The Peach Seed: A Novel

by Anita Gail Jones

Fletcher Dukes and Altovise Benson reunite after decades apart—and a mountain of secrets—in this debut exploring the repercussions of a single choice and how an enduring talisman challenges and holds a family together.

On a routine trip to the Piggly Wiggly in Albany, Georgia, widower Fletcher Dukes smells a familiar perfume, then sees a tall woman the color of papershell pecans with a strawberry birthmark on the nape of her neck. He knows immediately that she is his lost love, Altovise Benson. Their bond, built on county fairs, sit-ins, and marches, once seemed a sure and forever thing. But their marriage plans were disrupted when the police turned a peaceful protest violent.

Before Altovise fled the South, Fletcher gave her a peach seed monkey with diamond eyes. As we learn via harrowing flashbacks, an enslaved ancestor on the coast of South Carolina carved the first peach seed, a talisman that, ever since, each father has gifted his son on his thirteenth birthday.

Giving one to Altovise initiated a break in tradition, irrevocably shaping the lives of generations of Dukeses. Recently, Fletcher has made do on his seven acres with his daughter Florida’s check-ins, his drop biscuits, and his faithful dog. But as he begins to reckon with long-ago choices, he finds he isn’t the only one burdened with unspoken truths.

An indelible portrait of a family, The Peach Seed explores how kin pass down legacies of sorrow, joy, and strength. And it is a parable of how a glimmer of hope as small as a seed can ripple across generations.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Romance, Southern, Book Club, Audiobook

480 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2023

Reviews

[Sujoya - theoverbookedbibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the novel begins, we meet seventy-year-old Fletcher Dukes, a widower and resident of Putney, Georgia. It’s 2012 and Fletcher lives alone with his dog Rockhudson for company. One of his three daughters, Florida, who often checks up on him, his grandson Terrence aka “Bo D” and his older sister, Olga all live in close proximity. Olga, an accomplished academician and Civil Rights activist, is working on tracing their family roots, taking the help of modern methods using DNA for researching ancestry.

When Altovise Benson, with whom Fletcher shares a history, returns to Albany, this opens a floodgate of memories for Fletcher dating back to their school years and romantic relationship, their activism and participation in the Albany Civil Rights Movement and Altovise’s decision to leave Albany and Fletcher in search of a new life for herself taking with her secrets that have been buried for almost five decades.

The narrative follows Fletcher and his family as they grapple with Altovise’s return and the ripples it creates in Fletcher’s family life, long-buried secrets that lead to surprise revelations, Bo D’s struggles with addiction and much more.

At the center of this story is the family talisman- a hard-carved peach seed monkey that is presented to the sons in the family as a rite of passage when they turn thirteen. Fletcher, who was father to three daughters, did not bend the rue for them but passed one down to his grandson Terrence on his thirteenth birthday. Unbeknownst to everyone in his family, he had gifted a special peach seed monkey to Altovise decades ago – a gift that will lead to shocking revelations and connections that will alter the dynamic within the Dukes’ family. Flashbacks take us back to the history of the family talisman and story of a Senegalese man who was abducted from his homeland in 1796 and sold into slavery in the United States and the legacy he carried with him throughout his new life in a foreign land – a legacy of pain, resilience and survival that he passed down to his descendants. The past and present timelines felt a tad disjoint and I wish the historical storyline would have been explored further and we could get a glimpse into the stories of a few more generations of Fletcher’s ancestors and the significance of the peach seed talisman in their lives. I was especially hoping to know more about Akunna’s story.

With its elegant writing, well-drawn characters and engaging narrative, The Peach Seed by Anita Gail Jones is an immersive multi-generational family saga. The author’s masterful storytelling, superb characterizations, and the vividly described setting make for an engaging read. The author addresses several sensitive issues such as segregation and racism, the slave trade, addiction, loss and trauma with insight and compassion. The narrative does suffer from minor repetitiveness, which does not detract from the overall reading experience.

Many thanks to Henry Holt and Company for the gifted copy.

I paired my reading with the audiobook narrated by the author. Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ALC of The Peach Seed. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Rating: 3.75⭐


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[Phyllis | Mocha Drop · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Peach Seed is a novel steeped in history that emphasizes the importance of tradition and the power of heirlooms. It follows a Southern family whose members face a myriad of trials, tribulations, and interpersonal battles. It contains overarching familial themes leaning heavily on complicated father-son dynamics that are explored from various angles.

Overall, I think this was an admirable attempt to blend history and family drama as the author dabbled with complicated family dynamics that strain and test the family’s bonds. Other character’s challenges are a bit more dramatic – there’s a decades-long lost and found love thread, challenges with alcohol and drug addiction, and the ancestor’s capture and survival story that may resonate with some. It’s almost as if the novel is doing too much because there are repetitive passages and a lot of exposition via numerous characters who frequently spew historical facts via lengthy dialogue. It has all the elements any modern reader would/could/should love and appreciate – it’s a love story, a study of (dysfunctional) family dynamics, a history lesson on multiple levels (the African Diaspora, the Civil Rights Movement, and the local/regional history surrounding Southwestern (Albany) Georgia- however, I didn’t love it like I feel like I should/could have. I found the characters a bit dull and one-dimensional, much of the plot threads were predictable and formulaic, some passages were overwritten and repetitive, and the writing was a bit dry. While I appreciated the historical facts, I felt they were ill-placed or spewed out in wordy dialogue from random characters. I realize I’m in the minority with this assessment.

I would recommend it for anyone interested in the genre, family drama in Southern settings, and specifically Civil Rights history in SW Georgia.

Thanks to Henry Holt and Company, NetGalley for the opportunity to review.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about generations of the Dukes family from 1800’s Senegal, Africa to the Civil Rights movement in the 40’s to the late 60’s in southwest Georgia USA. It brings us to present day Michigan. It is told by different people in the family, a grandson dealing with drug addiction. Bringing the family together in their time of sorrow. From the beginning of the read to the end, high school sweethearts who finally come together in present day.
I enjoyed this read very much.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This multi-generational novel, which explores the long-lasting effects of the transatlantic slave trade, is inspired by the author’s personal family lore surrounding miniature monkeys carved from peach pits. The characters that Jones has created are vibrant and the plot reveals the strength and power of family. At times the dialog feels forced and the flashbacks that depict scenes of the 1800s slave trade seem almost an afterthought. However, despite these stylistic inefficiencies, The Peach Seed is doing important work. Jones brings the South alive and gives voice to stories that have previously been silenced.

[Kara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bit of a confusing saga and I didn’t really connect with the characters at all. It jumps around from characters and is hard to follow, needs better editing on flow. Tons of political references that didn’t seem necessary or part of the story.

Thanks to netgalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generational tales pull me in, and this one did. The idea of the tangible talisman of carved peach seeds beckoned also. . . .it's a real thing, I'd never heard of it.

Within the covers of this book are generations that go back to the shores of Africa, to a person who doesn't know the taste of a peach, although he holds a carved seed in the shape of a monkey. . .the pages bring readers across the ocean to southern states, where all freedoms are removed. The years flow forward and bring readers through difficult times, in everyway, where everything is fought for with blood, time and effort. And through it all is family, and love.

I particularly loved the father that broke the rule that dictated that the carved peach seed tradition moved between father and sons only - no daughters. And then he did gave a carved seed to his daughter. . . .it seemed like punishment happened due to his non-compliance with historical boundaries, but time showed that's all they were. . .someone else's boundaries. Someone else's buggaboo. Time for a change. . .my heart swelled when he created change for his girl.

*A sincere thank you to Anita Gail Jones, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for a free ARC to which I could listen and voluntarily review.*

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC received courtesy of Goodreads First Reads Giveaways

Anita Gail Jones has written a beautiful novel. The novel is set mainly in 2012 with flashbacks to the Freedom Movement of 1968-9 and to the late 1700's abduction of Black people from their African homes to be sold as slaves in the American south. The one thing binding all 3 of these time periods together are peach seeds (pits) that are hand carved into monkeys and passed down through generations in one family.

Olga Dukes is the matriarch of the family. She has a blog about the carved monkeys that are a part of her family's history. Her brother, Fletcher, carves the monkeys and passes them to males of the family when they turn 13. Not giving the monkeys to his daughters caused a never-ending argument with his wife. She always wanted him to give one to each of their daughters, but he stubbornly refused. He did carve one for his grandson Bo D and presented it to him on his 13th birthday.

When Olga gets a question on her blog about a carved monkey with diamond chip eyes, she knows this person must be connected to her family. We witness Malik's kidnapping from Africa in the 1700's. We witness Fletcher and Altovese as teenagers rising up in the Freedom movement of the late 1960's. Through love and anger, addiction and rehab, life and death, the answers become clear. I hope that someone will make this into a move because it's a beautiful story of a family.

Incidentally, after my father died, we found several peach seeds that have been carved. I have a monkey, Abraham Lincoln, John Kennedy and a few others. My Aunt told me several years ago that my grandfather carved them in the 30's and 40's but I don't know a thing about them. I do have them and they are amazingly detailed.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a messy, emotional, multigenerational African American family drama that spans decades and tackles tough subjects from intergenerational trauma, addiction, adoption and the Civil rights movement. The story alternates POV and timelines which made it a bit hard to follow on audio but overall it was a moving family story that was extra heartfelt read by the author herself. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!

[Cyndi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won The Peach Seed through a Goodreads giveaway. I know there's a good story in there, but it needs some serious editing. Some parts seemed to drag on. There were typos and wrong information. There were a couple of sentences near the end of one chapter that were basically repeated early in the following chapter. I read a lot of multiple POV and multi-timeline books, but the timeline in the past felt too disconnected to me and I didn't feel like it added to the story that takes place in the present. When the peach seed monkeys were given to the boys they were told it would "keep the monkey off your back." By the time I was nearing the end, this book felt like a monkey on my back.

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this grappling drama of a family across generations. The story is anchored with the Albany Movement which creates a great centering for thinking about activitism, its implications, and its personal costs. This book is a page turner, and the writing helps to build connections with the characters. I found myself cheering for them and their success. This is a beautifully written, layered book that readers should take their time in reading and enjoying.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I received an ARC of The Peach Seed by Anita Gail Jones from @henryholtbooks and I am so thankful. This was an outstanding debut. My son had a friend over one afternoon and I got to spend three hours immersed in this sweeping, multigenerational novel about the Dukes family of Albany, Georgia.

In the opening pages, readers meet Fletcher Dukes–a widower, father, grandfather, brother in his 70s. He’s taking his older sister Olga to the Piggly Wiggly when he smells a perfume that takes him back to his teenage years. And then, in an aisle of the store, he sees Altovise Benson, his first love. They grew up in Albany during the Civil Rights Movement, marched together, and loved one another fiercely. Fletcher gives Altovise a delicately carved peach seed monkey (a deeply meaningful piece of family tradition) as a sign of his love. And then suddenly, the summer before college Altovise leaves him behind, never to return or make contact.

Now, many years later, Fletcher isn’t sure what to make of Altovise’s return–should he reach out? Will she reach out? And when she does reach out, she has something life-altering to tell him. And that’s not the only issue weighing on his mind. His grandson and his daughter are struggling with addiction and his older sister is losing her sight due to glaucoma.

Interwoven between the stories of the Dukes family in 2012, is the story of an enslaved Dukes family ancestor, and we learn how the tradition of the peach seed monkey carvings came to be.

This is a beautiful work of character driven literary fiction that will stay with me for a long time. The characters ring so true–the dialogue is at times heartbreaking and other times touching and even a little funny. The stories, the secrets, the history, the setting–it’s all fascinating and tugged at my heart. 5 beautiful stars. This publishes August 1, 2023 and I encourage you to get your hands on a copy.

[Kenzie | kenzienoelle.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. *This is the story of the Dukes family. It’s anchored specifically in the lineage of Fletcher Dukes, a widowed grandfather in his 70s with a lot of stories to tell. We travel from Albany, Georgia to Saginaw, Michigan to Senegal following the thread of a family talisman, a peach seed (pit) that has been carved into a monkey that gets passed down to the males in the family.

*I loved this book! I wish I had some eloquent words to describe why, but I just had that feeling of not wanting to stop reading from beginning to end. This book discusses family tradition/roots/storytelling, addiction, deeply buried secrets, adoption and forgiveness (just to name a few topics😅) all through the past and current lives of various Dukes family members. I found all the characters so vivid and each had such depth that comes to light as the reader unwinds the individual stories.

*There were a small handful of chapters set in the 1700s that were sprinkled throughout the novel and the flow of those didn’t entirely work for me. They felt very random, although I do see how they helped tell a fuller story of the Dukes lineage and the origins of the peach seed.

*This was such a fantastic debut and I hope this author continues to write more🧡

Thank you, Henry Holt for this gifted ARC! Pub date: August 1, 2023.

[Justine S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautifully written story that explores generational trauma, reconciling with the past, and familial bonds. This probably could have been a touch shorter, but more than once I stopped to re-read passages. A lot of beautiful word smithing here.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book from Goodreads. Of course, I didn’t know what it was about since I don’t read the synopsis of books! Mainly set in present day this talks about Fletcher Dukes, his wife has passed a number of years ago. He lives, of course, by himself in South Carolina, his daughter, of which he has three but two of them live out of state. However, Florida does remain in town and checks in on him regularly. Her son Terrence, also called Bo D, has a daughter of his own. Bo D is hanging on, but hits a downward spiral with drugs and alcohol. Siman is 49 and was adopted as a baby. When he turned 13 he was given a monkey carved from a peach seed. This was at the request of his birth mother. She was given this gift by Fletcher when they were dating.

Fletcher’s sister Olga has always been a force, she, as well as Fletcher were big into the movement in the 60s protesting segregation and the discrimination of people of color. She is also the one that Siman finds on the Internet and who can give him information regarding his peach seed monkey.

Altovese is Fletcher’s first and great love, and she is back in town. Though they are happy to see each other and be together again, as the secrets unfold of the past, they must work through their hurt feelings.

A few chapters deal with Malik. His story of being abducted off the shores of his African home, and brought to South Carolina on a slave ship. Where he finds a seed, which later he learns, is a peach seed and carved the first peach seed monkey.

While there is a lot going on in this book it was easy to keep track of, and it’s always good to learn about the struggles of those who are not as privileged as myself.

[vlm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt so many things reading this book. It was as though people I knew were the inspiration for the characters. Then I realized that most families want the same things for their offspring. They want their kids to do well. Most want their kids to respect what was built up and left for them. We have secrets, either known or unknown. Kids want more than their parents had, or what they perceive as more. I thought the book moved slowly, but I was still touched by all the social and familial tropes this author used. As a Georgia native, I felt like I was back home and these people were actually people I knew. Great job showing the dynamic of life from different viewpoints. We don't always understand why things are the way they are, but we can sometimes see that we don't know the ins and outs of a person's life. Yes, this is a book, but this was a bit too real. Great job by this author of fleshing these people and their lives out in a very solid manner.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Maribel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for my honest review

The Peach Seed follows the Dukes Family across generations. The story is told from different points of view of some of the Dukes family members and centers around the family tradition of the male family members receiving a tiny peach seed monkey as a rite of passage on their thirteenth birthday. We meet Fletcher Dukes, in present day, a widower who raised four daughters, but no son, who’s refusal to change tradition for his daughters’ has caused resentment in his family. Then Bo D, Fletcher’s one and only grandson, who is struggling with addiction and on his way to rock bottom. The story goes back and forth in the timeline and you meet Malik, a boat builder, who is kidnapped from Africa and shipped to the US to be sold into slavery, he brings with him a peach seed that he finds on the ground as he is being stolen away from his homeland, and which he holds on to as a sort of talisman. In the present day, Altovise, Fletcher’s old girlfriend comes back into town and through more flashbacks you find out that she was pregnant with Fletcher’s baby when she left town many years ago and that she gave birth to a son (Siman) which she gives up for adoption. It is also revealed that Fletcher broke tradition many years ago, by giving Altovise a diamond eyed peach seed monkey before she leaves town. She leaves the peach seed monkey for the adoptive parents to give to Siman on his thirteenth birthday. It is through this peach seed monkey that Siman and his sister Patricia are able to make contact with Olga, Fletcher’s older sister, many years later and discover the identity of his parents. Through Olga’s assistance Bo D is able to go into rehab and after her death her plans ensure that Siman is able to meet his parents and family at last. Fletcher also has a change of heart at the end and finally gives his daughters the peach seed monkeys that he carved when their mother was pregnant with each one of them and that he subsequently never gave them since they were born girls. Interestingly enough, you find out that the tradition of the peach seed monkeys started with Malik giving his daughter one (the one made from his talisman peach seed) upon her birth.

I truly enjoyed this book. I only wish that there was a little bit more to the story, like does Bo Do’s mother Florida finally seek treatment for her alcoholism? Does Malik ever find his daughter? Otherwise great debut novel, definitely recommend.

Thanks for the ARC!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fletcher Dukes is a 70 year old widower who lives on the south Georgia farm that has been in this family for generations. The father of 3 grown daughters, the the biggest drama he has in his life currently is trying to keep his young adult grandson, Terrance, the father of a young child, on the straight and narrow. Until one day, while shopping with his older sister at the Piggly Wiggly, Fletcher runs into Altovise Benson, a woman he hasn't seen in a lifetime, who he had planned to marry until they were torn apart when a Civil Rights protest went sideways. Altovise's return is the beginning of many truths coming to light for the Dukes family.

While much of the narrative focuses in on Fletcher and Bo D's stories and points of view, The Peach Seed is really a multigenerational family story spanning many members and across time, even offering glimpses back to their patriarch in late 18th century Senegal who is captured, enslaved and brought to America. Throughout all and central to the story are the family's talisman: monkeys carved from a peach seed. While maybe a bit uneven I really appreciated the time I spent with this family. The story is very readable and I valued the bits of history incorporated throughout.

Thanks to Henry Holt for the gifted copy.

[Reagan Formea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publishers for an arc!
I really really enjoyed this story, except for one specific timeline. I understand the reasoning for the earliest timeline but it didn’t feel as thought out and intriguing as the rest of the book. I felt I knew the current day characters so well and I looked forward to hearing their stories each time. But I simply couldn’t get in to the other storyline.
Many of the characters will stick with me though. This was a fantastic first read of 2024 (especially since I’m trying to work through my overwhelming pile of unread arcs). This book was filled with hope and new beginnings. Definitely recommend.

[Raven Preisinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from Goodreads (thank you!) over a year ago but the length kept holding me back. I finally decided to take the plunge and am SO glad I did. This is not an “easy” read and definitely requires your full attention, but I am so happy I took the time to dedicate to this lovely story. I will think of peach “seeds” differently when I see them for the rest of my life.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing was good so I continued on out of curiosity expecting an easy conclusion but the stories within this story were more subjective.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool story with a lot of Black cultural folklore.

[Paula Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book that spanned over many generations and the birth of a small talisman that was passed down from one family to the next and how this small talisman brought family together.

[Kimberley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I took my time to work through The Peach Seed. It was a multi-generational saga that felt more like connected short stories than one cohesive novel. Each character’s tale took us on a different journey of some stories emblematic of the African-American experience from abduction and transportation in centuries past to present day issues. All of these stories are joined together by the peach seed monkey that generations of men have carved for their sons, in the hope that it will help keep the monkey off their backs.
I received an audio copy of this book. Authors narrating their own works is a mixed bag. With a few exceptions, I find it really only works with memoirs. I probably would have enjoyed this book more had the author done more training as a narrator, or had a professional narrator been hired. Jakobi Diem would have been a wonderful choice!!
*Thanks to MacMillan audio and NetGalley for this audiobook copy for review.

[Jim Curtin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this sweeping family epic, but felt like there were weaknesses.
1. The book covers 3 periods; modern day, civil rights era, and slavery era. The slavery era is only loosely tied to the others, and while it's understandable that the characters in the modern era don't have any info on their earlier ancestors, the author could have added more ties to the family names and traditions.
2. I think the climax came very early and a lot of the book felt like treading water. Out of the 3 narrators in the modern era, 1 is not in contact with the others at the start, and the two big moments of the book are when this person's relationship to the others are revealed and when the characters are all in the same place. I thought the relationship reveal was way too early (particularly when there were at least 2 false flags planted after the reveal to make you question what was stated) and the middle of the book dragged as you waited for the narrators to come together

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Peach Seed is a loving story of family, of life-defining choices, personal failure and redemption all tied together by little carved peach "seed" monkeys. It's kind of a a coming of age in old age story. It is around 2015. Fletcher Dukes, widowed father of three adult daughters, grew up in Albany, Georgia. In his youth, the town drew the attention of Martin Luther King, Jr. when the local police chief unlawfully arrested protesters and squirreled them away in secret jails outside of town so his jail was always empty. Fletcher, his sister Olga and his long gone high school sweetheart Altovise Benson were active in the civil rights movement of the early sixties. He envisioned a life with Altovise, but she was committed to leaving Albany for college and what turned out to be a successful career as a singer. And now, fifty years later-- she's back.

At the same time, somewhere in Michigan, Siman, a middle-aged man adopted at birth, is slowly researching the origin of his little monkey carved from a peach pit (the peach seed). It has diamond eyes. It was a gift from his birth mother, that came with instructions to follow a tradition to give it to him on his 13th birthday. His parents have died. His sister urges him to find his birth mother, the thoughtful woman who left open this door to his past.

Somewhere in the early 1800s, Malik, a teenaged pirogue maker from Senegal is kidnapped when he goes to the city to sell one of his boats. He is a gifted carver and he carries this gift to his place of enslavement in the United States, His story is of loss and of making a future. It is one of coming of age more than once. Partly it is about a small carved peach seed monkey and its impact on generations to come.

And back to present day we find messiness. Bo-D, Fletcher's nephew in need of a father figure is never called "son" by Fletcher, who is a kind but also kind of rigid guy. He always wanted a son and he mentored Bo-D but found it frustrating as Fletcher, a recovering alcoholic, cannot deal with Bo-D's addiction to pills. Bo-D has a three year old daughter he tries to parent with her mother Indicca, but his addiction and accompanying behaviors get in the way. His mother, Florida, looks after her dad, drinks heavily, and works. And they all make mistakes that hurt one another while clearly loving each other dearly.

Jones is a gifted writer and this is a highly engaging story, well crafted with characters I connected to. For me, it was a couldn't put it down book. The first in a while. Highly recommend.

[A Mac · Rating 3 out of 5]

When visiting his local grocery store in South Georgia, Fletcher sees a familiar face – a woman he loved intensely, until they were driven apart by outside forces. Before they split, he gifted her a small monkey carved from a peach seed, a family talisman that is passed down from father to son in his family. As Fletcher’s past begins to haunt him, he begins to realize he isn’t the only one burdened by unspoken truths.

This story follows several characters and their struggles, from Fletcher’s lost love to a character’s struggles with addiction and another character’s search for his birth parents.

The narrative is wending, using flashbacks to explore the history of the peach seed talisman and its importance to the family then shifting to the present-day timeline of the characters. I was hoping there would be more of a focus on the historical timeline and the ancestors as they passed down the talisman. Due to the inclusion of so many characters and their stories, I understand why this couldn’t be the case. But I think this did lead to a few issues I had with this one.

For one thing, the character development was a little weak. The characters in the historical timeline did not feel strong or compellingly written to me. I liked the portrayal of the family and their relationships in the present timeline, and those characters were easier to connect to, but they often got lost in the exposition. The book also felt too long, and there were many instances where I lost interest and had to wait to come back to the book.

This slower literary historical fiction was decently written overall and explores themes of family, racism, and emotional heritage. My thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Company for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Allison Damico · Rating 4 out of 5]

The structure of this book was enjoyable with its short chapters. I would have benefited from a family tree of who was who and how they were related, as I found myself getting confused a bit especially since this book dealt with a large family. Considering what this book is about, it is important to know who was who. The author is from Albany, Georgia herself so I expect most of the information given about the area is accurate. I thought the length could have been trimmed down a bit as this is a pretty hefty read but some parts didn’t add much to the overall story.

You get the story of Malik who is an ancestor of the family who is ripped from his home in Africa, forced into slavery and comes to Charleston SC. This is where the peach seed tradition begins. I wanted this story to flow within the main storyline a little more effortlessly and felt it ended abruptly. The larger portion of the story deals with Siman looking for his birth parents by way of a monkey carved into a peach seed, which brings the stories together. After speaking with Olga who posted on her blog about her family’s tradition of the peach seed monkeys, they are able to connect all of the dots.

It’s truly a beautiful, and at times heartbreaking, story of family legacies and how all of the decisions in our lives shape who we are. Addiction, secrets, and jealousy appear to rip this family apart at times, but they always find their way back to each other.

It’s best put on the back cover of the book that it’s a story of “how a glimmer of hope as small as a seed can ripple across generations”. Highly recommend researching peach seed monkeys to get an idea of the exceptional craftsmanship and patience it took to create this tradition! #goodreadsgiveaway

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Peach Seed took me a long time to read. It is a very slow novel, with a lot packed into it. This is a very character driven novel, with multiple perspectives and plotlines. There's a lot of flashbacks mixed in with present day conversations, as well as a lot of pain and struggle mixed with bittersweet reunions. It almost felt like too much for one book.

The first 1/3 was a bit easier to read as I got to know Fletcher, Bo D, Siman, and Malik, as well as the wide cast of side characters. The story is ultimately about how all of them are connected, and the story of the Peach Seed Monkey. That part of the story I enjoyed and wanted more of.

As hard as it was to read Malik's experiences being brought against his will to the U.S., it was a part of the story I needed to read. I also liked the historical aspects from the civil rights movement.

The rest of the novel got really heavy. I personally did not enjoy the middle of the book focusing so much on Bo D's struggles. And it felt like this family just kept getting hit by emotional bombshells from every direction. The story got bogged down and wasn't as pleasant to read, and was really hard to get through. I know they are interconnected, but I feel like Bo D's perspective and story could have been a separate book, while Fletcher, Siman, and Malik's perspective went together a bit more cohesively.

The ending is open-ended, but fairly positive. Some threads are ties up, but others were left open, so maybe there will be more to the Dukes' story in future.

I'm glad that I read a story that has different perspectives then my own, but I don't know that I would read this particular story again. I'm aware that I'm likely not the intended audience, so I do think folks should give it a try and see what they think.

[Korey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Peach Seed is a multi-generational story of the Dukes family of Southwest Georgia and their longstanding tradition of presenting a monkey, carved from a peach seed, on every sons thirteenth birthday. This is an expansive story that undulates through time; each chapter told from a different character perspective, from 1800s Senegal to the civil rights movement of the 60s to present day Georgia and Michigan. There are many threads of this story that weave itself together over the 450 pages of text. Present day Fletcher Duke, is reconciling with his past when his first-love, Altoviese returns to Georgia after decades away. Their story takes us to the riots of the civil rights movement and the repercussions of peaceful protests turned violent. Fletcher’s sister, Olga, a retired professor and researcher receives an email from an adopted man in Michigan, claiming to have a peach seed monkey from his birth mother. Then you have Bo D, Fletcher’s grandson, who’s heavy substance abuse prevents him from being the man he wishes he could be. Lastly, you have Malik in Senegal. The chief’s son and expert wood carver who was captured on the shores of Senegal, thrust into the caverns of a wooden ship, and enslaved in South Carolina. Through these many stories, an enduring family legacy of both despair and strength become evident and as their choices ripple across generations. The Peach Seed is a deeply character driven novel, with numerous story lines that occasionally feel discordant, but ultimately I was invested in the saga. Recommended for those that love dialogue driven, multi-generational stories and interested in learning more about the peach seed monkey talisman.

[Jennifer (novels_and_daydreams) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former lovers, Fletcher and Altovise, reunite after half a century and confront the secrets they kept from each other while their families confront the blessings and burdens of a long standing peach seed carving tradition.

Set to a backdrop of the civil rights movement, exploring the evils of the institution of slavery, and told from multiple POV in different eras, this work started off strong as a powerful novel about overcoming oppression, activism, defying odds, and finding lost family. The first half of the book introduced several intriguing plot lines, provided interesting background information, and included solid character development. However, by the second half of the work I became lost in the extreme detail of Bo D’s addiction plot line and Malik’s unresolved enslavement plot line and feel like their overall contribution and relevancy to the work was diminished. While most of the overall goals were achieved, in some ways this felt like several convoluted and incomplete short stories rolled into one book.

I did enjoy the beautiful writing as well as the overall story of the peach seed carvings and Fletcher and Altovise’s past and reconnection after having lived full and separate lives. I also appreciate that this work brings to light the common injustices, past and present, faced by African Americans and the importance of community and activism in challenging oppression. However, this work fell slightly flat for me with the extensive side stories that felt disconnected from the core plot and themes.