2.7 Stars

Nona ‘Peaches’ Davenport left everything in Natchez, Mississippi, to move to Chicago. Fifteen years later, she is a professor of African-American Studies. Back home, her sister, Julia, is livid that Nona deserted the family like their mom, Cat. She doesn’t mind using Nona’s lover, Marcus, for her comfort and a better future. 

Jasper Davenport, their father, has secrets of his own. But it’s his death that forces Nona to return home and Julia to confront the past. With more secrets, plenty of misunderstandings, and miscommunication, it’s up to the sisters to sort through the mess and rebuild their family. Can they do it? 

The story comes in the third-person POV of Nona, Julia, and Jasper. 

On the surface, the book seems to have what it takes to provide entertainment and some food for thought. However, it is mostly a mash of this and that, with loads of stupid decisions thrown into the mix. 

The setting is beautiful, and I loved how Natchez is woven into the narrative. The land, its history, the heat, random rains, architecture, etc., make the book interesting. I always enjoy reading about new locations (to me), so this was a plus. 

The characters could have truly shined with their flaws and vulnerabilities. While we get some introspective moments in how Nona and Julia change over the years, the emotional quotient is missing. There’s only so much blaming others and justifying one’s actions a reader can bear. 

The book tries to deliver multiple messages – family bonding & relationships on the personal level and the Black history on the macro level. Yet, both seem to be half-baked and don’t blend seamlessly. 

I’m not sure why Sanganette was given so much space. I understand her characterization, but it’s not cohesive. Julia’s friendship with her is odd. Also, Sanganette’s character was annoying from start to finish. While I see why her sense of privilege had to come across heavily, it needs to align with the rest of the plot. 

The story moves between past and present with no clear indication in some places. Julia and Nona randomly think about past events. It’s easy to miss the shift unless we pay complete attention. 

I hate misunderstanding and miscommunication tropes. While they have some benefits, using them for trivial issues can be annoying. Yeah, it does show how something inconsequential can have life-altering consequences. However, it would also be good if the characters just talked to each other. Statements like ‘I know they betrayed me’, ‘everyone knows about this’, etc., become a little too silly as the story progresses. 

Then we have the most confusing face-off drama where accusations fly for no reason. TBH, this feels way too dramatic, with zero progress in the plot. For people who are supposed to be in their 30s, the sisters act worse than 8yos. Also, Nona is younger than Julia. I thought it was the opposite given how Julia acted. Not that Nona was any better. 

What’s astonishing is how the person responsible for the mess is not even really blamed. We even have a character accepting it as something done to protect them. Ridiculous. The only person with some common sense was Jayden, Julia’s teenage son. Now go figure. 

The ending tries to explore how distorted Black history from the region affected Nona when she learned the truth. While I see how it helped her research more to share the actual truth, that Nona could become so freaking insecure and go into a shell for trusting a friend seems unbelievable. She was 6, for goodness sake. 

As someone from a colonized country, let me tell you that even today, we have people who believe that Colonization was the biggest blessing to our ancestors. They take pride in being ‘civilized’ and act more white than Whites. Unlearning and relearning are a part of growing up. These aren’t supposed to make one feel insecure about what they accepted as kids. 

To summarize, Where Wild Peaches Grow aims high but falls flat in many places. The execution is not strong enough to present the themes cohesively, resulting in a choppy read. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley #WhereWildPeachesGrow