I went into My Monticello, the debut novel of Jocelyn Nicole Johnson, knowing relatively little about it, but after seeing several glowing reviews, I decided to take a gamble and selected this short book as part of my Love My Read subscription (AD PR Product, with thanks again to the team for my gifted subscription).
Summary:
In what appears to be a vaguely dystopian future (though one which feels only a mere few years away from our own), the neighbourhood of 1st Street, Charlottesville is attacked by violent white supremacists. A group of neighbours make it to an abandoned bus and, fleeing for their lives, end up taking refuge in Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s historic plantation home in the hills above town.
My Review:
Whilst My Monticello is a shocking and visceral depiction of a racist attack, it is also a quiet and thoughtful meditation on identity, heritage and belonging. We learn that our protagonist, Da’Naisha Love, is a young Black descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings (one of Jefferson’s slaves). I knew very little about the history of Jefferson and Hemings, but upon research, discovered that Jefferson is broadly believed to be the father of Hemings’ six children. Whether their relations were consensual, is still largely contested.
For such a short book, it took me a surprisingly long amount of time to read My Monticello. The pacing is quite slow and I kept taking time out to read up on the history of Jefferson and Hemings, so I do think this impacted my reading experience. Not a huge amount happens plot-wise, and beyond the beginning and the end, it began to feel a bit repetitive in the middle.
I’ve heard that the American version has five other short stories in addition to My Monticello which I’d be really interested in reading, as, on its own, I felt the book could have used some fleshing out. Nonetheless, a boldly original and disturbing debut with thoughtfully interwoven history, I’d recommend this one for a short read. I just wish there was a little more to it!
Star Rating: 3/5
Em's Shelf Love 