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On Sundays, She Picked Flowers
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.
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.
142 pages, Paperback
First published October 18, 2020
309 people are currently reading
25271 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 464 reviews
February 3, 2026
a favorite read of 2025🩵
edit: 2/3/26 - full review BEWARE OF SPOILERS:
I finished ON SUNDAYS SHE PICKED FLOWERS in just under a day – this was absolutely horrifying in so many ways: the incest, the abuse, the racism, the crushing of hopeful souls, the secret cannibalism… and I mean, the first 25 pages?! Truly the goriest pages I have ever read (and I am a relatively new horror reader so those descriptions… WOW so gross but SO SO GOOD).
I loved all the different POVs and interludes from Ma’am, Auntie Vivian and Phyllis, Candle (before Jude names the house Candle), but especially the beast/Nemoira. While I admit that I am still a tad confused as to what the beast/Nemoira symbolizes (death and rebirth?/something very cyclical, at least), she was just a perfect morally gray character, if we can even call her “morally gray” because she is so far removed from social mores and is more of the natural world than anything else.
Ugh, and Jude’s journey of self-acceptance and love was just so crushing. Her pain and urgency to be loved by anyone, but especially her mother was so heartbreaking and tangible. Her character growth was spectacular – her forgiving her mother and trying to love her as her sister…
---
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.
edit: 2/3/26 - full review BEWARE OF SPOILERS:
I finished ON SUNDAYS SHE PICKED FLOWERS in just under a day – this was absolutely horrifying in so many ways: the incest, the abuse, the racism, the crushing of hopeful souls, the secret cannibalism… and I mean, the first 25 pages?! Truly the goriest pages I have ever read (and I am a relatively new horror reader so those descriptions… WOW so gross but SO SO GOOD).
I loved all the different POVs and interludes from Ma’am, Auntie Vivian and Phyllis, Candle (before Jude names the house Candle), but especially the beast/Nemoira. While I admit that I am still a tad confused as to what the beast/Nemoira symbolizes (death and rebirth?/something very cyclical, at least), she was just a perfect morally gray character, if we can even call her “morally gray” because she is so far removed from social mores and is more of the natural world than anything else.
Ugh, and Jude’s journey of self-acceptance and love was just so crushing. Her pain and urgency to be loved by anyone, but especially her mother was so heartbreaking and tangible. Her character growth was spectacular – her forgiving her mother and trying to love her as her sister…
---
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.
October 21, 2025
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!
Thank you to Saga Press for sending me an early copy!
October 21, 2020
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 :)
May 27, 2020
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.
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.
June 15, 2020
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.
February 13, 2026
This was beautifully told, and the only reason I gave it 3 stars rather than more is 100% on me and my personal feelings. I am finding more and more that books with a strong foundation in trauma and abuse passed down from generation to generation do not sit well with me.
Completely my own thoughts and opinions. I firmly believe others will love this book with all of its beauty and scars.
Completely my own thoughts and opinions. I firmly believe others will love this book with all of its beauty and scars.
July 12, 2021
*chef's kiss*
February 15, 2026
Verdant, emotional writing explores generational trauma in ways both literal and metaphoric, and it is really hard to put down. Look, this novel may be categorized as “horror” due to the fact that there are paranormal and fantastic elements, but those are not the horrific parts of the story, and it feels more like magical realism that isn’t afraid to look in dark, bloody corners. She does such a wonderful job at building characters that feel personal and intentional, it is hard to look away from them and help but fall for them. Maybe what is most compelling about the characters, though, is how she manages to be both honest and gentle with the way she depicts them. There is no character that is relocated to being just one thing, be it victim or abuser or anything else. There is a recognition that we are complicated and broken and resilient in very personal, varied ways, and that makes the characters and relationships between them so much more compelling. The world building and atmosphere are great, you feel lost in the fecund swamp or trapped in the sweaty suburbs, the sense of time and place is profound and compelling. The writing is thick and emotional but still feels jagged and stripped back. It never feels self-indulgent but instead follows a density that matches the character’s emotional journey, more relaxed and open at some points and tense and hurried and anxious at others, really letting the writing styles tell the story. The narrative is actually kind of simple, and while there are a few really significant bits of external action the story is mostly about an inner journey. There is very little external that is “achieved” by the end of the story, but that doesn’t make the journey not breath-taking, tense, terrifying, and empowering in various measures.
I appreciate that this story doesn’t allude to generational trauma but instead addresses it directly, giving the reader enough to figure out on their own while later making some things specific and clear, and then letting the characters react to that disclosure of specificity. I also appreciate that the fantastic elements complement the story, but they don’t make the story. In fact, it would be possible to read all of the fantastic elements as metaphor or as imagined or some combination thereof. I don’t think that is the narrative intention, but the way they work in the story they are not the hinge point, they just add to the character’s understanding of self, their exploration of how to escape both personal and societal violences and define themselves on their own terms. They are not trying to exorcise their ghosts they are learning to live with them, to favor community instead of self-cherishing, to learn how self-worth and a personal sense of value can come from the ways you see yourself reflected in those who you care about, even if they are haints or other wild, fantastical forest beasts.
This story is emotional and feels genuinely uninterested in perpetuating any idea of the status quo. It is bold and heartfelt and most terrifying not when there are eruptions of violence, but when personal histories are denied and repressed and we are left without the chance to determine how we want to be in the world.
I appreciate that this story doesn’t allude to generational trauma but instead addresses it directly, giving the reader enough to figure out on their own while later making some things specific and clear, and then letting the characters react to that disclosure of specificity. I also appreciate that the fantastic elements complement the story, but they don’t make the story. In fact, it would be possible to read all of the fantastic elements as metaphor or as imagined or some combination thereof. I don’t think that is the narrative intention, but the way they work in the story they are not the hinge point, they just add to the character’s understanding of self, their exploration of how to escape both personal and societal violences and define themselves on their own terms. They are not trying to exorcise their ghosts they are learning to live with them, to favor community instead of self-cherishing, to learn how self-worth and a personal sense of value can come from the ways you see yourself reflected in those who you care about, even if they are haints or other wild, fantastical forest beasts.
This story is emotional and feels genuinely uninterested in perpetuating any idea of the status quo. It is bold and heartfelt and most terrifying not when there are eruptions of violence, but when personal histories are denied and repressed and we are left without the chance to determine how we want to be in the world.
November 11, 2025
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.
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.
May 22, 2020
everyone order this or 🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫
February 4, 2026
On Sundays She Picked Flowers is a gory, twisted, evocative tale. We follow Jude, who escapes her mother’s abusive home and flees south before settling in an abandoned haunted house in the middle of the woods. For 13 years she makes peace with the ghosts she lives with and makes a life for herself. But when a beautiful yet uncanny woman shows up on her doorstep, the simmering violence in her veins and memories of her past rise to the surface once again.
It was really refreshing to see an older female main character. Jude is 41 at the start of the book, but she’s 53 for the bulk of the story. She was raised by a mother born into slavery, and by the end of the book Jude sees a desegregated South. Seeing all those decades play out in the background of her story, and her brief interactions with society as it changed, was an interesting inclusion. The long lasting impact of slavery on Black families is a major theme within this book, and we see how Jude was both entangled within and secluded from that experience. As well as the incredibly complex relationship she has with her mother because of it.
Jude feels the cycle of violence within her blood, as she was born from it and socialized within it. We see her approach diverting pathways, as she is faced with a choice of how she wants to be defined. The conflicting natures within herself begging to be embraced. And we see how Nemoira plays a very important role in this decision. She is a reflection of Jude’s most base instincts. I love a good toxic lesbian entanglement, especially when a conflicting choice of morals is involved. Jude and Nemoira’s burning desire really emphasized the otherness that Jude feels in her life.
Even though there is so much evil and violence within this book, there were so many moments of beauty that I loved. I loved seeing Jude’s kinship with her home and the unique relationship she formed with the ghosts within it. The lovely descriptions of the quilts she worked on and the pride she gained from making them. The joy she got from cooking cultural dishes largely a part of her upbringing. Her foraging knowledge related to herbal remedies and ingredients. Picking flowers every Sunday. The exploration of her desire. And the very unconventional bond she had with her Aunt Phyllis. For a book that’s on the shorter side, it was bursting with so much life and complexity.
It was really refreshing to see an older female main character. Jude is 41 at the start of the book, but she’s 53 for the bulk of the story. She was raised by a mother born into slavery, and by the end of the book Jude sees a desegregated South. Seeing all those decades play out in the background of her story, and her brief interactions with society as it changed, was an interesting inclusion. The long lasting impact of slavery on Black families is a major theme within this book, and we see how Jude was both entangled within and secluded from that experience. As well as the incredibly complex relationship she has with her mother because of it.
Jude feels the cycle of violence within her blood, as she was born from it and socialized within it. We see her approach diverting pathways, as she is faced with a choice of how she wants to be defined. The conflicting natures within herself begging to be embraced. And we see how Nemoira plays a very important role in this decision. She is a reflection of Jude’s most base instincts. I love a good toxic lesbian entanglement, especially when a conflicting choice of morals is involved. Jude and Nemoira’s burning desire really emphasized the otherness that Jude feels in her life.
Even though there is so much evil and violence within this book, there were so many moments of beauty that I loved. I loved seeing Jude’s kinship with her home and the unique relationship she formed with the ghosts within it. The lovely descriptions of the quilts she worked on and the pride she gained from making them. The joy she got from cooking cultural dishes largely a part of her upbringing. Her foraging knowledge related to herbal remedies and ingredients. Picking flowers every Sunday. The exploration of her desire. And the very unconventional bond she had with her Aunt Phyllis. For a book that’s on the shorter side, it was bursting with so much life and complexity.
October 22, 2020
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.
December 16, 2025
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4.5 stars.
🥀"Escape, reflection, those were the joys of reading."🥀
🔪Another day, another great book tour/review.
📕On Sundays She Picked Flowers
👩🏾🦱Yah Yah Scholfield
🗣@sagapressbooks
📅January 27th, 2026
🥀SYNOPSIS🥀
When Judith Rice fled her childhood home, she thought she’d severed her abusive mother’s hold on her. She didn’t have a plan or destination, just a desperate need to escape. Drawn to the forests of southern Georgia, Jude finds shelter in a house as haunted by its violent history as she is by her own.
Jude embraces the eccentricities of the dilapidated house, soothing its ghosts and haints, honoring its blood-soaked land. And over the next thirteen years, Jude blossoms from her bitter beginnings into a wisewoman, a healer.
But her hard-won peace is threatened when an enigmatic woman shows up on her doorstep. The woman is beautiful but unsettling, captivating but uncanny. Ensnared by her desire for this stranger, Jude is caught off guard by brutal urges suddenly simmering beneath her skin. As the woman stirs up memories of her escape years ago, Jude must confront the calls of violence rooted in her bloodline.
Haunting and thought-provoking, On Sunday She Picked Flowers explores retribution, family trauma, and the power of building oneself back up after breaking down.
🧠My Thoughts🧠
Where do you run when your families past is dark and haunting? Who do you choose when the bear is no longer an option? This story was beautiful and painful. The writing was amazing and flowed so well that I read this in one sitting. It's a heavy story but I couldn't look away.
"Judith was conceived in evil, born in evil."
⛧Thank you so much to @coloredpagesbt for having me on the tour and to @sagapressbooks and @fluoresensitive for sending the book my way. Even though the book was gifted, all thoughts are my own.
💬ⓆⓄⓉⒹ: Do you think people can be haunted just like a house?
#OnSundaysShePickedFlowerstour #onsundaysshepickedflowers #yahyahscholfield #coloredpagesbooktours #SagaSaysCrew
🥀"Escape, reflection, those were the joys of reading."🥀
🔪Another day, another great book tour/review.
📕On Sundays She Picked Flowers
👩🏾🦱Yah Yah Scholfield
🗣@sagapressbooks
📅January 27th, 2026
🥀SYNOPSIS🥀
When Judith Rice fled her childhood home, she thought she’d severed her abusive mother’s hold on her. She didn’t have a plan or destination, just a desperate need to escape. Drawn to the forests of southern Georgia, Jude finds shelter in a house as haunted by its violent history as she is by her own.
Jude embraces the eccentricities of the dilapidated house, soothing its ghosts and haints, honoring its blood-soaked land. And over the next thirteen years, Jude blossoms from her bitter beginnings into a wisewoman, a healer.
But her hard-won peace is threatened when an enigmatic woman shows up on her doorstep. The woman is beautiful but unsettling, captivating but uncanny. Ensnared by her desire for this stranger, Jude is caught off guard by brutal urges suddenly simmering beneath her skin. As the woman stirs up memories of her escape years ago, Jude must confront the calls of violence rooted in her bloodline.
Haunting and thought-provoking, On Sunday She Picked Flowers explores retribution, family trauma, and the power of building oneself back up after breaking down.
🧠My Thoughts🧠
Where do you run when your families past is dark and haunting? Who do you choose when the bear is no longer an option? This story was beautiful and painful. The writing was amazing and flowed so well that I read this in one sitting. It's a heavy story but I couldn't look away.
"Judith was conceived in evil, born in evil."
⛧Thank you so much to @coloredpagesbt for having me on the tour and to @sagapressbooks and @fluoresensitive for sending the book my way. Even though the book was gifted, all thoughts are my own.
💬ⓆⓄⓉⒹ: Do you think people can be haunted just like a house?
#OnSundaysShePickedFlowerstour #onsundaysshepickedflowers #yahyahscholfield #coloredpagesbooktours #SagaSaysCrew
January 18, 2026
6 stars
December 14, 2023
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.
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.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2022
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
June 4, 2020
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.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The nitty-gritty: A beautifully written story of survival and redemption, Yah Yah Scholfield’s weird, devastating and brutal Southern Gothic debut is a rollercoaster of emotions, both monstrous and beautiful.
On Sundays She Picked Flowers wrecked me, but in a good way. This is an absolutely stunning debut. Yah Yah Scholfield digs deep into some heavy topics, like generational trauma and abuse, matricide, incest and racism and segregation, but they have also written one of the most unusual romantic relationships I’ve ever seen. There is a lot of pain between these pages, but there is also joy, forgiveness and love. Do be aware of the above triggers going in, but I think this is an important book, and I think it's going to be one of the best debut horror releases of 2026.
The story begins in 1965, and Ernestine Rice and her forty-one year old daughter Judith live together in the Rice family home. Ernestine is a hard woman, and she takes out her anger on her daughter. Jude’s aunts Vivian and Phyllis have always looked the other way, never interfering with Ernestine’s abuse. But one day, Jude decides she’s had enough. When she tries to leave, though, Ernestine attacks and nearly chokes her to death. Jude does the only thing she can to survive—she kills her mother with a butcher knife.
Fleeing her childhood home, Jude winds up in a small town called Whitnee, where a kind hotel clerk directs her to an old abandoned farmhouse in the nearby woods. The house is full of ghosts (“haints”) and is falling apart, but Jude settles in and begins to carve out a new life for herself. She sets up an altar to the house, offering it coins and food (to appease the ghosts), and she forages for herbs and medicinal plants in the woods. She senses a presence nearby, a lurking beast who never shows itself but leaves Jude offerings of fresh meat.
Until one day, a strange woman shows up on Jude’s doorstep calling herself Nemoira. Jude doesn’t want company, but she invites Nemoira in anyway. Nemoira forces Jude out of her self imposed seclusion, and little by little, she becomes enamored with the odd woman. But Nemoira is not what she seems. Has Jude left one dangerous household for another?
The story captured me from the first page and I could barely put the book down. Not only is Scholfield’s writing evocative and masterful, but their plotting is perfectly paced. Tension and emotion leap from the page, and the author is brilliant at slowly revealing each mystery. At first we don’t understand why Ernestine is such a horrible mother, but later the author explains her similarly horrific childhood, growing up alongside her sisters under the shadow of violence and abuse. It doesn’t excuse what Ernestine has done, but it makes her a little bit more sympathetic. The fact that Jude’s mother locked her in her bedroom and beat her when she tried to leave—for forty-one years!---is shocking, but it’s not even the most shocking thing in this story.
Once Jude settles into Candle (the name she gives the old farmhouse), the story takes a new turn. Her life becomes peaceful for the first time ever and she begins to heal. She still has to deal with the trauma of killing her mother—that’s never going away—but now she has the space and time to do so. I loved the haunted house, which has a life of its own—doors and cupboards rattle in their frames, wallpaper peels off the wall by itself and windows shatter—but Jude learns how to calm the house and it always repairs itself eventually. I also loved that Jude's mother taught her how to sew and make quilts (the only nice thing in that relationship), and I loved how she makes a special quilt for each year she lives in Candle.
When Nemoira enters the picture, we get yet another bizarre twist in the story. Nemoira is a mystery until her true nature is revealed, but her relationship with Jude was surprisingly tender and uplifting—even with some extremely horrific elements added to the mix. I don’t want to spoil anything, but things take a very dark turn—very very dark!---and I’ll admit I loved this part of the story.
In alternating chapters, Scholfield adds another layer to her story, describing what happens when Vivian and Phyllis discover the slain body of their sister. This is where the author delves into the women’s past and reveals a terrible family secret that’s been buried for decades. The pain in these chapters is palpable. It’s hard to read about the treatment of Black people during this time, and Scholfield uses unflinching language to paint a heartbreaking picture of the past. I hated both aunts and the way they treated Jude, but I also came to understand them a bit.
The final act was even more emotional that what came before, and here’s where I started crying and couldn’t stop. Scholfield ties up all their loose ends, bringing everything full circle in some astonishing ways. Even the very last paragraph felt perfectly executed, and I finished the story feeling both relief and regret that it was over. If you've read anything by Tiffany McDaniel (Betty, On the Savage Side), you'll probably have a similar emotional reading experience with this book. I can’t recommend On Sundays She Picked Flowers highly enough.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
On Sundays She Picked Flowers wrecked me, but in a good way. This is an absolutely stunning debut. Yah Yah Scholfield digs deep into some heavy topics, like generational trauma and abuse, matricide, incest and racism and segregation, but they have also written one of the most unusual romantic relationships I’ve ever seen. There is a lot of pain between these pages, but there is also joy, forgiveness and love. Do be aware of the above triggers going in, but I think this is an important book, and I think it's going to be one of the best debut horror releases of 2026.
The story begins in 1965, and Ernestine Rice and her forty-one year old daughter Judith live together in the Rice family home. Ernestine is a hard woman, and she takes out her anger on her daughter. Jude’s aunts Vivian and Phyllis have always looked the other way, never interfering with Ernestine’s abuse. But one day, Jude decides she’s had enough. When she tries to leave, though, Ernestine attacks and nearly chokes her to death. Jude does the only thing she can to survive—she kills her mother with a butcher knife.
Fleeing her childhood home, Jude winds up in a small town called Whitnee, where a kind hotel clerk directs her to an old abandoned farmhouse in the nearby woods. The house is full of ghosts (“haints”) and is falling apart, but Jude settles in and begins to carve out a new life for herself. She sets up an altar to the house, offering it coins and food (to appease the ghosts), and she forages for herbs and medicinal plants in the woods. She senses a presence nearby, a lurking beast who never shows itself but leaves Jude offerings of fresh meat.
Until one day, a strange woman shows up on Jude’s doorstep calling herself Nemoira. Jude doesn’t want company, but she invites Nemoira in anyway. Nemoira forces Jude out of her self imposed seclusion, and little by little, she becomes enamored with the odd woman. But Nemoira is not what she seems. Has Jude left one dangerous household for another?
The story captured me from the first page and I could barely put the book down. Not only is Scholfield’s writing evocative and masterful, but their plotting is perfectly paced. Tension and emotion leap from the page, and the author is brilliant at slowly revealing each mystery. At first we don’t understand why Ernestine is such a horrible mother, but later the author explains her similarly horrific childhood, growing up alongside her sisters under the shadow of violence and abuse. It doesn’t excuse what Ernestine has done, but it makes her a little bit more sympathetic. The fact that Jude’s mother locked her in her bedroom and beat her when she tried to leave—for forty-one years!---is shocking, but it’s not even the most shocking thing in this story.
Once Jude settles into Candle (the name she gives the old farmhouse), the story takes a new turn. Her life becomes peaceful for the first time ever and she begins to heal. She still has to deal with the trauma of killing her mother—that’s never going away—but now she has the space and time to do so. I loved the haunted house, which has a life of its own—doors and cupboards rattle in their frames, wallpaper peels off the wall by itself and windows shatter—but Jude learns how to calm the house and it always repairs itself eventually. I also loved that Jude's mother taught her how to sew and make quilts (the only nice thing in that relationship), and I loved how she makes a special quilt for each year she lives in Candle.
When Nemoira enters the picture, we get yet another bizarre twist in the story. Nemoira is a mystery until her true nature is revealed, but her relationship with Jude was surprisingly tender and uplifting—even with some extremely horrific elements added to the mix. I don’t want to spoil anything, but things take a very dark turn—very very dark!---and I’ll admit I loved this part of the story.
In alternating chapters, Scholfield adds another layer to her story, describing what happens when Vivian and Phyllis discover the slain body of their sister. This is where the author delves into the women’s past and reveals a terrible family secret that’s been buried for decades. The pain in these chapters is palpable. It’s hard to read about the treatment of Black people during this time, and Scholfield uses unflinching language to paint a heartbreaking picture of the past. I hated both aunts and the way they treated Jude, but I also came to understand them a bit.
The final act was even more emotional that what came before, and here’s where I started crying and couldn’t stop. Scholfield ties up all their loose ends, bringing everything full circle in some astonishing ways. Even the very last paragraph felt perfectly executed, and I finished the story feeling both relief and regret that it was over. If you've read anything by Tiffany McDaniel (Betty, On the Savage Side), you'll probably have a similar emotional reading experience with this book. I can’t recommend On Sundays She Picked Flowers highly enough.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
January 21, 2026
Did I devour this story or did it devour me?
This is a raw and visceral southern gothic that leaves a weighty impact. Through stunning prose and transformative settings, we witness a breaking of generation cycles and violence and an unraveling of a character born of trauma.
Jude escapes her abusive mother and secludes herself in the woods of Georgia. There she lives peacefully in a house among ghosts and haints until she meets a beautiful and monstrous woman who may very well be her undoing. Much like the house, Jude will fall apart.
The symbolism in this story was insanely rich and gorgeously presented. I particularly loved the symbolism held in the houses, both Jude’s childhood home and the house in the woods. The slow deterioration and the need to dismantle it all and rebuild anew.
Watching Jude find her space and heal ancient wounds was at once aching and beautiful. The rage she held was so valid and ancestral but I desperately just wanting relief for her. As she unravels, I bore witness to the catharsis and then rejoiced in her reclamation.
This is not light on body horror. The gore is used intentionally and loudly. Healing isn’t clean and it isn’t always kind. The real horror lies in the familial trauma and the generations of abuse.
The pacing gave me some issues and I would have loved more dialogue or context around Nemoira’s arrival and mechanics. Nonetheless, this story is strong and impactful with beautiful rage and a satisfying character arc.
Consider Yah-Yah Schofield a new autobuy author. Their use of symbolism and visceral horror wooed and awed me.
I recommend for fans of sapphic horror, literary symbolism, lush prose, and southern gothics.
Thank you to Saga Press for the gifted ARC copy - all opinions are my own.
This is a raw and visceral southern gothic that leaves a weighty impact. Through stunning prose and transformative settings, we witness a breaking of generation cycles and violence and an unraveling of a character born of trauma.
Jude escapes her abusive mother and secludes herself in the woods of Georgia. There she lives peacefully in a house among ghosts and haints until she meets a beautiful and monstrous woman who may very well be her undoing. Much like the house, Jude will fall apart.
The symbolism in this story was insanely rich and gorgeously presented. I particularly loved the symbolism held in the houses, both Jude’s childhood home and the house in the woods. The slow deterioration and the need to dismantle it all and rebuild anew.
Watching Jude find her space and heal ancient wounds was at once aching and beautiful. The rage she held was so valid and ancestral but I desperately just wanting relief for her. As she unravels, I bore witness to the catharsis and then rejoiced in her reclamation.
This is not light on body horror. The gore is used intentionally and loudly. Healing isn’t clean and it isn’t always kind. The real horror lies in the familial trauma and the generations of abuse.
The pacing gave me some issues and I would have loved more dialogue or context around Nemoira’s arrival and mechanics. Nonetheless, this story is strong and impactful with beautiful rage and a satisfying character arc.
Consider Yah-Yah Schofield a new autobuy author. Their use of symbolism and visceral horror wooed and awed me.
I recommend for fans of sapphic horror, literary symbolism, lush prose, and southern gothics.
Thank you to Saga Press for the gifted ARC copy - all opinions are my own.
February 6, 2026
On Sundays She Picked Flowers is beautifully written and haunting; it’s a sapphic Southern Gothic horror novel with themes involving generational trauma, family secrets, rage, retribution, the true nature of being monstrous and the strength that comes with taking the steps to heal.
After an instance of calamitous violence, Judith Rice flees from her abusive mother’s house and finds herself sequestered in a dilapidated home in southern Georgia. With time and care, Jude is able to make a home for herself by coexisting with the capricious nature of the house-known as Candle-and the haints and spirits that dwell within it.
But several years later, the appearance of an unusual woman named Nemoira shatters Jude’s solitude and fills her life with something new and potentially dangerous.
Jude is truly a sympathetic character: a woman who suffered tremendously, who flourished when she was able to obtain her freedom and who still showed compassion to a stranger despite her misgivings. Her anger, her frustrated feelings of being stifled by the presence of someone else and even her moments of violence are incredibly human, as the darkest parts of us are still present even despite past victimization.
Her eventual relationship with Nemoira is both a source of contentment and contention, as she is forced to look beyond her uncertainties and societal predispositions, while trying to comprehend the other woman’s eclectic nature and the potential danger that she brings.
But Jude’s desires to define herself, to create a place of her own and to love as she needs to are truly powerful.
Nevertheless, On Sundays She Picked Flowers depicts some very serious subjects, so make certain to read the trigger warnings as well.
Do we remain bound by our trauma, unable to exist in the world around us due to grief and shame? Do we cling to our darker aspects due to familiarity? Or do we see our own faults, allow ourselves to become something more and shine brilliantly amidst the darkness?
Thank you to Saga Press Books and NetGalley for access to this eARC. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
After an instance of calamitous violence, Judith Rice flees from her abusive mother’s house and finds herself sequestered in a dilapidated home in southern Georgia. With time and care, Jude is able to make a home for herself by coexisting with the capricious nature of the house-known as Candle-and the haints and spirits that dwell within it.
But several years later, the appearance of an unusual woman named Nemoira shatters Jude’s solitude and fills her life with something new and potentially dangerous.
Jude is truly a sympathetic character: a woman who suffered tremendously, who flourished when she was able to obtain her freedom and who still showed compassion to a stranger despite her misgivings. Her anger, her frustrated feelings of being stifled by the presence of someone else and even her moments of violence are incredibly human, as the darkest parts of us are still present even despite past victimization.
Her eventual relationship with Nemoira is both a source of contentment and contention, as she is forced to look beyond her uncertainties and societal predispositions, while trying to comprehend the other woman’s eclectic nature and the potential danger that she brings.
But Jude’s desires to define herself, to create a place of her own and to love as she needs to are truly powerful.
Nevertheless, On Sundays She Picked Flowers depicts some very serious subjects, so make certain to read the trigger warnings as well.
Do we remain bound by our trauma, unable to exist in the world around us due to grief and shame? Do we cling to our darker aspects due to familiarity? Or do we see our own faults, allow ourselves to become something more and shine brilliantly amidst the darkness?
Thank you to Saga Press Books and NetGalley for access to this eARC. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
February 3, 2026
did not expect anything (read it for goodreads january-april 2026 challenge), but found a gemstone
Read
April 27, 2022On 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:
Content warnings: Abuse, gore, cannibalism, injury, murder, parent death, death, animal death, self harm.
Specific thoughts below:
June 7, 2020
The first chapter is incredible, and I can't wait to read the whole book and give a more in-depth review.
February 7, 2022
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.. 😟
January 26, 2026
I’m going to make a longer review for my post on Sunday but I never expected a book about cannibalism, abuse, trauma, murder, & incest to be so beautiful. I cried through a lot of this. This is powerful & it does horror in a way you wouldn’t think. Jude is such a strong person for so many reasons and I don’t know how I would be able to go on after all the things that happened to her. This story grabbed me from the beginning with Jude’s tragic life. I feel like in the end she truly found her happiness and her reason for being. You either let your grief & trauma consume you like Vivian & Phyllis or you rise against it. Ernestine is such a complicated character and I won’t spoil anything but her character is not as black & white as it seems. This story was so good and it hit everything I love. A bit of gore, some sapphic romance, a bit of cannibalism, a bit of horrible familiar trauma and dynamics. What more is there? I’ve literally read so many great books this month and the year is already starting off with a bang! Also I read so much YA a MC being 41 in the beginning got me off guard for a minute but I loved it!
February 11, 2026
Podobał mi się styl w jakim to było napisane ale historia w ogóle do mnie nie trafiła.
Było nudno, romans nie był przekonujący, za dużo było skoków czasowych a za mało gotyckiego/creepy klimatu. Czułam się zagubiona przez większość czasu bo dużo wątku pozostawiało mnie z mętlikiem w głowie i brakiem odpowiedzi.
Było nudno, romans nie był przekonujący, za dużo było skoków czasowych a za mało gotyckiego/creepy klimatu. Czułam się zagubiona przez większość czasu bo dużo wątku pozostawiało mnie z mętlikiem w głowie i brakiem odpowiedzi.
February 3, 2026
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy and thank you Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook!
——
Judith has been living under the terrible tyranny of her mother all her life. One day, when she’s old enough to leave, her mother attempts to stop her and Judith does the unthinkable— her only means to truly be free. Once Judith gets out into the world, she realizes quickly how Black folks are treated unequally but finds refuge in an abandoned house by the woods that comes with ghosts and haints. Judith reclaims her independence and grows in solitude, but a visit from a strange woman will once again test everything Judith thought she knew about herself.
The story is very dark and gruesome and often reads like a fever dream. However it also deals with a woman who’s able to resist and overcome adversity that’s been handed to her in every which way. The complicated family dynamics set against a harsh, racist environment will have you feeling rage and wanting justice for Judith. So I loved how in the end, Judith finally conquered the monster, both figuratively and metaphorically! 4.5 stars rounded down to 4.
——
Judith has been living under the terrible tyranny of her mother all her life. One day, when she’s old enough to leave, her mother attempts to stop her and Judith does the unthinkable— her only means to truly be free. Once Judith gets out into the world, she realizes quickly how Black folks are treated unequally but finds refuge in an abandoned house by the woods that comes with ghosts and haints. Judith reclaims her independence and grows in solitude, but a visit from a strange woman will once again test everything Judith thought she knew about herself.
The story is very dark and gruesome and often reads like a fever dream. However it also deals with a woman who’s able to resist and overcome adversity that’s been handed to her in every which way. The complicated family dynamics set against a harsh, racist environment will have you feeling rage and wanting justice for Judith. So I loved how in the end, Judith finally conquered the monster, both figuratively and metaphorically! 4.5 stars rounded down to 4.
June 15, 2020
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!!
December 8, 2021
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
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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