Thank you to Henry Holt for the gifted ARC

After decades apart, high school sweethearts Fletcher Dukes and Altovise Benson reunite. But between them lies a mountain of lies and a family talisman—monkeys carved from peach seeds given to Dukes boys—that holds a family on the brink of falling apart.

PEACH SEED is a multigenerational saga that focuses on the men in the Dukes family, connecting characters across time and space to the peach seed monkey. Jumping between time and space, I sometimes have to read into the chapters to figure out the timing of events.

I love that Jones explores the meaning of family, the backdrop of the civil rights movement, and her inclusion of Black women in the story. I particularly love Aunt Olga, the family matriarch who is the light for all the lost men in PEACH SEED, emphasizing the importance of giving Black women their dues and acknowledging their importance in healing broken families.

"Family is both/blood and duty" at its core, PEACH SEED is a beautiful and profound story celebrating the power of unconditional and familial love.