Thanks so much to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This is a beautifully written tale of a very sad story of a family in Mississippi - one that is far too prevalent and full of poverty, racism, and drug abuse. It's the story of one family - Mam and Pop are the grandparents, raising JoJo and Kayla, while their drug-addicted mom, Leonie, flits in and out of their life. Pop tries his best to raise JoJo to be a good man, telling him stories of his time in Parchman prison. Mam is dying of cancer and her death permeates sadness through the house. The kids' dad, Michael, is just being released from Parchman, and Leonie, a friend and the kids take a road trip to pick him up. The book is separated into chapters written from the viewpoints of JoJo and Leonie, interwoven with chapters about Richie, a ghost from Pop's time in Parchman.
It's so hard to see how drug abuse or maybe just her nature allows Leonie to be such a horrid, selfish mother to JoJo and Kayla. The ghost appearances, while strange, allow more of the story to be told.
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