Disclaimer: I received the arc and e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.



Book: Libertie: A Novel



Author: Kaitlyn Greenridge



Book Series: Standalone



Rating: 5/5



Diversity: Black main character and side characters



Recommended For...: historical fiction



Publication Date: March 30, 2021



Genre: Historical Fiction



Recommended Age: 16+ (racism, violence, gore, sexism)



Publisher: Algonquin Books



Pages: 336



Synopsis: Coming of age as a freeborn Black girl in Reconstruction-era Brooklyn, Libertie Sampson is all too aware that her purposeful mother, a practicing physician, has a vision for their future together: Libertie is to go to medical school and practice alongside her. But Libertie, drawn more to music than science, feels stifled by her mother’s choices and is hungry for something else—is there really only one way to have an autonomous life? And she is constantly reminded that, unlike her mother, who can pass, Libertie has skin that is too dark. When a young man from Haiti proposes to Libertie and promises she will be his equal on the island, she accepts, only to discover that she is still subordinate to him and all men. As she tries to parse what freedom actually means for a Black woman, Libertie struggles with where she might find it—for herself and for generations to come.



Review: I really loved this book! The book is so well written and extremely well paced. The story is compelling and I fell in love with the main character. The world building and character interaction was also well done. This is the type of book that should be widely available in schools for literature and history classes. While the book is a hard read at times during it, I highly recommend this book.


The only issue I had with the book is that some of the chapters didn't flow well together.



Verdict: I highly recommend this one!