What do you think?
Rate this book
Zeal
The New York Times bestselling author of This Will Be My Undoing and Caul Baby returns with an epic, multi-generational novel that illuminates the legacy of slavery and the power of romantic love.
Harlem, 2019. Ardelia and Oliver are hosting their engagement party. As the guests get ready to leave, he hands her a love letter on a yellowing, crumbling piece of paper . . .
Natchez, 1865. Discharged from the Union Army as a free man after the war’s end, Harrison returns to Mississippi to reunite with the woman he loves, Tirzah. Upon his arrival at the Freedmen’s Bureau, though, he catches the eye of a woman working there, who’s determined to thwart his efforts to find his beloved. After tragedy strikes, Harrison resigns himself to a life with her.
Meanwhile in Louisiana, the newly free Tirzah is teaching at the Freedmen’s School, and discovers an advertisement in the local paper looking for her. Though she knows Harrison must have placed it, and longs to find him, the risks of fleeing are too great, and Tirzah chooses the life of seeming security right in front of her.
Spanning over a hundred and fifty years, Morgan Jerkins’s extraordinary novel intertwines the stories of these star-crossed lovers and their descendants. As Tirzah's family moves across the country during the Great Migration, they challenge authority with devastating consequences, while of the legacy of heartbreak and loss continues on in the lives of Harrison's progeny.
When Ardelia meets Oliver, she finds his family’s history is as full of secrets and omissions as her own. Could their connection be a cosmic reconciliation satisfying the unfulfilled desires of their ancestors, or will the weight of the past, present and future tear them apart?
Sweeping, textured, and meticulously researched, Zeal is both a story of how one generation’s choices reverberate through the years and an indelible portrait of an enduring love.
Harlem, 2019. Ardelia and Oliver are hosting their engagement party. As the guests get ready to leave, he hands her a love letter on a yellowing, crumbling piece of paper . . .
Natchez, 1865. Discharged from the Union Army as a free man after the war’s end, Harrison returns to Mississippi to reunite with the woman he loves, Tirzah. Upon his arrival at the Freedmen’s Bureau, though, he catches the eye of a woman working there, who’s determined to thwart his efforts to find his beloved. After tragedy strikes, Harrison resigns himself to a life with her.
Meanwhile in Louisiana, the newly free Tirzah is teaching at the Freedmen’s School, and discovers an advertisement in the local paper looking for her. Though she knows Harrison must have placed it, and longs to find him, the risks of fleeing are too great, and Tirzah chooses the life of seeming security right in front of her.
Spanning over a hundred and fifty years, Morgan Jerkins’s extraordinary novel intertwines the stories of these star-crossed lovers and their descendants. As Tirzah's family moves across the country during the Great Migration, they challenge authority with devastating consequences, while of the legacy of heartbreak and loss continues on in the lives of Harrison's progeny.
When Ardelia meets Oliver, she finds his family’s history is as full of secrets and omissions as her own. Could their connection be a cosmic reconciliation satisfying the unfulfilled desires of their ancestors, or will the weight of the past, present and future tear them apart?
Sweeping, textured, and meticulously researched, Zeal is both a story of how one generation’s choices reverberate through the years and an indelible portrait of an enduring love.
Audible Audio
First published April 22, 2025
320 people are currently reading
12618 people want to read
About the author
Morgan Jerkins
8 books1,068 followersMorgan Jerkins is the author of the New York Times bestseller, This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America and the forthcoming Wandering In Strange Lands: A Daughter of the Great Migration Reclaims Her Roots.
A graduate of Princeton University and the Bennington Writing Seminars, Jerkins is the current Senior Editor at ZORA of Medium and former Associate Editor at Catapult. She teaches at Columbia University's School of the Arts and most recently was the Picador Professor at Leipzig University in Germany.
She's based in Harlem.
A graduate of Princeton University and the Bennington Writing Seminars, Jerkins is the current Senior Editor at ZORA of Medium and former Associate Editor at Catapult. She teaches at Columbia University's School of the Arts and most recently was the Picador Professor at Leipzig University in Germany.
She's based in Harlem.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews
May 7, 2025
This story pulls you in right from the beginning. I expected more of a back and forth timeline, probably because that’s what I’m used to with books like this. Jenkins however does something different here. Instead, she lets us sit with the past for a while, really soak in it, before bringing us back to the present. It’s a powerful way to show how some things can haunt a family for generations, and how it often takes one person to say “enough” and try to break the cycle.
That said, it’s also so important to acknowledge the unimaginable hardships these families faced. You can’t always expect people to make the right choices under that kind of pressure. These characters are deeply flawed, fully responsible for their actions, yes, but I could still understand some of the decisions they made, even when I was absolutely disgusted at times……multiple times.
Once the story shifted into the modern world for the final stretch, I did struggle a bit to see how everything was connecting. Still, it was incredible to witness how generational pain trickles down and how the newer generation begins to reflect, grow, and ultimately make choices that felt healing. It dragged a little in some parts, but overall, it was a journey I’m really proud to have taken.
Of course, any story that reflects on the Black American experience, especially in such a specific, painful historical context, is never going to be easy. But Jenkins does such a great job creating complex characters who feel real and rooted in their time.
That said, it’s also so important to acknowledge the unimaginable hardships these families faced. You can’t always expect people to make the right choices under that kind of pressure. These characters are deeply flawed, fully responsible for their actions, yes, but I could still understand some of the decisions they made, even when I was absolutely disgusted at times……multiple times.
Once the story shifted into the modern world for the final stretch, I did struggle a bit to see how everything was connecting. Still, it was incredible to witness how generational pain trickles down and how the newer generation begins to reflect, grow, and ultimately make choices that felt healing. It dragged a little in some parts, but overall, it was a journey I’m really proud to have taken.
Of course, any story that reflects on the Black American experience, especially in such a specific, painful historical context, is never going to be easy. But Jenkins does such a great job creating complex characters who feel real and rooted in their time.
March 12, 2025
I finished this audiobook over the weekend, and y’all… Y’ALL!!
ZEAL is everything I love about historical fiction. The story is absolutely breathtaking from start to finish. The characters (!!!), the dual timelines, the depth of research, the rich storytelling—I was captivated by every damn word! I especially loved the dual timelines and haven’t stopped thinking about these characters since. Without a doubt, this will be one of my top reads of 2025!
If ZEAL isn’t on your TBR yet, I highly recommend adding it. Preorder now—you won’t regret it! I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy.
Given the time period (1865), there are definite trigger warnings, and Morgan does not shy away from the hard realities. Her delivery is immaculate.
ZEAL is everything I love about historical fiction. The story is absolutely breathtaking from start to finish. The characters (!!!), the dual timelines, the depth of research, the rich storytelling—I was captivated by every damn word! I especially loved the dual timelines and haven’t stopped thinking about these characters since. Without a doubt, this will be one of my top reads of 2025!
If ZEAL isn’t on your TBR yet, I highly recommend adding it. Preorder now—you won’t regret it! I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy.
Given the time period (1865), there are definite trigger warnings, and Morgan does not shy away from the hard realities. Her delivery is immaculate.
December 12, 2024
Absolutely stunning from beginning to end 😭❤️
Read
March 11, 2025I devoured Morgan Jerkins's new novel in two days. That's saying something because at nearly 500 pages,
Zeal
isn't exactly a quick read. But Jerkins, who gave us This Will Be My Undoing and Caul Baby, has outdone herself with this sweeping tale of love, family, and survival that spans 150 years.
The story grabs you from the first page. It's 1865, and Harrison, a former Union soldier, is making his way back to Mississippi to find the woman he loves. What follows is the kind of epic that makes you forget to eat dinner. Jerkins weaves together generations of stories that ripple out from that first journey home, showing how the choices we make echo through time.
Her research is impeccable, but unlike some historical fiction that reads like a textbook, Zeal never loses sight of the beating hearts at its center. The post-Civil War South comes alive through intimate details – the crack of a whip, the smell of cotton dust, the whispered prayers of those dreaming of freedom. But it's the characters who stay with you: their hopes, their fears, their fierce determination to protect the ones they love.
Jerkins has grown tremendously as a writer. Gone is the occasional melodrama of Caul Baby, replaced by prose that cuts straight to the bone. She handles multiple timelines with the skill of a master weaver, creating patterns that only become clear when you step back to see the whole tapestry.
If there's any fault here, it's that some storylines get less attention than they deserve – an almost inevitable issue when you're juggling 150 years of history. But that's like complaining that a feast has too many dishes.
This is the kind of book that makes you miss your subway stop. It's for anyone who loved Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing or Colson Whitehead's work, but really, it's for anyone who believes in the power of a story well told. Zeal hits bookstores on April 22, 2025. Mark your calendars – this one's special.
The story grabs you from the first page. It's 1865, and Harrison, a former Union soldier, is making his way back to Mississippi to find the woman he loves. What follows is the kind of epic that makes you forget to eat dinner. Jerkins weaves together generations of stories that ripple out from that first journey home, showing how the choices we make echo through time.
Her research is impeccable, but unlike some historical fiction that reads like a textbook, Zeal never loses sight of the beating hearts at its center. The post-Civil War South comes alive through intimate details – the crack of a whip, the smell of cotton dust, the whispered prayers of those dreaming of freedom. But it's the characters who stay with you: their hopes, their fears, their fierce determination to protect the ones they love.
Jerkins has grown tremendously as a writer. Gone is the occasional melodrama of Caul Baby, replaced by prose that cuts straight to the bone. She handles multiple timelines with the skill of a master weaver, creating patterns that only become clear when you step back to see the whole tapestry.
If there's any fault here, it's that some storylines get less attention than they deserve – an almost inevitable issue when you're juggling 150 years of history. But that's like complaining that a feast has too many dishes.
This is the kind of book that makes you miss your subway stop. It's for anyone who loved Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing or Colson Whitehead's work, but really, it's for anyone who believes in the power of a story well told. Zeal hits bookstores on April 22, 2025. Mark your calendars – this one's special.
June 6, 2025
Yall please read this book 😭 I am in shambles. Miss Morgan Jerkins—you have a fan in me! This is a powerful novel that shows the power of love, the power of family, and the power of Black peoples spirit and spirituality. I am in awe and lost for words.
August 4, 2025
This novel contains a multigenerational story with dual timelines in which the reader is fully informed about their genealogical history, but the current generation's searching to discover and make sense of that history are baffled by incomplete and confusing records. The story begins with a separated ex-slave couple attempting to reunite after the Civil War, but due to various complications they are unable to do so. Subsequently their descendants follow the typical African American migrations (first to Nicodemus, Kansas, then to Chicago), and then concludes with an engaged couple in New York City trying to survive the COVID pandemic.
It is a romantic plot to have the descendants of separated lovers finally being united five generations later in an engagement to be married. I was attracted to this book in the first place because it roughly follows a plot configuration of a semi-autobiographic historical novel that I, for many years, have been planning to write. (I've concluded I'll never get it done because I enjoy listening to audio books and writing book reviews more).
It is a romantic plot to have the descendants of separated lovers finally being united five generations later in an engagement to be married. I was attracted to this book in the first place because it roughly follows a plot configuration of a semi-autobiographic historical novel that I, for many years, have been planning to write. (I've concluded I'll never get it done because I enjoy listening to audio books and writing book reviews more).
June 30, 2025
This is the best book I’ve read (Audiobook) so far in 2025 - an absolutely brilliant and beautiful work of art. I need time to process. More to come.
May 18, 2025
Finished this in 24 hours… baby this was good. I love a story rooted in heritage and legacy and this one did not disappoint. I held my breath many moments and all I can say is now I need to go back and read Caul Baby because Morgan wrote the stank out of this book! So rich.
May 16, 2025
5⭐️ "Zeal"
Zeal: great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective
This one immediately put me in my feelings. I kept pausing and putting the book down. However, that's not a bad thing at all. It’s a testament to the powerful words Ms. Jerkins put in this tragically beautiful novel.
Covering the span of 150 years, from Mississippi to Chicago and from Juneteenth through the pandemic we experienced, a story is told about love, betrayal, secrets, determination, and generational struggles. In the present day, we're with Oliver and Ardelia at their engagement party in 2019. A love letter from his family member sends us back to 1865 with Tirzah and Harrison. We know that so many families were separated in slavery but what if you experienced a love so strong that although you were separated, that same love continued to return to you in different forms? Some forms even heartbreaking to witness?
Tirzah and Harrison were determined to find each other again but in order to live, they had to focus on the "right now," even if that meant marrying someone right now because it was the best thing to do at the time or moving across the country to get away from plantation owners who continued their torture and abuse in the deep south despite us being "free."
In the present, Oliver, a doctor, and Ardelia experience the pandemic and their freedom is turned upside down as Oliver is dealing with the reality of this virus every day. Like their ancestors, Oliver had to focus on the "right now" while Ardelia looked to their future until the past called her name in the form of a letter and a mysterious picture of a Union soldier.
The stories that were untold affected generations. I believe across the diaspora we have to break these generational curses of "Why didn't I know this about my family?" Only to get the response: "You never asked." We have to talk to each other, pass down the stories, no matter the embarrassment, hurt or love.
Love returned to these characters through secrets, violence, found family, and of course it found them with...Zeal. 🧡
Zeal: great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective
This one immediately put me in my feelings. I kept pausing and putting the book down. However, that's not a bad thing at all. It’s a testament to the powerful words Ms. Jerkins put in this tragically beautiful novel.
Covering the span of 150 years, from Mississippi to Chicago and from Juneteenth through the pandemic we experienced, a story is told about love, betrayal, secrets, determination, and generational struggles. In the present day, we're with Oliver and Ardelia at their engagement party in 2019. A love letter from his family member sends us back to 1865 with Tirzah and Harrison. We know that so many families were separated in slavery but what if you experienced a love so strong that although you were separated, that same love continued to return to you in different forms? Some forms even heartbreaking to witness?
Tirzah and Harrison were determined to find each other again but in order to live, they had to focus on the "right now," even if that meant marrying someone right now because it was the best thing to do at the time or moving across the country to get away from plantation owners who continued their torture and abuse in the deep south despite us being "free."
In the present, Oliver, a doctor, and Ardelia experience the pandemic and their freedom is turned upside down as Oliver is dealing with the reality of this virus every day. Like their ancestors, Oliver had to focus on the "right now" while Ardelia looked to their future until the past called her name in the form of a letter and a mysterious picture of a Union soldier.
The stories that were untold affected generations. I believe across the diaspora we have to break these generational curses of "Why didn't I know this about my family?" Only to get the response: "You never asked." We have to talk to each other, pass down the stories, no matter the embarrassment, hurt or love.
Love returned to these characters through secrets, violence, found family, and of course it found them with...Zeal. 🧡
May 25, 2025
I read this on audiobook but I wasn't a huge fan of the main narrator. I was reading this heavy book while doing heavy (read - depressing) archival work so that may have coloured my experience of it.
The writing was okay. I loved the historical fiction aspect, examining the reconstruction era in the US South. It's always neat to make connections to other media I've consumed. Zeal reminded me of Sinners a bit.
I did not vibe with most of the characters. I wanted to connect with them. I enjoy messy lives but there was something missing for me to put up with it. Harrison being described as a African with a big **** made my skin itch. It made me think of 1700s-1800s White travel literature that described Black people in very sexual ways.
There were points where I had warm feelings for Tirzah but not after they moved to Kansas. She babied Free in a way that reminds me when mothers cry for their "good sons" who rape, rob, and murder other people. I'm not a mother - but where is the line when you stop babying your child and realize you raised a lump of a man. I do get the trauma aspect of it, but Free acted that way because the women in his life let him get away with doing whatever he wanted.
I honestly think the book could have ended in the past. When Jerkins tried to bridge it back to the present there was a disconnect for me. Only towards the very end of the book did I see any value in trying to link the two time periods together. It read like two separate books at one point. I enjoying seeing the migration of characters but we didn't need Oliver or Ardelia for that.
The writing was okay. I loved the historical fiction aspect, examining the reconstruction era in the US South. It's always neat to make connections to other media I've consumed. Zeal reminded me of Sinners a bit.
I did not vibe with most of the characters. I wanted to connect with them. I enjoy messy lives but there was something missing for me to put up with it. Harrison being described as a African with a big **** made my skin itch. It made me think of 1700s-1800s White travel literature that described Black people in very sexual ways.
There were points where I had warm feelings for Tirzah but not after they moved to Kansas. She babied Free in a way that reminds me when mothers cry for their "good sons" who rape, rob, and murder other people. I'm not a mother - but where is the line when you stop babying your child and realize you raised a lump of a man. I do get the trauma aspect of it, but Free acted that way because the women in his life let him get away with doing whatever he wanted.
I honestly think the book could have ended in the past. When Jerkins tried to bridge it back to the present there was a disconnect for me. Only towards the very end of the book did I see any value in trying to link the two time periods together. It read like two separate books at one point. I enjoying seeing the migration of characters but we didn't need Oliver or Ardelia for that.
December 30, 2024
Grateful to have been able to read an ARC for this! I loved the premise but I think it got a little meandering and convoluted in execution, with too many points of view. I also think the contemporary story could have been woven in a bit more intentionally earlier in the book. Vera/Violet was such a compelling character, I wished we spent more time with her. Also, I wanted more resolution with the earlier characters- we spent so much time with free, what happened to him? Overall it was an ok book that could have been awesome.
April 30, 2025
STUNNNNNNNING! Historical fiction with a contemporary blend, I read this like watching a movie. By blend, I mean dual timelines done so well (beginning and end). Beautiful character storytelling, with such good research and vivid writing. I was hooked from the start. So glad I picked Zeal up. Did an immersive reading with the audiobook and it made it that much more special 🥹 add it to your TBR!
This book made me emotional and I didn’t even mean to watch Sinners around the same time period as this! Completely different stories but it felt kismet that I watched and read these two back to back and loved.
This book made me emotional and I didn’t even mean to watch Sinners around the same time period as this! Completely different stories but it felt kismet that I watched and read these two back to back and loved.
November 13, 2025
This book captivated me from the start, set against the tumultuous backdrop of the post-Civil War era and the pandemic. The author blends a multi-generational tale of endless love that defies time, exploring the intergenerational consequences of love unmet, resilience, lineage, the legacy of slavery, loss, and the power of love. For those who enjoy historical fiction, I strongly recommend this book. I look forward to reading more from Morgan Jerkins.
May 11, 2025
Where do I begin?!?!?!
July 7, 2025
Not for me
December 25, 2025
Phenomenal storytelling!! This novel reminded me why historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. I was fully engaged from the first page to the last. The exploration of ancestry was powerful, and reading about generations past felt personal. As someone who’s always been intrigued by my own family history, the story resonated with me on a meaningful level. Sidenote: Vera 🥺
June 22, 2025
Special thanks to the author & @harperbooks for my gifted copy‼️
A book that truly lives up to the hype because Morgan Jerkins put her ancestors foot in this. Whenever I read a multigenerational story with dual timelines my first thought is always how will the author make it all connect. This book flows so beautifully from beginning to end and was written in a way that you would never forget these characters or their back stories.
The novel begins in the present with Ardelia and Oliver at their engagement party and Oliver gifts her a love letter that has been passed down through his family for generations. The letter becomes a central theme in the novel as the author takes readers back in time to the origins of where it all began.
Intertwining themes of fate, Black love, romantic relationships, community, found family, the decisions that shape our destiny, connections that are just meant to be, and the continuous struggle to maintain freedom. Morgan doesn’t shy away from proving to readers that something’s in our lives are inevitable and what or who is meant for you will always find you.
Have you ever been so invested in a book that the character deaths destroy you? That’s Zeal cause lord knows my heart couldn’t take anymore just one after another. This book also made me think about how back then so many people settled into relationships they didn’t truly want to be in. “Was their union born of love or of obligation, freedom or fear?” Some of these characters were forcing themselves into relationships where the love was often one-sided. “She was who she came from: a woman forcing herself into a space that wasn't hers.”
Overall, the book is amazing so please READ IT‼️ The author chose the perfect title because every character was in pursuit of something. Whether it was love, happiness, or freedom their unwavering desire never weakened and is why the descendants of both Tirzah and Harrison kept manifesting. Shoutout to my book club Vintage & Black @wellreadpharmacist for having Morgan join our discussion!
A book that truly lives up to the hype because Morgan Jerkins put her ancestors foot in this. Whenever I read a multigenerational story with dual timelines my first thought is always how will the author make it all connect. This book flows so beautifully from beginning to end and was written in a way that you would never forget these characters or their back stories.
The novel begins in the present with Ardelia and Oliver at their engagement party and Oliver gifts her a love letter that has been passed down through his family for generations. The letter becomes a central theme in the novel as the author takes readers back in time to the origins of where it all began.
Intertwining themes of fate, Black love, romantic relationships, community, found family, the decisions that shape our destiny, connections that are just meant to be, and the continuous struggle to maintain freedom. Morgan doesn’t shy away from proving to readers that something’s in our lives are inevitable and what or who is meant for you will always find you.
Have you ever been so invested in a book that the character deaths destroy you? That’s Zeal cause lord knows my heart couldn’t take anymore just one after another. This book also made me think about how back then so many people settled into relationships they didn’t truly want to be in. “Was their union born of love or of obligation, freedom or fear?” Some of these characters were forcing themselves into relationships where the love was often one-sided. “She was who she came from: a woman forcing herself into a space that wasn't hers.”
Overall, the book is amazing so please READ IT‼️ The author chose the perfect title because every character was in pursuit of something. Whether it was love, happiness, or freedom their unwavering desire never weakened and is why the descendants of both Tirzah and Harrison kept manifesting. Shoutout to my book club Vintage & Black @wellreadpharmacist for having Morgan join our discussion!
August 1, 2025
Zeal is one of those novels that deserves so much more attention than it’s gotten. Morgan Jerkins has crafted a sweeping, deeply affecting story that begins with a love letter at an engagement party in Harlem in 2019 and then opens up into a powerful meditation on love, freedom, and generational legacy.
The letter, passed down through Oliver’s family since 1865, leads us back to the year of emancipation, as we follow the intertwined lives of Harrison, a formerly enslaved Union soldier returning to Mississippi, and Tirzah, the woman he loves. Their reunion is far from guaranteed. Harrison learns that Tirzah was given away by their enslaver, and both are left to rebuild their lives in a post-slavery America where freedom is more theoretical than lived reality. Tirzah, now in Louisiana, carries her own wounds and dreams, chief among them the hope of reconnecting with Harrison.
The brutality of this period is rendered with unflinching honesty. Jerkins doesn’t sanitize the aftermath of slavery. There is a lot of violence and struggle, as the supposedly free characters remaine pinned to their former enslavers, white resentment breeds new forms of violence and oppression, and systemic obstacles endure long after emancipation. But Jerkins also captures resilience, agency, and the quiet, determined pursuit of a better future.
Over time, the choices Harrison and Tirzah make echo through generations, eventually bringing us back to the modern-day love story between Oliver and Ardelia, unfolding just as the COVID-19 pandemic begins to shut down New York City. Some of the present-day plot points felt a little too tidy to me and others felt a little too forced, which is why I’m landing just shy of five stars, but the writing is still gorgeous, the characters unforgettable, and the historical insight profound.
Having read and loved Jerkins’s memoir about her own family’s journey through the Great Migration, it was impossible to miss the depth of research and personal connection that permeates this novel. Zeal is both heart-wrenching and full of hope, a story that honors the past while refusing to be trapped by it. More people need to read this book.
The letter, passed down through Oliver’s family since 1865, leads us back to the year of emancipation, as we follow the intertwined lives of Harrison, a formerly enslaved Union soldier returning to Mississippi, and Tirzah, the woman he loves. Their reunion is far from guaranteed. Harrison learns that Tirzah was given away by their enslaver, and both are left to rebuild their lives in a post-slavery America where freedom is more theoretical than lived reality. Tirzah, now in Louisiana, carries her own wounds and dreams, chief among them the hope of reconnecting with Harrison.
The brutality of this period is rendered with unflinching honesty. Jerkins doesn’t sanitize the aftermath of slavery. There is a lot of violence and struggle, as the supposedly free characters remaine pinned to their former enslavers, white resentment breeds new forms of violence and oppression, and systemic obstacles endure long after emancipation. But Jerkins also captures resilience, agency, and the quiet, determined pursuit of a better future.
Over time, the choices Harrison and Tirzah make echo through generations, eventually bringing us back to the modern-day love story between Oliver and Ardelia, unfolding just as the COVID-19 pandemic begins to shut down New York City. Some of the present-day plot points felt a little too tidy to me and others felt a little too forced, which is why I’m landing just shy of five stars, but the writing is still gorgeous, the characters unforgettable, and the historical insight profound.
Having read and loved Jerkins’s memoir about her own family’s journey through the Great Migration, it was impossible to miss the depth of research and personal connection that permeates this novel. Zeal is both heart-wrenching and full of hope, a story that honors the past while refusing to be trapped by it. More people need to read this book.
April 16, 2025
THIS STORY, THIS STORY, THIS STORY!! If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would! All I’d wanted to do with my time once I began reading, was to consume this book - I couldn’t put it down. Beautifully written from start to finish - and whew, that finish. TEARS, I tell you. What an incredible story of love transcending over time. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of reading this ARC. This story will stay with me for a long time.
August 2, 2025
3.75⭐️ there are some small spoilers ahead so read at your own risk!
I really wanted to love this book more than I did. I have a lot of thoughts on this book and I have a lot to say to back up my rating. I would actually love to have a discussion about this book because it definitely gave me a lot more food for thought than I was expecting!
- typically in historical fiction the author takes you back and forth between generations or timelines chapter to chapter. In this story, roughly the first half of the book is set in the past and the second half is in present day (2020). I think both timelines were great but I think they could have been woven together a little more seamlessly. After getting through the past chapters and switching over to the present, I felt taken out of the story so much and honestly that’s the only reason for my rating being what it is.
- reading the present day chapters really got me thinking and analyzing the point of this story. I was almost ALMOST lost with the whole generational curse thing that starts with Tirzah and Harrison.
Obviously while reading you see that in the beginning the separation and heartbreak stems from slavery, racism, and white supremacy. Alot of what Tirzah and her descendants dealt with was out of their control and the more I read the more I understood that even through multiple generations, the trauma and emotional damage was inevitable and deeply rooted. The story telling is very different than what i am used to but i think it was important. The story was pretty heavy in my opinion but also necessary. This story depicts the realities of familial and romantic relationships during this time period post slavery.
- ngl, (SPOILER!!!) I hate that Oliver basically abandoned Ardelia. I understand the pressures he was facing with work and the pandemic but for him to also use his knowledge (which we later find out of misunderstood and miscommunicated) of Tirzah and Harrison as a reason??? I didn’t like that. It almost felt like he was testing his relationship unnecessarily. But again… deeply rooted through generations.
I really wanted to love this book more than I did. I have a lot of thoughts on this book and I have a lot to say to back up my rating. I would actually love to have a discussion about this book because it definitely gave me a lot more food for thought than I was expecting!
- typically in historical fiction the author takes you back and forth between generations or timelines chapter to chapter. In this story, roughly the first half of the book is set in the past and the second half is in present day (2020). I think both timelines were great but I think they could have been woven together a little more seamlessly. After getting through the past chapters and switching over to the present, I felt taken out of the story so much and honestly that’s the only reason for my rating being what it is.
- reading the present day chapters really got me thinking and analyzing the point of this story. I was almost ALMOST lost with the whole generational curse thing that starts with Tirzah and Harrison.
Obviously while reading you see that in the beginning the separation and heartbreak stems from slavery, racism, and white supremacy. Alot of what Tirzah and her descendants dealt with was out of their control and the more I read the more I understood that even through multiple generations, the trauma and emotional damage was inevitable and deeply rooted. The story telling is very different than what i am used to but i think it was important. The story was pretty heavy in my opinion but also necessary. This story depicts the realities of familial and romantic relationships during this time period post slavery.
- ngl, (SPOILER!!!) I hate that Oliver basically abandoned Ardelia. I understand the pressures he was facing with work and the pandemic but for him to also use his knowledge (which we later find out of misunderstood and miscommunicated) of Tirzah and Harrison as a reason??? I didn’t like that. It almost felt like he was testing his relationship unnecessarily. But again… deeply rooted through generations.
June 30, 2025
This is such a well-written, multi-generational story. She nailed it with the Louisiana-Mississippi history. Also, the audiobook was well done. I’d give it more than 5 stars if I could.
November 8, 2025
I don't know where to start🥹 Wow! This book will stick with me for a long time.
July 26, 2025
SO GOOD! I could not put it down
May 22, 2025
after a major reading slump, I came across this book on a list of sorts and downloaded the sample. Next thing I know, I had purchased the book. IT IS MY FAVORITE BOOK OF 2025 thus far. I love a historical fiction, multigenerational family saga … I did NOT want this book to end, at all. I read soooooooooo slow as I got to the end because I knew it was coming to an end. I need someone to read this asap so we can talk about it!!!!
May 22, 2025
Zeal was an absolute masterpiece and one of the best historical fictions I’ve read in a very long time! I’m just so blown away by Morgan’s talent 😮💨👏🏽
This multi-generational epic was incredible from beginning to end. From learning the truth about Tirzah and Harrison being separated during slavery through reconstruction, to their kids meeting and being messy af in Nicodemus, Kansas, and then to Ardelia and Oliver’s rocky relationship during Covid, this book was straight tea. I truly love stories like this. All the history, mixed with family drama and deep self-reflection is everything. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Zeal made me feel so many things. Grief, anger, connection, hope, and love, all wrapped in a story so beautifully written and deeply researched. This was my first read by Morgan, and it exceeded every expectation I had fr. I just know this story is going to stay with me for a looooong time 🥲💕
This multi-generational epic was incredible from beginning to end. From learning the truth about Tirzah and Harrison being separated during slavery through reconstruction, to their kids meeting and being messy af in Nicodemus, Kansas, and then to Ardelia and Oliver’s rocky relationship during Covid, this book was straight tea. I truly love stories like this. All the history, mixed with family drama and deep self-reflection is everything. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Zeal made me feel so many things. Grief, anger, connection, hope, and love, all wrapped in a story so beautifully written and deeply researched. This was my first read by Morgan, and it exceeded every expectation I had fr. I just know this story is going to stay with me for a looooong time 🥲💕
June 7, 2025
I really need to do a better job of sharing my thoughts on what I read. Summer break reading is off to a great start with Zeal. I had a few thoughts about it:
1-the title is fitting. Zeal means having passion or enthusiasm or dedication for something. Or in this case someone. There’s an abundance of love to be found in this story, some of it reciprocal & some of it not.
2-speaking of love & other emotions, the relationships in Zeal are messy but not overwhelmingly dramatic. It could very well be me, but when reading historical fiction there’s sometimes an air of elders being above reproach because there appeared to be more adherence to patriarchal norms of marriage & nuclear family from Reconstruction onward. Through Jerkins’ writing, a different point of view regarding family is presented. Family is not restricted to blood relation, an equally strong bond can be formed with who we choose (Ezekiel is like a father to Harrison, Novella sees Tirzah as a mother, Miriam is also drawn to Tirzah because of the love shared between Tirzah & Harrison). Jealousy and possessiveness is highlighted in reality shows and literature today and it makes an appearance in Zeal. Tabithah falls in love with Harrison who’s in love with Tirzah and is actively seeking to reunite after the end of the Civil War. Tabithah is employed by the Freedmen’s Bureau when she meets Harrison. Instead of placing the ad Harrison wrote in hopes that Tirzah would read it & they find each other, Tabithah hides the ad in her desk. She does this because she wants Harrison for herself…even after he becomes something of a “ladies’ man” in their community while waiting for Tirzah. You already know as a reader this is not going to end well.
3-the idea of fate and destiny being real-fast forward to 2020 and we’re introduced to Ardelia and Oliver, a newly engaged couple with their own baggage. 2020 is the year of Covid-19 and the pandemic. With Ardelia being a historian & Oliver a medical doctor , can their relationship survive separation & fear? Their ties to Tirzah & Harrison are revealed and as a reader I truly was cheering for a happily ever after.
4-other thoughts…I think Zeal on its own is an excellent story. It’s fairly fast-moving and doesn’t really drag. In presenting our elders as being human with flaws & feelings, Zeal does not come across as a preachy morality tale. Yes there’s plenty of heartbreak but there’s an underlying hope that all will work out as the characters wish. What I find interesting is the characters and what possible undercover messages may exist in between the lines. Examples are:
A-Tirzah is referred to as stunningly beautiful multiple times-she’s also mixed race and can read & write. She’s not faithful to Harrison however and chooses someone else who loves her more than she loves him. This is a recurring idea with the women and men characters as each subsequent generation chooses safe & convenient rather than what society sells as love. Which version is true & everlasting?
B-This may be the nerd in me but the Moynihan Report and the false belief of the downfall of Black families being the fault of Black women crossed my mind, especially with Vera’s story as a blues singer who almost made it to fame(Miriam’s daughter, Miriam is Harrison & Tabithah’s daughter). Miriam is one of those characters that I have mixed feelings about. She & Novella feud for years over Free, Tirzah & Isaac’s son; why I don’t know but anyways… what’s done in the past informs the present. However, it does not have to be a permanent consequence. I like to think Jerkins is maybe refuting the idea that Black women are to blame and places the blame on systems in place along with personal choices that aren’t great.
5-the importance of identity-another idea to consider while reading Zeal is how much influence being assured of who you are plays into how you perceive what happens to you and the world at large. Thinking about Ardelia, she has a fractured relationship with her father that is not resolved until his final moments alive. The fear of abandonment affects her relationship with Oliver. If that fear wasn’t there, just how different would life be? That fear ultimately serves as a catalyst to tie Tirzah and Harrison to Ardelia and Oliver, and the true story is revealed and understood. There’s comfort in knowing who you are & where you come from, I like to think of it as a personal map to navigate life.
This is probably going to be my number two fiction pick for this year. I truly enjoyed reading Zeal and I recommend it if you like historical fiction that shows the range of emotions people feel.
1-the title is fitting. Zeal means having passion or enthusiasm or dedication for something. Or in this case someone. There’s an abundance of love to be found in this story, some of it reciprocal & some of it not.
2-speaking of love & other emotions, the relationships in Zeal are messy but not overwhelmingly dramatic. It could very well be me, but when reading historical fiction there’s sometimes an air of elders being above reproach because there appeared to be more adherence to patriarchal norms of marriage & nuclear family from Reconstruction onward. Through Jerkins’ writing, a different point of view regarding family is presented. Family is not restricted to blood relation, an equally strong bond can be formed with who we choose (Ezekiel is like a father to Harrison, Novella sees Tirzah as a mother, Miriam is also drawn to Tirzah because of the love shared between Tirzah & Harrison). Jealousy and possessiveness is highlighted in reality shows and literature today and it makes an appearance in Zeal. Tabithah falls in love with Harrison who’s in love with Tirzah and is actively seeking to reunite after the end of the Civil War. Tabithah is employed by the Freedmen’s Bureau when she meets Harrison. Instead of placing the ad Harrison wrote in hopes that Tirzah would read it & they find each other, Tabithah hides the ad in her desk. She does this because she wants Harrison for herself…even after he becomes something of a “ladies’ man” in their community while waiting for Tirzah. You already know as a reader this is not going to end well.
3-the idea of fate and destiny being real-fast forward to 2020 and we’re introduced to Ardelia and Oliver, a newly engaged couple with their own baggage. 2020 is the year of Covid-19 and the pandemic. With Ardelia being a historian & Oliver a medical doctor , can their relationship survive separation & fear? Their ties to Tirzah & Harrison are revealed and as a reader I truly was cheering for a happily ever after.
4-other thoughts…I think Zeal on its own is an excellent story. It’s fairly fast-moving and doesn’t really drag. In presenting our elders as being human with flaws & feelings, Zeal does not come across as a preachy morality tale. Yes there’s plenty of heartbreak but there’s an underlying hope that all will work out as the characters wish. What I find interesting is the characters and what possible undercover messages may exist in between the lines. Examples are:
A-Tirzah is referred to as stunningly beautiful multiple times-she’s also mixed race and can read & write. She’s not faithful to Harrison however and chooses someone else who loves her more than she loves him. This is a recurring idea with the women and men characters as each subsequent generation chooses safe & convenient rather than what society sells as love. Which version is true & everlasting?
B-This may be the nerd in me but the Moynihan Report and the false belief of the downfall of Black families being the fault of Black women crossed my mind, especially with Vera’s story as a blues singer who almost made it to fame(Miriam’s daughter, Miriam is Harrison & Tabithah’s daughter). Miriam is one of those characters that I have mixed feelings about. She & Novella feud for years over Free, Tirzah & Isaac’s son; why I don’t know but anyways… what’s done in the past informs the present. However, it does not have to be a permanent consequence. I like to think Jerkins is maybe refuting the idea that Black women are to blame and places the blame on systems in place along with personal choices that aren’t great.
5-the importance of identity-another idea to consider while reading Zeal is how much influence being assured of who you are plays into how you perceive what happens to you and the world at large. Thinking about Ardelia, she has a fractured relationship with her father that is not resolved until his final moments alive. The fear of abandonment affects her relationship with Oliver. If that fear wasn’t there, just how different would life be? That fear ultimately serves as a catalyst to tie Tirzah and Harrison to Ardelia and Oliver, and the true story is revealed and understood. There’s comfort in knowing who you are & where you come from, I like to think of it as a personal map to navigate life.
This is probably going to be my number two fiction pick for this year. I truly enjoyed reading Zeal and I recommend it if you like historical fiction that shows the range of emotions people feel.
November 12, 2025
“Just as the water always knows its direction no matter how many lakes and streams it pours into, so too these women were meant to find each other no matter the divergent routes required to bring them here together in this particular time and space.”
•
As someone who is a slow reader, did it take me a month and some change to finish Zeal by Morgan Jerkins? Yes. But did I absolutely devour each page as I read slowly? HELL YES! Every chapter I read made me want to read slower and slower so that I could continue to immerse myself in the storyline of Zeal.
•
After the war, Harrison returns to Mississippi a free man, hoping to reunite with his love, Tirzah. At the Freedmen’s Bureau, however, a determined woman (rolls eyes at Tabitha) decides to impede on his search, and after tragedy strikes, Harrison unfortunately has to accept life with her instead. Meanwhile in Louisiana, Tirzah teaches at a Freedmen’s School and finds a newspaper ad seeking her—from Harrison obviously—but fearing the dangers of fleeing to find her one true love, Harrison, she chooses to settle for a life of safety.
Spanning over 150 years, we see the trials and tribulations of the lives both Harrison and Tirzah live. As we dive deeper into both characters, we slowly but surely understand why both parties may have “settled” due various reasons.
2020, we meet Oliver and Ardelia. Oliver has proposed to Ardelia and things couldn’t be more than better for the engaged couple. But what happens when Ardelia discovers Oliver’s family’s secrets mirror her own. Is their bond a cosmic healing of ancestral wounds, or will the weight of time due to the 2019 coronavirus epidemic pull them apart?
•
Memorable people/places/things for me:
• Harrison slanging meat every which way right after the war ended was not on my bingo card.
• Tabitha, girl .. going after a man that had no interest in you just to secure your own future didn’t go so well now did it?
• Ezekiel … *cry’s*
• SPENCER AMBROSE WAS A PIECE OF SH*T! I couldn't stomach is digusting a*ss at any point during this story.
• I don't care what y'all say .. Isaac was a good man.
• When Tirzah let the choppa spray. YESS! I read that entire scene twice.
• Miriam, Novella, and Free … MY GOD! Isn’t it funny how each of them turned out to be just like their parents? Whew. The parallels between their storylines and their parents’ could not be missed at all.
• IDGAF, Oliver pissed me off at times. I understood what he was faced with, but BFR! Something about a man just deciding to leave makes the anxiousness in my ass itch.
•
From the dust of the past to the pulse of the present, Zeal spans generations—a love that defies time, tracing the scars of slavery, loss, and resilience through a lineage bound by an eternal, unyielding flame.
•
Zeal is another 5-star read for me this year that I will never stop talking about. Welcome home.
•
Sidenote: When Geraldine finally told her story, my heart ached immediately. Learning about Vera and what happened pissed me off knowing that it could have been avoided if Choriniath could have set his disapproval of Vera to the side and accepted what she wanted for her life.
•
As someone who is a slow reader, did it take me a month and some change to finish Zeal by Morgan Jerkins? Yes. But did I absolutely devour each page as I read slowly? HELL YES! Every chapter I read made me want to read slower and slower so that I could continue to immerse myself in the storyline of Zeal.
•
After the war, Harrison returns to Mississippi a free man, hoping to reunite with his love, Tirzah. At the Freedmen’s Bureau, however, a determined woman (rolls eyes at Tabitha) decides to impede on his search, and after tragedy strikes, Harrison unfortunately has to accept life with her instead. Meanwhile in Louisiana, Tirzah teaches at a Freedmen’s School and finds a newspaper ad seeking her—from Harrison obviously—but fearing the dangers of fleeing to find her one true love, Harrison, she chooses to settle for a life of safety.
Spanning over 150 years, we see the trials and tribulations of the lives both Harrison and Tirzah live. As we dive deeper into both characters, we slowly but surely understand why both parties may have “settled” due various reasons.
2020, we meet Oliver and Ardelia. Oliver has proposed to Ardelia and things couldn’t be more than better for the engaged couple. But what happens when Ardelia discovers Oliver’s family’s secrets mirror her own. Is their bond a cosmic healing of ancestral wounds, or will the weight of time due to the 2019 coronavirus epidemic pull them apart?
•
Memorable people/places/things for me:
• Harrison slanging meat every which way right after the war ended was not on my bingo card.
• Tabitha, girl .. going after a man that had no interest in you just to secure your own future didn’t go so well now did it?
• Ezekiel … *cry’s*
• SPENCER AMBROSE WAS A PIECE OF SH*T! I couldn't stomach is digusting a*ss at any point during this story.
• I don't care what y'all say .. Isaac was a good man.
• When Tirzah let the choppa spray. YESS! I read that entire scene twice.
• Miriam, Novella, and Free … MY GOD! Isn’t it funny how each of them turned out to be just like their parents? Whew. The parallels between their storylines and their parents’ could not be missed at all.
• IDGAF, Oliver pissed me off at times. I understood what he was faced with, but BFR! Something about a man just deciding to leave makes the anxiousness in my ass itch.
•
From the dust of the past to the pulse of the present, Zeal spans generations—a love that defies time, tracing the scars of slavery, loss, and resilience through a lineage bound by an eternal, unyielding flame.
•
Zeal is another 5-star read for me this year that I will never stop talking about. Welcome home.
•
Sidenote: When Geraldine finally told her story, my heart ached immediately. Learning about Vera and what happened pissed me off knowing that it could have been avoided if Choriniath could have set his disapproval of Vera to the side and accepted what she wanted for her life.
November 22, 2025
Zeal is such a beautiful story, and the historical fiction timeline was amazing. The Harrison and Tirzah chapters were so detailed, emotional, and honestly my favorite part of the entire book. I was glued to the pages every time the story went back to them.
The modern day storyline, didn’t grab me in the same way. I kept waiting to connect with those characters the way I connected with the past, but something just didn’t click for me.
The story is a multi generational love story that stretches across 150+ years. You jump between 1865, right after the Civil War, where Harrison, a newly freed Union soldier, goes back to the Mississippi plantation to find the woman he loves, Tirzah.
Then you flip to modern day Harlem, where Ardelia and Oliver are engaged, and he hands her an old family letter that ends up meaning way more than it seems.
Along the way, the book digs into Black history, the legacy of slavery, systemic oppression, the Great Migration, and how trauma and hope get passed down through generations. It’s a lot, but in a really meaningful way.
Overall, still a really strong and powerful read. The historical sections alone were worth the read, and I’m glad I picked this one up.
The modern day storyline, didn’t grab me in the same way. I kept waiting to connect with those characters the way I connected with the past, but something just didn’t click for me.
The story is a multi generational love story that stretches across 150+ years. You jump between 1865, right after the Civil War, where Harrison, a newly freed Union soldier, goes back to the Mississippi plantation to find the woman he loves, Tirzah.
Then you flip to modern day Harlem, where Ardelia and Oliver are engaged, and he hands her an old family letter that ends up meaning way more than it seems.
Along the way, the book digs into Black history, the legacy of slavery, systemic oppression, the Great Migration, and how trauma and hope get passed down through generations. It’s a lot, but in a really meaningful way.
Overall, still a really strong and powerful read. The historical sections alone were worth the read, and I’m glad I picked this one up.
July 20, 2025
Deeply Moving!
4.5 ⭐️
Zeal by Morgan Jerkins is a multigenerational love story that spans from 1865 to 2021.
This tale unfolds across two time periods:
1865 - Harrison, a discharged Union soldier, returns to Natchez, Mississippi to reunite with the love of his life, Tirzah.
2019 - Ardelia and Oliver’s engagement party takes place in Harlem months before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Morgan Jerkins’ brilliant writing skillfully creates an easy, smooth and natural flow between dual timelines and multiple characters. This novel effortlessly intertwines Tirzah and Harrison’s and Ardelia and Oliver’s life stories while exploring the brutalization of slavery, generational trauma, endless love, heartbreak, loss, and grief. This beautifully written book will leave you mesmerized and it will remain etched in your memory.
4.5 ⭐️
Zeal by Morgan Jerkins is a multigenerational love story that spans from 1865 to 2021.
This tale unfolds across two time periods:
1865 - Harrison, a discharged Union soldier, returns to Natchez, Mississippi to reunite with the love of his life, Tirzah.
2019 - Ardelia and Oliver’s engagement party takes place in Harlem months before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Morgan Jerkins’ brilliant writing skillfully creates an easy, smooth and natural flow between dual timelines and multiple characters. This novel effortlessly intertwines Tirzah and Harrison’s and Ardelia and Oliver’s life stories while exploring the brutalization of slavery, generational trauma, endless love, heartbreak, loss, and grief. This beautifully written book will leave you mesmerized and it will remain etched in your memory.
May 1, 2025
From the post-Civil War South up to near present day, the story of two couples and their families linked across time and space by a love letter between two formerly enslaved lovers separated by circumstance. An impressive blend of history, legacy, and love inspired by a real artifact.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews