What a strong debut! Three generations of strong women who have been let down by (in Hazel's case) or hurt by (everyone else's case) men and their relationships, all with the Memphis backdrop. I felt for these women and their determination was unstoppable. August made me laugh and cry. Her son's actions made me contemplate what I would do if I were in her position, and it's really a no-win scenario. 

The main characters are Miriam, her sister August, and Miriam's older daughter Joan. Joan experienced a tragedy at a young age. In 1995, after her husband Jax abused her, she flees back to Memphis with her two daughters and dog. There she regroups and finds a new path. Joan is old enough to remember the trauma she experienced at a young age, and she retreats into her art while struggling with being near the past trauma. The novel does go back in time to give us some glimmers of Hazel, the grandmother. 

Caution: There are several triggers in this novel. Also, the chapters jump around in time and perspective quite a bit. There is a family tree at the front of the novel. It's not a complex family tree, but I did have to refer to it because the timeline jumps around quite a bit within a 70 year time span. So it really helped to know how old each character is.

I really enjoyed how immersive the story was and the well-drawn characters that I won't soon forget. 

Two minor quibbles: 
1. I wanted to see more of Hazel (the matriarch/mother of Miriam and August/grandmother to Joan and Mya). She seemed amazing, and I wanted to see her during the time she was raising her girls.
2. I do not understand Miriam's choice of coming back to the house when D is still there. I also don't understand her forgiving him. This is with my lens of white privilege because I would do anything to not be in that same house with him. Miriam is a saint.