The people have spoken, thanks to everyone who voted and chimed in.
Our September Book of the Month was voted on by the TBGR community, and this month we are stepping into something a little darker.
On Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield is a sinister and surreal Southern Gothic novel about family, trauma, violence, desire, and the things that follow us long after we think we’ve escaped them.
When Judith Rice flees her abusive childhood home, she finds refuge deep in the woods of southern Georgia. There, she builds a life for herself in a house haunted by its own violent history. But years later, the arrival of a mysterious woman threatens the peace Jude has worked so hard to create, and forces her to confront the darkness she thought she had left behind.
This is a story about survival. About what we inherit.
About the monsters outside of us, and the ones that sometimes live within.
On Sundays She Picked Flowers explores family trauma, retribution, queer desire, violence, and the difficult work of building yourself back up after everything has tried to break you.
And honestly?
I can’t wait to see what y’all have to say about this one.
One of my favourite things about TBGR is that we don’t always read the same kinds of books. We move through romance and literary fiction, family sagas and thrillers, joy and grief, and sometimes, we step into the dark.
Because Black stories exist everywhere. Even in haunted houses. Especially there.
This September, we’re reading something eerie, unsettling, beautiful and bloody.
And you chose it.
Trigger Warnings
Please read with care. This book contains themes and depictions of:
Child abuse, Physical and emotional abuse, Sexual abuse and sexual assault, Domestic violence, Racism and racial slurs, Violence and gore, Murder and death, Cannibalism, Incest, Self-harm, Miscarriage and childbirth trauma, Animal death, Homophobia, Alcohol abuse
Some readers may also find the book’s depictions of trauma, violence, and abuse particularly intense.
As always, take care of yourself while reading.
Read at your own pace. Put the book down when you need to.
And when you’re ready, come back and talk about it with us.
Because sometimes the best part of a difficult book is knowing you don’t have to sit with it alone.
Happy reading, TBGR. 🤎
And welcome to the dark side.
Meeting Date: Thursday, October 1st at 7 PM Eastern, Online
