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everyman
Eve Mann arrives in Ideal, Georgia, in 1972 looking for answers about the mother who died giving her life. A mother named Mercy. A mother who for all of Eve's twenty-two years has been a mystery and a quest. Eve's search for her mother, and the father she never knew, is a mission to discover her identity, her name, her people, and her home.
Eve's questions and longing launch a multigenerational story that sprawls back to the turn of the twentieth century, settles into the soil of the South, the blood and souls of Black folk making love and life and fleeing in a Great Migration into the savage embrace of the North.
Eve is a young woman coming of age in Chicago against the backdrop of the twin fires and fury of the civil rights and Black Power movements--a time when everything and everyone, it seems, longs to be made anew.
At the core of this story are the various meanings of love--how we love and, most of all, whom we love. everyman is peopled by rebellious Black women straining against the yoke of convention and designated identities, explorers announcing their determination to be and to be free. There is Nelle, Eve's best friend and heart, who claims her right both to love women and to always love Eve as a sister and friend.
Brother Lee Roy, professor and mentor, gives Eve the tools for her genealogical search while turning away from his own bitter harvest of family secrets. Mama Ann, the aunt who has raised Eve and knows everything about Mercy, offers Eve a silence that she defines as protection and care. But it is James and Geneva, two strangers whom Eve meets in Ideal, who plumb the depths of their own hurt and reconciliations to finally give Eve the gift of her past, a reimagined present, and finally, her name.
Eve's questions and longing launch a multigenerational story that sprawls back to the turn of the twentieth century, settles into the soil of the South, the blood and souls of Black folk making love and life and fleeing in a Great Migration into the savage embrace of the North.
Eve is a young woman coming of age in Chicago against the backdrop of the twin fires and fury of the civil rights and Black Power movements--a time when everything and everyone, it seems, longs to be made anew.
At the core of this story are the various meanings of love--how we love and, most of all, whom we love. everyman is peopled by rebellious Black women straining against the yoke of convention and designated identities, explorers announcing their determination to be and to be free. There is Nelle, Eve's best friend and heart, who claims her right both to love women and to always love Eve as a sister and friend.
Brother Lee Roy, professor and mentor, gives Eve the tools for her genealogical search while turning away from his own bitter harvest of family secrets. Mama Ann, the aunt who has raised Eve and knows everything about Mercy, offers Eve a silence that she defines as protection and care. But it is James and Geneva, two strangers whom Eve meets in Ideal, who plumb the depths of their own hurt and reconciliations to finally give Eve the gift of her past, a reimagined present, and finally, her name.
350 pages, Paperback
First published July 20, 2021
82 people are currently reading
5475 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
August 20, 2021
Yep, I'm rating my own book. These are characters that stay with you (maybe not as long as they've been with me). It's a book that is as much about people as it is about the places in which they live and the communities they inhabit. It is a story about the stories that we allow to survive and those that we stifle.
I hope that you all enjoy reading! Thank you for sharing the journey.
I hope that you all enjoy reading! Thank you for sharing the journey.
July 23, 2021
I loved this story and the way it was written. The specific attention to words and those from which they are derived and how a word evolves added an extra element to the text for me. I also loved the epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter. Overall, this was a great story of a girl trying to find out her about her individual past and the collective history of those within her community AND there were so many elements for an analytical lit nerd like me to dissect. This was also so similar to The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett so if you liked that you’d like this. The only reason this isn’t 5 stars is just because the story did jump from one character to the next a bit too abruptly for me and I found myself struggling to figure out whose POV I was reading and what time period I was in, but other than that it was great.
November 1, 2021
-First let me say that the cover for M Shelly Conner's novel, Everyman is gorgeous, but it did not inspire me to read it rather a favorable review which I read did. As I picked it up and began reading, I was struck at the beauty of Conner's writing:Small southern towns change slowly. Perhaps it’s just the natural pace of southern spaces unencumbered by city-slick speed. It’s best represented by the southern drawl, like golden honey dripped onto biscuits. Larger northern cities are au jus, but small southern towns are thick sausage gravy. Everything is thicker in the South. The air is thickened by the blossoms of various trees. Speech is thick on the tongues of its inhabitants.
Everymann is a story about a young Black woman, Every Mann, who in 1972 decides to venture to Ideal, Georgia, to discover her origins. Perhaps, that is the story about the story, as there are many in this layered book.
We all have stories, but some don't know theirs and that is a loss, or rather a void, that requires filling or is conceivably insatiable. Conner has filled this novel with many interwoven stories, which move backwards and forwards across the historical landmarks:
The past is an unfixable thing. It cannot be mended. Its deeds are always irreparable. The past is read-only. It does not allow for revisions. Yet it remains tethered to the present, waiting for visitors who can only watch it replay itself. Its most salient lesson is not that past wrongs can be made right, but rather that they do not have to be repeated. The past says to remedy seekers, “Look upon me and learn, but do not seek to change me.” It stares at daughters from their mothers’ eyes and is as implicit in the handshakes of strangers as it is in the burial of secrets.
I mentioned how much I love this cover and the novel reminds me of the cover, a woman, who is a tree and all the branches and roots are twisted together. so it is hard to unravel them. I hope others are encouraged to do so and are not disappointed, because the other day, I was discussing books which I hope others would love and read and this is one of those.
August 6, 2021
Just wanted to use this space to point out that the negative reviews are only coming from "non-black" people, which is also a problem I have as an author. They'll pick up a book that's rooted in black culture and issues, but resent you for not writing it in a way that makes them comfortable, so they try to punish you with a bad review. You all need should try to be less obvious.
September 20, 2022
Pick up this book! I teach American History and focus on inequality throughout, yet I learned quite a bit of history from this fiction work. But dry academic tome it is not. This is a complex work with a web of relationships, wonderful character development of each individual, a compelling plot, and additional layers beyond the immediate story.
Some things that may impact your enjoyment:
- there is a late Medieval morality play called Everyman that adds an important layer to this. At least skim the wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everyma...
Conner is not doing a direct retelling, but instead a reinterpretation based in the history her book explores.
-there are a lot of characters and relationships to keep track of, and time jumps around a lot. Should I have the opportunity to teach this, I would have students do a timeline and/or relationship map. If you struggle with such things, I recommend doing the same. You'll get so much more out of it and maybe save the book for you.
-reading other reviews - the issue of telling and not showing is important and part of the narrative here. It's us, the reader, getting the full story that pretty much no single character has because of the silence of the characters. We get to know what was lost, and what was lost is so much of the book. It's how Every is Eve.
Thank you to M Shelly Conner, Blackstone Publishing, and Netgalley for an advanced ecopy of this book!
Some things that may impact your enjoyment:
- there is a late Medieval morality play called Everyman that adds an important layer to this. At least skim the wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everyma...
Conner is not doing a direct retelling, but instead a reinterpretation based in the history her book explores.
-there are a lot of characters and relationships to keep track of, and time jumps around a lot. Should I have the opportunity to teach this, I would have students do a timeline and/or relationship map. If you struggle with such things, I recommend doing the same. You'll get so much more out of it and maybe save the book for you.
-reading other reviews - the issue of telling and not showing is important and part of the narrative here. It's us, the reader, getting the full story that pretty much no single character has because of the silence of the characters. We get to know what was lost, and what was lost is so much of the book. It's how Every is Eve.
Thank you to M Shelly Conner, Blackstone Publishing, and Netgalley for an advanced ecopy of this book!
August 4, 2021
Richly layered story with vivacious, complex characters. I read this book twice and each time I found things on which to pause and think. everyman not only tells a story, but it also gives nods to so many poignant issues within the Black community without being expository. An engrossing and important read.
February 13, 2021
*special thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!
4 stars
Wow!
I requested an ARC of this novel because I have always been a lover of a multi generational story. This is the epitome of that.
At the core of this story is Every/ Eve Mann trying to learn more about her family as their has been kept as a secret from her.
We follow her journey through finding herself, her name, her family, and finding acceptance for people who are different than her.
Nelle as a character stood out a lot to me. She was strong in who she was and didn’t apologize for it. She was a lot more open minded than a lot of characters in this book were. I wouldn’t mind a novel about her and her own journey!
I also loved how every chapter started with a quote. There was also a lot of history embedded into this story. It all worked very well.
And that last sentence, ugh.
It tackles the subjects of race, Blackness, Black homosexuality, homophobia, relationships between friends and between families, love.
It was a shorter novel- small, but mighty. It was very captivating. Great read.
4 stars
Wow!
I requested an ARC of this novel because I have always been a lover of a multi generational story. This is the epitome of that.
At the core of this story is Every/ Eve Mann trying to learn more about her family as their has been kept as a secret from her.
We follow her journey through finding herself, her name, her family, and finding acceptance for people who are different than her.
Nelle as a character stood out a lot to me. She was strong in who she was and didn’t apologize for it. She was a lot more open minded than a lot of characters in this book were. I wouldn’t mind a novel about her and her own journey!
I also loved how every chapter started with a quote. There was also a lot of history embedded into this story. It all worked very well.
And that last sentence, ugh.
It tackles the subjects of race, Blackness, Black homosexuality, homophobia, relationships between friends and between families, love.
It was a shorter novel- small, but mighty. It was very captivating. Great read.
August 16, 2021
There are so many things I loved about this book it's hard to know where to begin. I honestly think it should become an instant classic. The way the author deftly moves among characters and generations while always keeping Eve at the center; the capacious authority with which the narrator periodically zooms out and observes the world in which these characters spend their lives; the compelling plot, and the many things I learned about the history of Black Chicago. You name it, this book has it. And it's beautifully written.
Read this book, I promise you will not regret it.
Read this book, I promise you will not regret it.
August 28, 2021
I read this book in one day. It was that beautiful.
August 29, 2021
Loved it. First, Connor's writing is lyrical and beautiful, even when she is describing painful things.
Please note, the blurb doesn't quite do the book justice. It is the story of Every Mann, known as Eve, who in 1972 travels south from Chicago to Georgia to unwind the mystery of the mother she never knew. But it's about so much more. Connor weaves in the stories of Eve's best friend Nelle, and their complicated friendship once Nelle comes out. Eve explains away her own homophobia by convincing herself that Nelle's orientation flies in the face of the Black Power movement, its emphasis on Black procreation. There is the story of Eve's college mentor, Brother LeRoi with his complicated identity and his own involvement with the Panthers. The story of Mama Anne, the aunt who has raised Eve from birth.
This is also the story of the town called "Ideal," which was once considered an "ideal" location for a railway station. The old folks who live here remember Eve's people, but have reservations about sharing their story with the young woman who comes seeking clarity.
Please note, the blurb doesn't quite do the book justice. It is the story of Every Mann, known as Eve, who in 1972 travels south from Chicago to Georgia to unwind the mystery of the mother she never knew. But it's about so much more. Connor weaves in the stories of Eve's best friend Nelle, and their complicated friendship once Nelle comes out. Eve explains away her own homophobia by convincing herself that Nelle's orientation flies in the face of the Black Power movement, its emphasis on Black procreation. There is the story of Eve's college mentor, Brother LeRoi with his complicated identity and his own involvement with the Panthers. The story of Mama Anne, the aunt who has raised Eve from birth.
This is also the story of the town called "Ideal," which was once considered an "ideal" location for a railway station. The old folks who live here remember Eve's people, but have reservations about sharing their story with the young woman who comes seeking clarity.
August 28, 2021
I love that this story is about a young Black woman searching for her history. I also like that she’s young and has many positive influences in her life. She has a best friend that is a ride or die type of person that’s also on a journey of her own. It has some aspects of historical fiction, which is one of my favorite genres, as she traces her family through the unrest of the 1960s, the era of Jim Crowe of the south, the start of the Great Migration in the 1920s. Likewise, introduces each chapter with a quote from historical giants, which was a nice touch.
Every Mann, changed to Eve, is probably someone most Black Americans can relate. She’s being raised by an maternal aunt, that wants to leave the past behind: let sleeping dogs lie. Eve wants to know where she came; she wants to know the personalities of her parents and grand parents. However, as she was warned by her wise professor, in searching family history, she must be prepared for ugly. On a side note, there was a lot of sexual orientation and feminism emphasized in this novel.
At times this novel was difficult to read simply because it was TOO metaphorical. In addition, sometimes the descriptions took away from the story and left me a bit confused. Also, there were a lot of players in this novel and I struggled to keep of the names and how they related to the storyline and our protagonist, Every Mann. A family tree would have been helpful. There were some storylines that were hinted at but not written to completion.
Every Mann, changed to Eve, is probably someone most Black Americans can relate. She’s being raised by an maternal aunt, that wants to leave the past behind: let sleeping dogs lie. Eve wants to know where she came; she wants to know the personalities of her parents and grand parents. However, as she was warned by her wise professor, in searching family history, she must be prepared for ugly. On a side note, there was a lot of sexual orientation and feminism emphasized in this novel.
At times this novel was difficult to read simply because it was TOO metaphorical. In addition, sometimes the descriptions took away from the story and left me a bit confused. Also, there were a lot of players in this novel and I struggled to keep of the names and how they related to the storyline and our protagonist, Every Mann. A family tree would have been helpful. There were some storylines that were hinted at but not written to completion.
September 28, 2021
everyman felt, to me, like peering inside a stranger’s window / rummaging through boxes of their belongings / catching snippets of their whispered conversations with my ear pressed to a closed door. I harbored a sense of guilt as I turned the pages, as though I was bearing witness to something so intimate it didn’t belong to me. As though Eve, Nelle, Ann, Mercy and so many others could sense my intrusion on what should’ve been private matters.
But M Shelly Conner invited me into these character’s lives, their shared struggle to piece together familial history, to reconcile sexuality with deep-rooted beliefs, and ultimately, to love unabashedly and fearlessly in the face of glaring obstacles. She gave me permission to eavesdrop, peek around corners, and fall into this expertly woven saga head first, with an open heart and mind, and for that I am endlessly grateful.
I loved what this book had to say about Black womanhood, feminism, and sexuality. It’s focus on family, and the stories we choose to share as well as the ones we try to bury. I loved following Eve as she dug her own story back up from southern soil and pieced together the fragments of her history. More than all of that, I loved the way this book made me feel. It’s one of those books that reminded me why I love to read.
But M Shelly Conner invited me into these character’s lives, their shared struggle to piece together familial history, to reconcile sexuality with deep-rooted beliefs, and ultimately, to love unabashedly and fearlessly in the face of glaring obstacles. She gave me permission to eavesdrop, peek around corners, and fall into this expertly woven saga head first, with an open heart and mind, and for that I am endlessly grateful.
I loved what this book had to say about Black womanhood, feminism, and sexuality. It’s focus on family, and the stories we choose to share as well as the ones we try to bury. I loved following Eve as she dug her own story back up from southern soil and pieced together the fragments of her history. More than all of that, I loved the way this book made me feel. It’s one of those books that reminded me why I love to read.
May 28, 2021
So many secrets.
That’s all I kept thinking reading this.
Every Mann who later changes her name to Eve, just wants to know WHO she is. Who her people are. She needs to know more about herself.
What she knows is that her mother, Mercy, gave birth to Every on her deathbed. Then, Mercy’s sister, Ann, took Every and raised her in Chicago never telling her much about her mother, her family, or about how she came to be.
As Every grew older, the more she needed to know, so she set out to find out for herself with or without her Aunt Ann’s help.
I enjoyed the book over all, but I feel like some characters were built up only for their story to be left incomplete. I also, feel like Ann and Mercy’s story was kind of left under developed, there was real opportunity to elaborate more on their relationship.
I’m the end I waited for a huge plot twist that did not happen, but I was not completely disappointed.
Thank you to Net Galley and Blackstone Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
That’s all I kept thinking reading this.
Every Mann who later changes her name to Eve, just wants to know WHO she is. Who her people are. She needs to know more about herself.
What she knows is that her mother, Mercy, gave birth to Every on her deathbed. Then, Mercy’s sister, Ann, took Every and raised her in Chicago never telling her much about her mother, her family, or about how she came to be.
As Every grew older, the more she needed to know, so she set out to find out for herself with or without her Aunt Ann’s help.
I enjoyed the book over all, but I feel like some characters were built up only for their story to be left incomplete. I also, feel like Ann and Mercy’s story was kind of left under developed, there was real opportunity to elaborate more on their relationship.
I’m the end I waited for a huge plot twist that did not happen, but I was not completely disappointed.
Thank you to Net Galley and Blackstone Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
May 21, 2021
I liked a lot about this novel, which is a story about family history and violence and gaining a deeper worldview, and about what social change and movements meant during the 1960s and 70s. It's interesting to me to try to understand how someone like protagonist Eve, a not very complex person or particularly deep thinker, views the enormously complex things going on around her at both micro and macro levels. I understand Nelle's frustration with Eve, and Brother LeeRoi's desire to draw her into a greater understanding with the world.
I was upset, though, to see quotes from Alice Walker as chapter headers. I know a lot of people have been influenced by Walker's work, but her antisemitism makes celebrating her work impossible for me and many others, and I hope the author and publisher will change these quotes.
I was upset, though, to see quotes from Alice Walker as chapter headers. I know a lot of people have been influenced by Walker's work, but her antisemitism makes celebrating her work impossible for me and many others, and I hope the author and publisher will change these quotes.
October 12, 2021
Everyman is a novel rooted in family history as the main character, Every wants to discover the history behind her mom’s background as well as her family’s origins. She has a strained relationship with her aunt due to her not divulging her family and genealogy. Her aunt seems like she’s trying to protect her from some kind of harsh truth and in doing so pushes Every away from her. It’s a novel from the very beginning that takes us to multi-generations as well as various timelines as the narrator every tries to figure out what is family and what family means to her.
Read the full book review on the blog at: https://www.lifeofafemalebibliophile....
Read the full book review on the blog at: https://www.lifeofafemalebibliophile....
August 9, 2021
3.5 star
If Everyman wasn't bogged down with historical references and set in the time it's in, I probably wouldn't have liked it as much. Conner's writing style is the type I like; smooth and whimsical. The writing is part of the kept me reading (well that and the mystery of Every's question). Words, wordplay, and their meaning were sprinkled throughout Everyman. The epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter were a very nice touch and I enjoyed them a lot. I enjoy generational sagas but I had some trouble keeping track of the details and information coming from each character. The jumping around kept my head spinning. The mystery and finding out family history was beautiful and it kept me turning the page. The complex narrative that Conner spins inEveryman was complex and multifaceted. The themes and dialogue Everyman presents on black feminity, black feminism and black sexuality would make for an interesting book club discussion. Race and racial identity were also very present in Everyman and a discussion could be had about that as well.
The nagging thing that kept me from truly truly enjoying Everyman is the jumping POVs, Everyman wasn't truly about Eve Mann. It was about all the characters and I didn't necessarily like that. I didn't care to spend as much time as we did learning about Brother Lee Roy or have Nelle's dilemma be a main part of the story. I do love fleshed out side-characters BUT not when they're being fleshed out with the same amount as the main character. I'm a big fan of showing and not telling but Everyman did the complete opposite.
If Everyman wasn't bogged down with historical references and set in the time it's in, I probably wouldn't have liked it as much. Conner's writing style is the type I like; smooth and whimsical. The writing is part of the kept me reading (well that and the mystery of Every's question). Words, wordplay, and their meaning were sprinkled throughout Everyman. The epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter were a very nice touch and I enjoyed them a lot. I enjoy generational sagas but I had some trouble keeping track of the details and information coming from each character. The jumping around kept my head spinning. The mystery and finding out family history was beautiful and it kept me turning the page. The complex narrative that Conner spins inEveryman was complex and multifaceted. The themes and dialogue Everyman presents on black feminity, black feminism and black sexuality would make for an interesting book club discussion. Race and racial identity were also very present in Everyman and a discussion could be had about that as well.
The nagging thing that kept me from truly truly enjoying Everyman is the jumping POVs, Everyman wasn't truly about Eve Mann. It was about all the characters and I didn't necessarily like that. I didn't care to spend as much time as we did learning about Brother Lee Roy or have Nelle's dilemma be a main part of the story. I do love fleshed out side-characters BUT not when they're being fleshed out with the same amount as the main character. I'm a big fan of showing and not telling but Everyman did the complete opposite.
February 12, 2023
This was a great story that was told beautifully. Another historical fiction (I’m on a roll!) that I couldn’t put down. The cover of this book is absolutely gorgeous and the story was even better. 4.5 stars
Every Mann is searching for who she is. She never knew her mother or father and her longing for a connection is palpable. M Shelley Conner takes us back in time as we learn about Every (Eve’s) lineage. She weaves a wonderful trail through Eve’s history.
LeRoi’s backstory was interesting. He was able to be a source of support to his students despite his own struggles. I loved reading the different timelines and learning how all of the pieces fit together. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, but in the end the author was able to tie them all together.
I took longer to read this book because I spent so much time highlighting and annotating poignant moments.
Favorite quotes:
“We have marched. We have petitioned. We have died. But no one is going to gather for your rights as a sexual equal to love whomever you choose.”
“In the dark, it never occurs to any of you that what you crave most is light.”
Every Mann is searching for who she is. She never knew her mother or father and her longing for a connection is palpable. M Shelley Conner takes us back in time as we learn about Every (Eve’s) lineage. She weaves a wonderful trail through Eve’s history.
LeRoi’s backstory was interesting. He was able to be a source of support to his students despite his own struggles. I loved reading the different timelines and learning how all of the pieces fit together. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, but in the end the author was able to tie them all together.
I took longer to read this book because I spent so much time highlighting and annotating poignant moments.
Favorite quotes:
“We have marched. We have petitioned. We have died. But no one is going to gather for your rights as a sexual equal to love whomever you choose.”
“In the dark, it never occurs to any of you that what you crave most is light.”
September 24, 2021
This book has a flavor of Toni Morrison though with brevity and style that reminds me of Alice Walker (more Meridian than The Color Purple). It also has a particularly interesting vibe when thinking about the story in the context of the last few years as well as the rise of DNA tracking. Eve Mann is trying to find her roots, particularly her mother, Mercy. Raised by her aunt, Ann Man in the North in the 1960s and early 1970s, she has never been able to get from her the truth about her mom and much of her family. At 22, she sets off on a pilgrimage to go to the town in Georgia named, Ideal. The story is so very little about Eve going to find her family and more about the stories and experiences that led Eve to arrive there. Conner weaves together these different threads into a tapestry that captures the power of racism, naming, and kin. It's definitely the kind of story that one finds themselves less interested in the overarching plot and more in the relations of people and the cascade effects decisions and views from generations ago impact how one moves through the world.
In many ways, this novel is a rebuttal to rather than a reinterpretation to the famous "Everyman" play (a morality play of the 15th century) to which it appears named and modeled. Conner's work moves beyond the idea of the good deeds of men and their ascension to heaven and reflects the desperate and complicated measures the people must face--specifically Black people, in a culture that has time and again done harm to them. There is an impossibility of escaping some elements of complicity and that is something we all (like Eve) must face.
In many ways, this novel is a rebuttal to rather than a reinterpretation to the famous "Everyman" play (a morality play of the 15th century) to which it appears named and modeled. Conner's work moves beyond the idea of the good deeds of men and their ascension to heaven and reflects the desperate and complicated measures the people must face--specifically Black people, in a culture that has time and again done harm to them. There is an impossibility of escaping some elements of complicity and that is something we all (like Eve) must face.
February 17, 2023
Loved loved loved this!
"It's not enough to have white folks cutting down our every breath, but we gotta have our own men folk preying on us too?"
What starts off as story about a girl named Every trying to track down her history and what happened to her family members turns into a mutligenerational layered story following a distinct cast of characters.
This story explores love, life, betrayal, secrets, and explorations of sexuality.
This was seamlessly written and I was pulled in from the very first sentence. Slow paced, but very impactful and full of beautiful prose.
"It's not enough to have white folks cutting down our every breath, but we gotta have our own men folk preying on us too?"
What starts off as story about a girl named Every trying to track down her history and what happened to her family members turns into a mutligenerational layered story following a distinct cast of characters.
This story explores love, life, betrayal, secrets, and explorations of sexuality.
This was seamlessly written and I was pulled in from the very first sentence. Slow paced, but very impactful and full of beautiful prose.
September 29, 2021
Wow, this was really good. Trying to seek out family and figure out silent secrets years later, post migration. There's a lot going on here and some of the writing is downright lyrical. Loooove Eve(ry), love Nelle (there's not enough of her in this book), had to crack up at when Ann's illness would reoccur, loved the backstory of Cornelius and Deuce and James and Evelyn and Geneva... I really loved all the characters. Just read it already.
This would be a great companion novel to Brit Bennett's novels (The Vanishing Half and The Mothers).
This would be a great companion novel to Brit Bennett's novels (The Vanishing Half and The Mothers).
January 18, 2025
Three and a half. This was a good story, and well written. I had a sense of it always being on the brink of being amazing, though, and it wasn’t quite. It was as if the author talked about the characters, but you couldn’t really feel them.
July 20, 2022
Searching for her mother in small town Ideal GA in 1972 is an eye opening experience. Beautifully written, "small southern towns are like sausage gravy". The author leads you through this search by Eve who was raised by her Aunt Ann.
September 8, 2025
3.5 rounded up.
February 24, 2021
everyman is a beautiful story about a Every (later transformed to Eve) and her quest to find her family and history. Since her mom died at her birth, Eve has been raised by her aunt, Ann who has stayed quiet about their family past. Eve travels to Ideal, Georgia, to find her roots.
This book explores many critical subjects. My favorite is Eve’s best friend, Nelle and her exploration of her sexuality and queerness. This portion was refreshing and captivating to read. She was my favorite character as she especially witty in her observations and fearless in her acts.
I love Connor’s integration of history in all the retracing of Eve’s family. Her thoughtful facts about African American history smoothly integrated in the narrative. It all worked so well together.
That last chapter. Wow. Just wow.
Thank you #netgalley and Black Stone Publishing for the advanced copy.
This book explores many critical subjects. My favorite is Eve’s best friend, Nelle and her exploration of her sexuality and queerness. This portion was refreshing and captivating to read. She was my favorite character as she especially witty in her observations and fearless in her acts.
I love Connor’s integration of history in all the retracing of Eve’s family. Her thoughtful facts about African American history smoothly integrated in the narrative. It all worked so well together.
That last chapter. Wow. Just wow.
Thank you #netgalley and Black Stone Publishing for the advanced copy.
August 13, 2021
“everyman” by M Shelly Conner is an unpredictable & flawless novel about a Black Chicago woman who travels south to Georgia to trace her familial roots. This book unfolds like a rose as secrets & complex relationships are revealed. M Shelly Conner did a wonderful job incorporating queer, feminist, and familial themes. “everyman” moved effortlessly through time and space spanning the great migration. The character complexity & development is unmatched. I can’t give enough praise. You need to read this book!
April 28, 2021
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Everyman shows the story of a young woman in the 1970s trying to find out where she came from and who she is amid a backdrop of societal change and awakening. As a Brit, a reasonable understanding of American history and politics is useful, although much of the story deals with the individual characters, including Eve(ry)'s best friend and her mentor. I found the extended flashbacks into other characters' lives did slow the narrative for me somewhat, and we learn about Every's background less through her own explorations and more through the author telling us. That said, the prose was carefully and beautifully written and a sense of the time period the book was set in evoked. It was nice to see Every come to terms with her best friend's story through finding out more about her own background.
Everyman shows the story of a young woman in the 1970s trying to find out where she came from and who she is amid a backdrop of societal change and awakening. As a Brit, a reasonable understanding of American history and politics is useful, although much of the story deals with the individual characters, including Eve(ry)'s best friend and her mentor. I found the extended flashbacks into other characters' lives did slow the narrative for me somewhat, and we learn about Every's background less through her own explorations and more through the author telling us. That said, the prose was carefully and beautifully written and a sense of the time period the book was set in evoked. It was nice to see Every come to terms with her best friend's story through finding out more about her own background.
August 1, 2021
M. Shelly Conner’s, Everyman, encapsulates all that I enjoy about a multi-generational, historical fiction novel. It was layers deep and interwoven with Black history throughout, including but not limited to the Great Migration. It is an examination of mothers and daughters and the bonds that tie them together. It is about love and its complex simplicities. It is about secrets and lies and the things we take to our grave. It is about race and passing, acceptance and community. It is about women…strong women and their collective strength in rebellion. This book evokes so many emotions and does so thoughtfully.
Everyman follows the story of Eve Mann who has been searching for answers about her history her entire life. Having been raised by an aunt who holds familial truths, Eve finds herself in need of the truth of who her people are as well as what that means for her. It is a coming of age story with beautifully developed characters that help tell Eve’s story. I really loved the emphasis on the black woman and her journey and struggle to be made anew. Conner does a fantastic job of capturing the women’s desire to be free beyond what lives have been structured and provided.
This book is easily a 4.5/5.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Everyman follows the story of Eve Mann who has been searching for answers about her history her entire life. Having been raised by an aunt who holds familial truths, Eve finds herself in need of the truth of who her people are as well as what that means for her. It is a coming of age story with beautifully developed characters that help tell Eve’s story. I really loved the emphasis on the black woman and her journey and struggle to be made anew. Conner does a fantastic job of capturing the women’s desire to be free beyond what lives have been structured and provided.
This book is easily a 4.5/5.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 21, 2021
Interesting journey from South to North and back as well as across several decades. Eve looks for her past and finds her future.
April 25, 2021
I love this book. It deals with three genaration of a black family and others characters. Eve wants to know about her mother but her religious aunty doesn't want to tell her the truth so Big Eve musts find the answers by herself. We lean a lot about black activism and the homophobia in it. Religion strengthens the homophobia in black communities til nowadays.
They're some traumas but it's not to heavy. Really, you should read this book. I hope it'll be translated into French. I'll recommand it to my French book lovers.
Shout out for Nelle, My favourite lesbian!!!
They're some traumas but it's not to heavy. Really, you should read this book. I hope it'll be translated into French. I'll recommand it to my French book lovers.
Shout out for Nelle, My favourite lesbian!!!
August 29, 2021
Loved it. First, Connor's writing is lyrical and beautiful, even when she is describing painful things.
Please note, the blurb doesn't quite do the book justice. It is the story of Every Mann, known as Eve, who in 1972 travels south from Chicago to Georgia to unwind the mystery of the mother she never knew. But it's about so much more. Connor weaves in the stories of Eve's best friend Nelle, and their complicated friendship once Nelle comes out. Eve explains away her own homophobia by convincing herself that Nelle's orientation flies in the face of the Black Power movement, its emphasis on Black procreation. There is the story of Eve's college mentor, Brother LeRoi with his complicated identity and his own involvement with the Panthers. The story of Mama Anne, the aunt who has raised Eve from birth.
This is also the story of the town called "Ideal," which was once considered an "ideal" location for a railway station. The old folks who live here remember Eve's people, but have reservations about sharing their story with the young woman who comes seeking clarity.
This book is a celebration of 20th century Black history and in many ways a love song to Southern Black culture shown through the eyes of northerner Eve.
Full disclosure: I am also a northerner whose grandparents came north from Louisiana and North Carolina, raising my father in Chicago. My grandparents died before I was born, so I never saw the home they left behind, but can't help romanticizing Southern Black culture.
I recommend this book to anyone.
There is so much to enjoy and learn.
Please note, the blurb doesn't quite do the book justice. It is the story of Every Mann, known as Eve, who in 1972 travels south from Chicago to Georgia to unwind the mystery of the mother she never knew. But it's about so much more. Connor weaves in the stories of Eve's best friend Nelle, and their complicated friendship once Nelle comes out. Eve explains away her own homophobia by convincing herself that Nelle's orientation flies in the face of the Black Power movement, its emphasis on Black procreation. There is the story of Eve's college mentor, Brother LeRoi with his complicated identity and his own involvement with the Panthers. The story of Mama Anne, the aunt who has raised Eve from birth.
This is also the story of the town called "Ideal," which was once considered an "ideal" location for a railway station. The old folks who live here remember Eve's people, but have reservations about sharing their story with the young woman who comes seeking clarity.
This book is a celebration of 20th century Black history and in many ways a love song to Southern Black culture shown through the eyes of northerner Eve.
Full disclosure: I am also a northerner whose grandparents came north from Louisiana and North Carolina, raising my father in Chicago. My grandparents died before I was born, so I never saw the home they left behind, but can't help romanticizing Southern Black culture.
I recommend this book to anyone.
There is so much to enjoy and learn.
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