GoodReads, Time Travel with Summer's Biggest Historical Fiction Novels
The Root, June 2023 Books By Black Authors We Can't Wait to Read
Ms. Magazine, June 2023 Reads for the Rest of Us
88 Upcoming Books the Goodreads Editors Can't Wait to Read
SheReads, Most Anticipated Historical Fiction of Summer 2023
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BookBub, Best Historical Fiction of Summer 2023
Audiofile's Best Audiobooks of July 2023 and Earphones Award Winner
Spanning from the joyous peak of the 1930s jazz era to the Great Depression and civil rights movement, Long Gone, Come Home weaves a poetic tale of love, life, and loss as one woman learns the true meaning of home.
Birdie Jennings dreams of a big life beyond her small town of Mt. Sterling, Kentucky—beyond her mundane job tying tobacco leaves at Wrights Factory, beyond her position as the baby of the family. Her life changes when she meets smooth-talking Jimmy Walker. Jimmy makes big promises for an exciting life together, and Birdie is quickly swept off her feet. But some short years after they marry, Jimmy disappears without a trace, leaving Birdie hurt and alone with their two toddlers. Out of money and out of options, Birdie moves back home with her overbearing mother.
Just as she's settling into her new life, Birdie witnesses a gruesome murder and is urged to flee Mt. Sterling to avoid questioning. With nothing but a borrowed suitcase and a questionable note about a house in Cincinnati promised to Jimmy, she travels to the big city just as she and Jimmy dreamed, determined to put her life back together. Plunged into the bustling jazz scenes of the hottest nightclubs and backwoods juke joints, Birdie learns that finding her place among criminals and saints is tough—but she is tougher. Even when some harsh lessons threaten the life she’s created on her own terms…
Genre: Historical
The Root, June 2023 Books By Black Authors We Can't Wait to Read
Ms. Magazine, June 2023 Reads for the Rest of Us
88 Upcoming Books the Goodreads Editors Can't Wait to Read
SheReads, Most Anticipated Historical Fiction of Summer 2023
Thoughts from a Page, Most Anticipated Historical Fiction of Summer 2023
BookBub, Best Historical Fiction of Summer 2023
Audiofile's Best Audiobooks of July 2023 and Earphones Award Winner
Spanning from the joyous peak of the 1930s jazz era to the Great Depression and civil rights movement, Long Gone, Come Home weaves a poetic tale of love, life, and loss as one woman learns the true meaning of home.
Birdie Jennings dreams of a big life beyond her small town of Mt. Sterling, Kentucky—beyond her mundane job tying tobacco leaves at Wrights Factory, beyond her position as the baby of the family. Her life changes when she meets smooth-talking Jimmy Walker. Jimmy makes big promises for an exciting life together, and Birdie is quickly swept off her feet. But some short years after they marry, Jimmy disappears without a trace, leaving Birdie hurt and alone with their two toddlers. Out of money and out of options, Birdie moves back home with her overbearing mother.
Just as she's settling into her new life, Birdie witnesses a gruesome murder and is urged to flee Mt. Sterling to avoid questioning. With nothing but a borrowed suitcase and a questionable note about a house in Cincinnati promised to Jimmy, she travels to the big city just as she and Jimmy dreamed, determined to put her life back together. Plunged into the bustling jazz scenes of the hottest nightclubs and backwoods juke joints, Birdie learns that finding her place among criminals and saints is tough—but she is tougher. Even when some harsh lessons threaten the life she’s created on her own terms…
Genre: Historical
Praise for this book
"Long Gone, Come Home is a heart-filled tale about a young woman willing to sacrifice it all for love and family. Set against the background of the Great Depression and Jim Crow, Chenault-Kilgore's debut tugs every emotion as Birdie fights to make a way out of no way." - Kaia Alderson
"Monica Chenault-Kilgore's heartfelt debut, Long Gone, Come Home, vividly captures its setting and era through the trials and triumphs of a heroine readers will root for. Nuanced and atmospheric, this is a story of people pursuing big dreams amid great injustice, and ultimately realizing the value of family and the enduring power of love." - Kristin Beck
"A remarkable story wonderfully told, Long Gone, Come Home, by Monica Chenault-Kilgore, is a historical novel with a wealth of captivating characters in a story about relationships, identity, struggles, and the heartbreak and joys of a Black woman and her family, over a decade, beginning in 1936 Kentucky. Chenault-Kilgore's main character Birdie is unforgettable - from page one, this complicated young woman grabs hold and doesn't let go until the last sentence." - Denny S Bryce
"Long Gone, Come Home is a poignant and powerful debut novel set against the backdrop of the 1930s jazz era, Great Depression, and civil rights movement. Monica Chenault-Kilgore has penned a sweeping, poetic story of love and family told through the eyes of a courageous and unforgettable heroine." - Chanel Cleeton
"An extraordinary tale of resilience and determination, Monica Chenault-Kilgore's Long Gone, Come Home takes us on a journey of the 1930s jazz era and civil rights movement through the eyes of a tenacious and unforgettable heroine. Birdie's enduring story is one of love, loss, family and survival. Despite the unexpected twists her life path took, when tragedy and fear could have prevailed, Birdie never forgot her dream, nor did she stop fighting for it. I was blown away by this powerful, heart-wrenching and ultimately hopeful debut!" - Eliza Knight
"Monica Chenault-Kilgore's Long Gone, Come Home is a big-hearted story of perseverance, family, and ambition set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the racial intolerances of the early 20th century. In Birdie, Chenault-Kilgore has created an unforgettable heroine whose resilience and determination will resonate long after you finish reading." - Bryn Turnbull
"Monica Chenault-Kilgore's heartfelt debut, Long Gone, Come Home, vividly captures its setting and era through the trials and triumphs of a heroine readers will root for. Nuanced and atmospheric, this is a story of people pursuing big dreams amid great injustice, and ultimately realizing the value of family and the enduring power of love." - Kristin Beck
"A remarkable story wonderfully told, Long Gone, Come Home, by Monica Chenault-Kilgore, is a historical novel with a wealth of captivating characters in a story about relationships, identity, struggles, and the heartbreak and joys of a Black woman and her family, over a decade, beginning in 1936 Kentucky. Chenault-Kilgore's main character Birdie is unforgettable - from page one, this complicated young woman grabs hold and doesn't let go until the last sentence." - Denny S Bryce
"Long Gone, Come Home is a poignant and powerful debut novel set against the backdrop of the 1930s jazz era, Great Depression, and civil rights movement. Monica Chenault-Kilgore has penned a sweeping, poetic story of love and family told through the eyes of a courageous and unforgettable heroine." - Chanel Cleeton
"An extraordinary tale of resilience and determination, Monica Chenault-Kilgore's Long Gone, Come Home takes us on a journey of the 1930s jazz era and civil rights movement through the eyes of a tenacious and unforgettable heroine. Birdie's enduring story is one of love, loss, family and survival. Despite the unexpected twists her life path took, when tragedy and fear could have prevailed, Birdie never forgot her dream, nor did she stop fighting for it. I was blown away by this powerful, heart-wrenching and ultimately hopeful debut!" - Eliza Knight
"Monica Chenault-Kilgore's Long Gone, Come Home is a big-hearted story of perseverance, family, and ambition set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the racial intolerances of the early 20th century. In Birdie, Chenault-Kilgore has created an unforgettable heroine whose resilience and determination will resonate long after you finish reading." - Bryn Turnbull
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