Southern Review of Books

Native Woman Looks Back to Move Forward

By: Toby LeBlanc July 1, 2024June 28, 2024

ReviewsLeah Myers, Nonfiction, Thinning Blood, W.W. Norton and CompanyLeave a Comment

Leah Myers’ has structured her memoir as a totem pole, carving into history the stories of the three generations before her.

An Exploration of Grief and Possibility in Heather Frese’s “The Saddest Girl on the Beach”

By: Jenny Maattala June 28, 2024June 5, 2024

ReviewsBlair, Fiction, Heather Frese, Review, The Saddest Girl on the BeachLeave a Comment

A review of Heather Frese’s new novel, “The Saddest Girl on the Beach.”

Wes Jamison Scavenges for Hard Truths in Essay Collection “Carrion”

By: Bobby Willover June 24, 2024July 4, 2024

ReviewsCarrion, Essays, Red Hen Press, Wes JamisonLeave a Comment

A review of Wes Jamison’s “Carrion.”

“Do Tell”: A Novel Ripe with Golden Age Hollywood Gossip

By: KT Sparks June 21, 2024June 25, 2024

ReviewsDo Tell, Fiction, Lindsay Lynch, Novel, ReviewLeave a Comment

An intimate, heart-breaking character study embedded in a crowd of engaging, chattering characters. A sparkling visit to a magical era in Hollywood and a deep dive into the dirty deceptions that made it appear so fine.

“Bomb Island” a Heart-Pounding Read Rich with Symbolism

By: Frankie Martinez June 19, 2024June 12, 2024

ReviewsBomb Island, Fiction, Hub City Press, Stephen HundleyLeave a Comment

Stephen Hundley’s debut novel is a mix of “Lord of the Flies” and “The Swiss Family Robinson.”

History Is Both Personal and Current in “Liberty Street”

By: Hannah Bone June 18, 2024June 18, 2024

InterviewsJason K. Friedman, Liberty Street, NonfictionLeave a Comment

An interview with Jason K. Friedman on “Liberty Street.”

“No Right Way to Be Free”: Black Survival in Phillip B. Williams’ “Ours”

By: Meredith Stafford June 17, 2024May 29, 2024

ReviewsFiction, Ours, Phillip B. Williams, VikingLeave a Comment

Poet Phillip B. Williams’ “Ours” is an expansive, multigenerational tale that examines the confines and meaning of freedom and its place against a backdrop of American slavery and Black survival.