Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge left me wanting more. I listened to the audiobook, and I would have DNF’d if not for my Tournament of Books shortlist goal. I don’t think there is anything particularly wrong with the writing. The story just didn’t grip me, which is a disappointment because I was hopeful at the prospect of this historical fiction novel that was inspired by the life of one of the first Black female doctors in the US. This book follows Libertie, the daughter of a practicing Black doctor in Reconstruction-era Brooklyn. While Libertie’s mom can often pass as white, Libertie cannot. When the book starts, Libertie is young, and absolutely idolizes her mother. As she grows up, she struggles with the weight of her mother’s expectations and the limits imposed by society on Black women after the Civil War. Eventually she accepts a marriage proposal and moves to Haiti, where she continues to fight for her own freedom in a culture where women are subordinate to men. 

 

Something about the story just held me back from feeling emotionally invested. The plot feels meandering at times, and there isn’t really one plot-line that we follow through the entire book. It was a little all over the place. At the end of the day, I just didn’t really like this one. I alternated between bored and annoyed. I am normally pretty selective with my historical fiction (it’s not my favorite genre), so that likely had something to do with it too.