-Yah Scholfield

When Judith Rice killed her mother, she thought she put an end to the woman's hold on her. Seventeen years later, secluded deep in the woods of northern Georgia, Jude knows that the past isn't all that easy to discard.


Alone with her strange house and even stranger woods, Jude must grapple with ghosts, haints, beasts, and an enigmatic woman who threatens to undo the tentative peace Jude's built for herself by fanning the violence that lives just underneath her skin.

Genres: Horror, Gothic, Queer, Fantasy, Fiction, LGBT, Southern Gothic

388 pages, Paperback

First published October 18, 2020

Reviews

[DianaRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

a favorite read of 2025🩵

one of THE best sapphic, southern gothic horror novels i’ve ever read, aside from beloved, of course; i’ve been thinking about it for months.

on sundays she picked flowers is insanely gory from quite literally page one, full of twisted family dynamics, and ultimately left me chilled to the bone.

full rtc

[Cuyla Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has put up the first chapter for previewing on Medium, and just a glance at it tells you exactly why you should pick this book up and read it cover to cover.

https://medium.com/@ariesconceptss/on...

Yah Yah Scholfield has an impeccable grasp of atmosphere and horror, and the skill to create an immersive experience with the two.

A culmination of their previous work in the genre of horror (particularly notable in their range, from the gripping and subtle fear present in their science-fiction story 'It's Warm In Here' to the death-and-devotion turned on its head of 'Cherry Wine', to stories shot through with terrible joy, of becoming, with 'What The Water Gave Me') Scholfield paints a picture of their protagonist and her world masterfully, giving us just a taste of the horrors yet to come.

This reader has already pre-ordered their copy of On Sundays, She Picked Flowers and is eagerly awaiting its arrival and the subsequent revisiting of this review.

[Cervidaeda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for just the first chapter? Yes. Five stars for the whole book? Absolutely. I’ve been cured of gay illiteracy forever, I can’t thank the author enough.

[Jan Agaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

honestly one of the best horror books I've ever read. I read a lot of horror so not many shock me as much as this one did. plus the writing is phenomenal & the exploration of toxic familial relationships, as well as the notion of scrounging for love despite everything was really well done. the fact that this is a debut novel is unbelievable. I can't wait for more people to read this when it comes out in January. I'm going to be thinking about this one for a very long time.

Thank you to Saga Press for sending me an early copy!

[Bubbles · Rating 5 out of 5]

anyways this book is a masterclass in horror and if you're going through the reviews thinking "wow sure seems to be a lot of one star reviews wonder what's with that" I'll tell you why it's because white folks on tumblr can't stand when someone calls them out on their sh*t and resort to acting like the babies we know they are and give the author one star reviews because their voltron inc*st didn't get enough kudos on ao3 :)

[meli · Rating 5 out of 5]

everyone order this or 🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫

[Zana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars.

I wanted to really love this since the horror and the bleak Southern Gothic atmosphere were on point, but the dark romance ended up being nonsensical and relied a lot more on vibes than I liked.

I loved the evocative storytelling and the graphic horror in this short novel. If you want something really dark and really visceral, then I'd definitely recommend this novella.

The descriptions of gore and death felt like I was either there with Jude, or watching a Guillermo del Toro film. (The haunted house that Jude moves into was giving Crimson Peak vibes.) Hell, even the extremely toxic familial relationships were engrossing.

But then the romance happened.

I won't lie. I didn't get it. There were too many time jumps and it made the relationship flow so unnaturally. I wanted to root for Jude and Nemoira so badly, but the whole thing felt more like a dream sequence or a hallucination than anything that actually happened.

Idk.

I wanna say props to the author for writing an older FMC. But I'm not really sure if this made any difference in the end.

I'd still recommend this because the author's prose is lovely and the vibes were so deliciously creepy.

Thank you to S&S/Saga Press and NetGalley for this arc.

[Mira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, Yah Yah is on their way to becoming one of the best horror writers of this generation. There are not many with their ability to capture the atmospheric tension that is found throughout their work. I've read all of their short stories and the first chapter of On Sundays, and I am truly excited to read the novel once it comes out. There are a lot of people, white people, creating comments calling a black, non binary, lesbian racist and homophobic. And the question is, do you have this energy for actual racist and homophobic white people? Because ya'll truly went out of your way to try and make Yah Yah look bad when all they said was the truth. Like sorry, not sorry, but everyone in the comments acting stupid AND loud, need to go outside and find real problems to worry about. And just in case I've been unclear, you can't be racist to white people. Anyway, read On Sundays and give Mx Yah Yah their well deserved coin.

[Yah-Yah Scholfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

*chef's kiss*

[Aiden · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author put up the first chapter on medium and it was wonderful. The cadence, the suspense, the imagery and silent soundscape of the chapter has me impatiently waiting for the actual release.

[Denise Ruttan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I had loved this and in theory all the pieces were there of things I normally enjoy. I would recommend this to the right reader but this just wasn't for me. This was a beautifully written Southern gothic full of literary sapphic monster fucking, brutal murders, cannibalism, child abuse, rape, racism, the scars of slavery, and generational trauma. I thought I was prepared for the trigger warnings and I still found it pretty gross, even as I understood Jude's motivations in the end. It also did a wonderful job at evoking atmosphere.

The story opens with Jude brutally murdering her mother after she tries to choke her for leaving their physically abusive home at age 41. I understood her mother and her pain so even though that was bleak, I found that arc beautiful in its trauma in the end. I also liked how the FMC was older. Jude doesn't really seem to change her violent ways much other than she gains a deeper understanding of her past, and not much happens in the plot other than she adopts a haunted house in the woods and is visited by a beast that brings her gifts of meat and becomes even more of a loner.

I liked the idea of haunted objects that become friends, but I thought this would be more of a haunted house story and it was a misunderstood character-driven feminist witch in the woods story instead.

A strange woman named Nemoira stops by, and Jude asks no questions, which was strange. She just gives into her loneliness and falls madly in love. Then the cycle of violence begins anew. This is a story at its heart of people who look away and let things happen, and the people who are left behind. And the characters vomit quite a bit, for good reason.

There was just not much happening other than the gross body horror, cannibalism, and generational trauma, and despite the beautiful writing I also found it hard to get into the romance. It was a romance in the end, but I found it a desperate, gory, unsatisfying kind that often turned my stomach.

So if you like literary gross horror dripping with Southern atmosphere and trauma, this may be more for you than it was for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Grace B · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first chapter is incredible, and I can't wait to read the whole book and give a more in-depth review.

[jolanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

lovely read.. it started with a bang n then the book recollects itself, maybe due to the romance in a way too good to be true, though i definitely didn’t expect the direction it ended up in.. 😟

[sophie]

On Sundays is a richly detailed horror debut that remains a little rough around the edges, but overall worth your while. While we await the author's future books, I recommend reading Scholfield's short fiction.

Content warnings: Abuse, gore, cannibalism, injury, murder, parent death, death, animal death, self harm.

Specific thoughts below:

There's lots to dig in to! It's hard to know where to start. My main thoughts are that I wanted more scenes + context, and some sharp editing.

Generally, the writing and detail is very good. It's atmospheric, and the descriptions are lush. The main characters, Jude and Nemoira, are well written and interesting. I love the scene where they first meet, where Jude is simultaneously mesmerized, yet repulsed - Nemoira treads to Jude's doorstep after 17 years of living alone. I will look forward to seeing more from this author. The rest of this review is particular to what I thought could be improved.

- SPOILERS AHEAD -

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The opening line is very good, and understandably difficult to let go of, but I wonder if the book had begun with the scene of the murder - and the reasons unraveling afterward - might have quickened the pace. I think the scene itself is well done - the details are grisly, following both Jude and the reader through the rest of the story.

The pacing is a little clumsy - after Jude flees from home to the woods, there's a 17-year jump. I wonder why Nemoira did not approach Jude sooner than that (in human form). During this time, Jude also quells the haunted house to her - I would have liked a chapter or two when Jude first arrived, quarreling with the house, a scene or two in the woods, seeing Jude get settled to paint the picture of the following years.

While the atmosphere was good and lulled the reading well along, unfortunately there's a lot of misspellings and errors that regularly jar the story's pace. The book needs a solid editor.

The house and the woods are mysterious, but too vaguely: I would have liked more specifics. What does the house do other than shake and clatter and sigh? A scene or two with a more specific experience of Jude and the house would have been cool. Otherwise the haunting feels in the background. I would have liked a similar expansion of the surroundings woods.

I would have loved interactions, over the years, of Jude and the bear. By the time Jude and Nemoira meet - they know one another, but this is told more than shown. The bear left animals at Jude's step, but what else?

Similarly, Jude accepts Nemoira into her home and within about a month -another time skip - they've warmed easily to one another. Over another time skip, Jude falls in love - this takes place between approximately page 60-73. Their love is the basis of more than half of the novel, particularly the end, so I had really wanted to see more of their interactions together. What changed since their first meeting, where Jude was both enamored and repulsed? Did she fight against the interchanging warmth and revulsion, did she question it? Did Jude hear the scrape of a paw in the night, were the house's rooms unnaturally warmed...the air shifting hot, rancid, from the exhale of a beast? Ect

Jude's aunts were interesting, but I thought they swept into the narrative quickly, and as unceremoniously out.

The chapter of Nemoira's POV change was abrupt, but very interesting - I would have liked more of her chapters throughout the book. Nemoira's chapter and its tonal shift may be my favorite.

Due to not seeing much of their interactions makes me wonder how Jude so completely trusted Nemoira - Jude knew that Nemoira had killed people. I'm confused that Jude never questioned the unrecognizable meats Nemoira returned home with. I feel like I'm missing important context...

I LOVED the chapter where Jude goes in to town to cut her hair short and buy masculine clothing.

The escalation of Jude and Nemoira's fight felt tonally off. I wondered why Jude hadn't brought in the hunter's gun, to keep in reach. Or if one or the other had waited till night to make an attempt on the other's life...I had a little trouble believing Jude was able to get the upper hand and kill Nemoira. Why didn't Nemoira remain in her bear form - how did Jude escape a killing blow?

I felt...confused...with the ending, especially how Jude anticipates Nemoira's return. I was glad that they were brought together again, but the previous chapter where Jude kills Nemoira felt very final.

Overall it was an interesting debut and I would recommend it. I mostly wanted a longer book, more show than tell, and to fill out some of the empty space between the time skips.

[Aimee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only reason this didn’t get 1 star was because it was gay.

The pacing was really off, and I didn’t actually believe the love story at all. Probably because the author kept doing time jumps and just telling us things happened instead of actually showing us.

The two different chapters from the different POVs were the most interesting part of this book; I wish we got way more chapters like that and it could have helped the pacing.

I recognize that fantasy needs a suspension of disbelief but there are so many unanswered questions that I can’t get over:
- Why did no one report Jude’s mom’s murder?
- why did the aunts basically not care that Jude killed her? They said they loved her even knowing she was abusive.
- why did Nemoira wait 17 years to talk to Jude?
- how in the world did Jude buy things? She didn’t have a job and didn’t seem to sell anything
- why did the innkeeper own the cabin? Why did they pay for the utilities?


Jude immediately falling out of love with Nemoira and then falling back in love after she killed her made no sense. Sorry but if that’s the love of your life and the love of your life is a wolf… I feel like you gotta get over that the cannibalism

Also, I know this was an independent author but they couldn’t have gotten an editor or even a friend to read through it? There was a typo on almost every single page and some of them made sentences unreadable.

[Kaylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

FINALLY a horror book that isn't boring. Like, some books feel like they know the horror history and the rules but that's it. Not this one tho! Bless the rest of y'all hearts y'all try so hard and I applaud you for your efforts but this was AMAZING. It's got blood but like the right amount of horror, blood thats scary and terrifying and beautiful, without being gross. The writing is so...like you know how in movies and shows somebody's reading something or telling a story and the room shifts around them to show they're so immersed in it all that's how I felt reading this. *Chefs kiss* 10/10

[chyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author released the first chapter of this book as a preview of what was to come and what a begining it was! Generally I'm not a fan of horror but the way that this author writes is captivating. It makes it very hard to stop reading after you start and once you finish it's always a pleasure to start it all over again. I've read that first chapter several times and I am looking forward to reading the rest of it!!

[al · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t say shit to me about feral women unless one of you is a bear and one of you is a cannibal in love with a bear

[Syndrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This right here is a true southern gothic novel — filled to the brim with flawed characters, illicit themes, raw emotions, and a fair amount of gore.

Overall, it's a rough story that really focuses on dark ramifications of generational trauma. We follow the story of a woman named Jude, who runs away from her childhood home — and more importantly from her abusive mother. One thing that really hit me harder for this novel is that this wasn't a case of a young woman or teenager running away to try and start a new life. Jude is actually already 41 years old before she finally manages to escape from the house of suffering she's been stuck in for her entire life. The meat of this novel is really about how Jude grows and adapts to her new life in the abandoned, haunted home she's fled to deep in the Georgia woods. We watch as she learns some harsh truths about herself, and we also watch as she develops a deep, intimate relationship with a mysterious woman who suddenly appears at her door one day.

Written with lush and descriptive prose, you can really feel the anger, fear, lust, sorrow, and disgust absolutely dripping from the pages of this novel. But in between all the bad, there are moments of serenity that help make the story more palatable and really humanize (most of) the characters. It's also a pretty fast-paced story with frequent time skips, but the pacing feels very natural and there's an impressive amount of character development packed in along the way.

I don't want to give too many details on the plot as I went into this one mostly blind and I'm glad I did so, but here's a list of some keywords I jotted down during my reading for anybody who might want a little more of an idea of what to expect: visceral, haunting, incandescent, tranquil, frenzied, wanton, harrowing, hopeful.

If you're a reader that tends to be triggered by darker themes, you'll probably want to pay special attention to the content warning at the beginning of this book before fully committing to it. But for those who do not have any triggers, I would highly recommend this one. I'll also most definitely be keeping an eye out for future works from Yah Yah Scholfield!

(Thank you to Saga Press for providing me with an advance review copy for free via NetGalley! I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.)

[Briann · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Sundays She Picked Flowers is a Southern Gothic horror novel that explores the complexities of generational trauma, human nature, vengeance, forgiveness, abuse, and betrayal.

Yah-Yah Scholfield packs a lot in her novel, and she packs a punch. Her book often made me pause and meditate. While she could have made her novel simplistic or one-dimensional, she did not. Instead, she often switched perspectives so it was never truly black-and-white. Scholfield thrives in nuances and prospers in complexities. Everyone should read On Sundays She Picked Flowers at least once.

[Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

yah yah is such a bright, exciting voice in the horror genre! they have an incredibly strong authorial voice and such a talent for characterization, imagery, and atmosphere. yah yah’s passion for the genre shines through in their character’s interactions and their excellent eye for detail, and their work is as exciting to read as it is stressful. on sundays is an extraordinary debut of someone who’s sure to be a game changer in the world of horror!!
also lots of other reviews mention how the first chapter of the book is up on medium (https://medium.com/@ariesconceptss/on...) and i couldn’t recommend it more highly!!

[Natalie HH · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. I really struggled to rate this. I jumped from a 2 to a 5 to a 3 to possibly DNFing, and back again. This really packed a punch while covering some huge topics, namely grief, child abuse, familial trauma, loneliness, sexuality, and the complicated road to recovery - but add magickal realism and shape-shifting beats! Overall an incredible story, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the abysmal editing(!!!) It's ripe with typos, spelling and grammar issues, but if you can look past them, it's worth the time!

[Morghann Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have already read the first chapter released- very intense, very brutal, and I mean that in the best way possible. Yah Yah is a fantastic writer by all accounts, and is slated to be a household name, at least in my opinion. If you’re impatient for more, check their Medium articles; my favorite was Mary Magdalene at the Tomb- it gave me honest to god shivers.

[Piph S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yah is such an amazing person and I can’t wait to be able to read their work in full. So far only the first chapter is out and it is marvelous. Also, be aware that all of the current 1 star reviews are from people who have petty issues with Yah Yah and think this is the best way to deal with it. They are childish and, frankly, lack reading comprehension.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come, but need a night to think on it. I was not expecting to pick up this book, it was one I found looking for Gothic fiction written by Black and POC creators depicting characters from aforementioned backgrounds. This resonated with me in so many ways, from the prose to Jude's trauma and the dark tone of the novel. Will likely give this 4 or 4.5 stars.

[Dayna Mortimore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetic, immersive, evocative writing imbued in every sense with an unequivocal passion for what she does, Scholfield deserves way more hype. A downright refreshing addition to the horror genre, this is the sort of writing that will sink right under your skin and stay there.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

horrible and bloody and beautiful. story was fantastic although would have loved a bit more depth in some places. main issues were grammar and flow, needs a bit more editing/proof reading and i think the ebook needs reformatting. but in the end absolutely amazing especially for a first novel!

[steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am so so excited for this book, it's almost impossible to put my feelings in words. i cannot wait for its release

[Sacha · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

When I read that a book has any kind of similarity to _Sorrowland_, that's an automatic yes from me. While this book definitely has discernable connections to Solomon's, it absolutey stands on its own as an inventive, haunting, and memorable work. Its foundation is intergenerational, layered trauma, so while this is an outstanding read, prospective readers should proceed with caution and care.

Scholfield addresses the challenges of this work before the novel begins with a clear note about the content, making it easy for readers to make good decisions for them before jumping into the text. Take those cautionary words seriously. We're not dealing with a scene or a reference; the motifs are central to the text and they are what makes this narrative so rich. In a word, they are unavoidable.

Readers who can heed the warnings and proceed anyway will be instantly introduced to Judith, whom we know as Jude. The very first sentence establishes the relationship between Jude and her mother; it's contentious, violent, and relentless. In that first sentence alone, I immediately thought, "This poor kid," only to immediately learn that this poor kid is in her early 40s. Clearly, there's a lengthy, troubled history here, and unpacking that is only a small sliver of the intrigue.

Jude ultimately leaves her family home and finds herself in a new dwelling. Since she's in a Southern gothic text, readers can guess correctly that the relationship between Jude and that new home is special and, well, intertwined. Jude learns a lot there, becomes in some ways a whole new being there, and forges a relationship that tests her limits and knowledge.

A lot of what I love in this book is the way Jude evolves and the surprising and mythologically oriented ways in which this occurs. This is not an easy read at all, but it is riveting, it's extraordinarily fast paced, and it's somehow utterly palatable despite unquestionably intense content.

I loved this read - obviously - and will dive face first into anything Scholfield puts out next.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and S&S/Saga Press for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Misha · Rating 5 out of 5]

(rounded up from 4.5)

Incredible, languid, gothic, gorgeous, so many words to describe how much I enjoyed this sapphic horror story. It's brutal and gory, but in the right amounts (not excessive for the sake of being shocking, nor too little for the violence to have an impact).

Jude is a thirty-year-old black woman living with her abusive mother. After bearing the abuse all her life, Jude knows she has to leave. A struggle results in her mother's death, and Jude flees as far as she can until she arrives at a cottage in the middle of the woods, one where she must soothe the furniture and stay away from a looming beast in the woods for safety. Her solitary life is interrupted decades later by a stranger at the door: a beautiful but feral woman who begs for a night's shelter and some food.

The novel deals with generational trauma/abuse, motherhood, the broken relationship between a mother and daughter, and now between two women who harbour secrets and darkness from each other but are trying to make a life together. I love the treatment of the relationship between the two women and the magical realism of houses that have known violence and trauma and need some loving discipline to serve their functions willingly again.

Fantastic world, really interesting characters and evocative descriptions of complicated emotions like guilt, grief, and love.