Libertie A Novel

Kaitlyn Greenidge — 2021

Named One of the Most-Anticipated Books of 2021 by: O, The Oprah Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, The Millions, Refinery29, Publishers Lunch, BuzzFeed, The Rumpus, BookPage, Harper's Bazaar, Ms., Goodreads, and more “An elegantly layered, beautifully rendered tour de force that is not to be missed.” —Roxane Gay, author of Hunger “Libertie is a feat of monumental thematic imagination.” —Margaret Wilkerson Sexton, The New York Times Book Review “This is one of the most thoughtful and amazingly beautiful books I’ve read all year. Kaitlyn Greenidge is a master storyteller.” —Jacqueline Woodson, author of Red at the Bone The critically acclaimed and Whiting Award–winning author of We Love You, Charlie Freeman returns with Libertie, an unforgettable story about one young Black girl’s attempt to find a place where she can be fully, and only, herself. Coming of age in a free Black community 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 light-skinned mother, Libertie will not be able to pass for white. 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. Inspired by the life of one of the first Black female doctors in the United States and rich with historical detail, Kaitlyn Greenidge’s new and immersive novel will resonate with readers eager to understand our present through a deep, moving, and lyrical dive into our past.

Reviews

Abigail F@collapsinglibrary

After getting a little over 200 pages in, I decided to step away. While I originally was interested in the story line, the sudden marriage and the way the story was going.. I just wasn't interested in ever picking it back up. Rather than force myself through it, decided to DNF.

This review contains a spoiler

Dee B. @deeisreading

Aug 19, 2022

This book weaves its way into your psyche and suddenly you find yourself in love. You begin to realize that this book is about the naivete and ambition of youth juxtaposed to the reasoning that comes with age. There are moments of this book that are so painful to read (so many hate crimes, colourism, sexism) but ultimately we take a journey through Libertie's growing up: all the highs and lows of life. It's not an obvious shift but one that is so subtly mundane that if you blink you'll miss it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, please read it!

Emily S@bibliochemist

Nov 18, 2021

~3.75 stars~ A very character-driven book, as most plot points are revealed in the summary on the back cover. That being said, I tabbed up so much of it because the writing was so beautiful, and the fractured relationship between Libertie and her mother was so heartbreaking.

Paige Green@popthebutterfly

Nov 5, 2021

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!