MEMPHIS by Tara M. Stringfellow

I was excited to read this book about my hometown, but I felt that it was a bunch of characters in search of a plot.  The book follows four generations of Black women who have been dealt some tragic blows, in the form of grief as well as domestic violence.  Worst of all, though, is the horrific attack on three-year-old Joan by her male cousin, Derek.  When Joan’s mother, Miriam, flees her abusive husband, taking 10-year-old Joan and her younger sister back to the scene of the crime to live with Derek and his mom, August, I wanted to pull my hair out.  Needless to say, Derek’s psychopathic behavior has not improved, but family members are no longer the targets of his aggression—good news for Joan but not for other innocent people.  The Derek situation does provide some level of nausea-inducing suspense, but the zigzagging timeline is not conducive to creating a narrative that keeps the reader engaged, and the writing style is simplistic and uninspired.  On the plus side, this book does evoke some vivid images, such as the beauty parlor in the basement of August’s house, where she works magic on her friends’ and neighbors’ hair.  All of these women strive to support their families, minus the husbands who have been cut down too young or whose abuse has forced their wives to escape to safer venues.