Caroline Builta's Reviews > Long After We Are Gone

"Long After We Are Gone" by Terah Shelton Harris presents a compelling exploration of family, secrets, and personal struggles. The story centers on the Solomon siblings, who return to their ancestral home in North Carolina after their father's death to save their family's legacy from a development company.

The positives: The narrative has excellent character development, offering a rich portrayal of each sibling's life. Junior, secretly in love with another man despite being married to a woman; Mance, struggling with his temper and criminal past as he tries to be better for his newborn baby; CeCe, a lawyer who has dug herself into a hole with seemingly no way out; and Tokey, feeling out of place and filling the void with harmful behaviors. These complex characters provide depth and emotional resonance, making their individual and collective journeys engaging. While they aren't particularly likable, they are well-drawn and I had a great understanding of each.

However, the novel has, in my opinion, significant drawbacks. One major issue is the overabundance of seemingly unnecessary sex scenes. I am by no means a prude, but these moments often feel out of place and do not contribute to the advancement of the plot, instead distracting from the central narrative. Additionally, the pacing suffers in the last 30% of the book, where the plot goes off the rails, losing focus and coherence as it delves into increasingly dramatic and convoluted developments. This shift detracts from the fairly strong foundation laid earlier in the novel and leaves the reader feeling disconnected from the story's resolution. The story also spends a considerable amount of time detailing the characters' personal issues, which were intriguing, but majorly neglected the central plot—the fight to save their home. This imbalance makes the narrative feel sluggish, especially in the last third of the book, where the plot seems to lose momentum. I struggled to care about how the story would resolve.

Despite these flaws, the book does shed light on important topics, such as intergenerational trauma, family expectations, and the fight to preserve one's heritage. The portrayal of heir property and the challenges faced by the Solomon family in protecting their land is both educational and moving.

Overall, while "Long After We Are Gone" excels in character depth and emotional storytelling, its excessive focus on irrelevant sexual content and a plot that spirals out of control in the final sections undermine its potential. It remains a worthwhile read for those who appreciate intricate family dramas but may disappoint readers seeking a more consistent and focused narrative. This was not for me, but there are readers I think this can and will work for.

Thank you to Terah Shelton Harris, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.