Libertie is a beautifully written, immersive historical novel inspired by the story of a Black doctor and her daughter who lived in a free Black community in Brooklyn during the Reconstruction era. It is also a profound meditation on what it means to be truly free while struggling with racism, colorism, and sexism. Even though this story takes place around the Civil War, we can still find parallels into life now.

I enjoyed following Libertie's journey from childhood, to college, and to marriage. I found Libertie's relationship with her mother to be particularly interesting.

I enjoyed the ending, but I definitely want to see more of what happens to these characters.

DNF @ 42%
Please take this review with a grain of salt. The main issue I am having with this one is the lack of formatting and missing chunks of text which should be solved by publication date. Additionally this book is heavily character driven which I struggle with.

I am sure there will be plenty of five star reviews for this one so please don't let me setting it aside for now deter you. I am loving the amount of non WWII historical fiction coming out this year and I truly think this one will be a favorite on bookstagram.

Kaitlyn Greenridge's sophomore novel, Libertie, follows the journey of a freeborn Black American as she journeys back to Haiti with her husband in pursuit of the life she wants.

The theme of complicated mother-daughter relationships and the weight of those expectations is well-developed and hits home for sure.

Topics such as colorism and passing are also thoroughly examined. And while the narrative is not strictly biographical, it is a well-researched historical fiction about the first female Black doctor in the states.

Another element I thrived upon was the exploration of weaponized religion! SO GOOD!

Here's the summary:
The critically acclaimed and Whiting Award–winning author of We Love You, Charlie Freeman returns with an unforgettable story about the meaning of freedom.

Coming of age as a free-born Black girl in Reconstruction-era Brooklyn, Libertie Sampson was all too aware that her purposeful mother, a practicing physician, had a vision for their future together: Libertie would 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.

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 novel resonates in our times and is perfect for readers of Brit Bennett, Min Jin Lee, and Yaa Gyasi.

Very character driven. Very heartbreaking to read about the relationship between Libertie and her mom. Nothing really happens though

Libertie was a book that offered so much more than the “blurb” suggests. In my mind, I assumed this would focus only on the mother’s success as a black, female physician and her attempts to have her daughter follow in her footsteps. And yes, that did ring true, but the heartbeat of the book came from the beauty and ugliness of a taut mother-daughter relationship.

This book showed so much about the free born black person’s experience during this time period in both the states and in Haiti. Colorism was a huge factor and in this case how it affected a mother who could pass, with a daughter as dark as night. Learning about slaves that escaped through coffins, those that helped and those that didn’t was also eye-opening.

It was Libertie’s voice, often called flowery by her mother, that I adored. Libertie spoke like a poet’s pen, each word had both meaning and subtext. I really enjoyed the first half of the book. The second part, in Haiti, where Libertie goes to find her independence as a married woman, didn’t work as well for me. The letters between Libertie and her mom were the best part of the second half. They allowed many truths to unfold. For many, it’s much easier to write your story than to tell it – that’s just another power of the written word.

Overall, this is an enjoyable book that covers everything from mental illness, education, homeopathic medicine, colorism, race, mother/daughter relationships, music, independence and coming of age.

This is going to be one of the best-selling books of the year. I am calling it. The beautiful writing, the author's ability to put you back in such a time through the lens of the most vulnerable of the period. I couldn't recommend this book enough.

Please don't read the jacket copy or anything about this book- just read this five star amazing read. I heard it marketed as many things: A story of reconstruction, a story of the first Black female doctors, historical fiction, etc. The story does touch on all of these things. At the heart of it though, is a mother daughter sotry and an examination of the word freedom in all of its forms.

I was hooked immediately, really loved the first 25%, considered DNFing, then ended up giving this five stars because the ending was so beautiful. This is a slower book that offers a lot to discuss. Libertie is an incredible character who is pulled in a lot of directions. She makes some decisions that can be hard to understand- but keep going. I highly recommend!

A great historical fiction. It was very different from what I expected based on the jacket copy, but I did enjoy the story. It was a powerful story of a mother and daughter relationship. I don't know that this story will work for every reader. The beginning was fantastic, but I did start to lose interest part way through. Thankfully, the end made sticking with it worth it. The characters were very interesting and complex.

I jumped on the chance to read an early copy of Kaitlyn Greenidge’s Libertie. I read her first book, We Love You, Charlie Freeman, for the 2016 Tournament of Books, and I thought it was a phenomenal work with a core of historical fiction: it’s thoughtful and thought-provoking, with an edge of the truly strange.

Libertie has some of those same roots. The title character and protagonist, Libertie Sampson, was born free, in a Black community just outside Brooklyn at the beginning of the Civil War. She lives with her mother, a doctor, and has known since early childhood that her mother dreamed that Libertie would one day also be a doctor.

As the book opens, Libertie learns of her mother’s other abilities when she raises from the dead Mr. Ben, a man escaping from slavery after the loss of the woman he loves. Mr. Ben is also, however, the catalyst for Libertie learning about her mother’s all-too-real weaknesses—she is able to heal Mr. Ben’s body but not his mind or spirit, a failure that damages her reputation in the community.

This is also the incident that begins Libertie’s separation from her mother: Libertie becomes curious about love and companionship. She wants to understand the friendships that her mother is never able to cultivate, too entrenched in logic and fact to risk the vulnerability of warmth, the need to take down her protective shell to reach out for others.

When Libertie goes to college, set on a path in medicine, she finds herself for the first time outside her mother’s sphere of influence. She finds friends who are musicians and neglects her studies in favor of their pure passion for their art. Eventually, she seeks safety and warmth in love and flees her mother’s disapproval.

Libertie bluntly addresses colorism—while Libertie’s mother is light skinned, Libertie herself is quite dark—racism, misogyny, and power structures that require someone to occupy the lowest rung in a hierarchy. Libertie sees the hopes of her community upon the start of the Civil War and the way those hopes are betrayed by their white, Northern neighbors. She sees the hopes of her new community in Haiti, which supposedly is built on equality and on honoring all races, but which in reality victimizes the most vulnerable populations. She sees her own hopes, of refuge in love and friendship, dashed by an inability to let go of the injustices of the past.

Above all, for me, this book is about a girl and her mother, about the ways that their lives are intertwined and must somehow separate but continue to run parallel paths, twisted together by disappointment and hope, resentment and love.

There is SO much to adore about this book, and I definitely found it captivating. I did, at times (particularly in the second half of the novel), find some connections missing, some places where Libertie said what she felt but I didn’t feel it, where actions were not always tied tightly to their causes or their effects.

Those slight flaws did not, however, interfere with my overall feelings about the novel, which asks questions that still feel relevant but also illuminate our history. You will not regret taking an opportunity to read Kaitlyn Greenidge’s Libertie.

Libertie is the story of a girl pushed into the shadows of other people's dreams until she finally learns to step out into her own dreams. It's a beautiful, lyrical story that crosses oceans and is full of both turmoil and joy as Libertie grows up and learns more of not only the world but of herself. I thought this story was so beautiful and that it did a brilliant job of following Libertie's own internal struggle while also touching upon issues of racism, colorism and misogyny. The characters were all thoughtfully fleshed out and amidst their flaws, they were all so deeply human. I was pulled into this story immediately and hung on the entire time. I highly recommend!

"-we must work hard and be good even in freedom. That's what you telling me. With rules like that, don't it make you wonder what freedom's for?"

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"The only good poem I've ever written is you. A daughter is a poem. A daughter is a kind of psalm. You, in the world, responding to me, is the song I made. I cannot make another."

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"'But did you ever notice' - he leaned over to Louisa, 'how the lightest ones burn the brightest for revolution? Why is that?"

"They're the closest to freedom and can taste it, so they'll do anything for it."

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"A wife is like a horse. Laboring uphill with the weight of two people's love on her back."

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Wow, what a heavy story about freedom, identity and the weight of love. Libertie made me so frustrated at every turn. And so did her mother. And her husband. And well, frankly everyone in this novel. So many expectations, social pressures and moments of pride defined the lives of the poor souls in this novel.

Libertie is trying to make her own way in the world and trying to step out of her mother's shadow, shirk her mother's expectations and the boundaries society places on her because of her color. She is born into the Northern states after the war and her view on the world is certainly through a different lens than her mother. Her mother has made an exceptional place in the world for herself, she is a doctor in a world where she knows at any moment she could lose everything she has built for herself because of her skin color. She has also built a dream for her daughter's life by her side, a life she feels recognizing what her daughter is worth.

Libertie, on the other hand, has other ideas. Her choices are impetuous. The first taste of true freedom she gets from the weight of her mother's gaze, she immediately thrusts herself under the weight of another's expectations. Trapped once again, Libertie begins to see the truth of her mother's intentions for her and begins to learn the meaning of freedom is much deeper than she could have ever imagined.

The writing is painfully beautiful and emotionally wrought. The characters are complex and show interesting development over the duration of the story. I really loved the ending but definitely want more time to see what happened to these characters.

Thank you to Algonquin Books for a copy of this novel. All opinions above are my own.

I’ve been contemplating what I want to say about this book. I’m perplexed and deeply torn.

This book is about a woman, Dr. Sampson, who is the first and only Black woman doctor in the county. Light enough to pass for white, Dr. Sampson has a daughter, Libertie who has skin like midnight. This daughter of hers, she is grooming to have her join her practice and help/aid women in their county. However, this story is narrated from the daughter, Libertie’s perspective, and Libertie, is searching for her own liberty. Coming of age story, told in alternating voices of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, we meet Dr. Sampson and her daughter Libertie pioneering as young Black women in Kings County, helping people escape from slavery or re-establish themselves during the Reconstruction period.

Dr. Sampson wants to build a hospital, and she wants to share her hospital and practice with her daughter, Libertie. When Libertie becomes old enough to go to college, she travels to an all-Black college, on the heels of her mother’s recommendations, and is pursuing medicine like her mother. However, Libertie realizes that she doesn’t want the same things that her mother wants, and decides to pursue Experience and Louisa as they become traveling singers. However, Libertie has to face her mother eventually, and when she returns home, she meets an apprentice of her mother’s, and falls in love.

Her husband, also has some family issues that need to be handled. Her husband, a believer in vodoun has an idea of he wants to rally and strengthen the Haitian people. His father, a bishop of the local church, also has an agenda in mind. While his sister, Ella, is battling her own demons.

Libertie, a married woman and now expectant mother, she realizes how little liberty she actually has with her own life and choices in her marriage and life. Libertie has to make a choice. Will Libertie finally find her freedom? Will her mother ever accept her choices as a grown woman?

This book discusses a few topics of interest:
- Colorism
- Coming-of-age
- Parental influence
- LGBTQIA+
- Sexism
- Mysognoir
- Familial Relationships
- Abuse
- Patriarchy
- Tradition/religion
- Self-awareness/respect

Great ideas, but poorly executed.

What worked for me? The storyline isn’t that bad. It’s full of family drama, and action, with great potential. This book has some really beautiful writing, and the prose and cadence of the work is so well balanced.

What didn’t work for me? Everything else. The book was ALL OVER THE PLACE!! There is just so much going on! I don’t think any of the problems in the book were ever solved. The plot line has you careening off into various directions. The ending is anti-climatic and you are left putting your own pieces together as to what happened in the book. The book started off at a somewhat decent clip, and gradually went down in flames. I really wanted to like this book much more, but unfortunately I cannot. 3 stars.

To be honest: This book is so bad it will probably end up being on TV.

Thank you to Algonquin (@algonquin), Kaitlyn Greenidge for this book in exchange for a fair and honest opinion.

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!

Coming of age as a free-born Black girl in Reconstruction-era Brooklyn, Libertie Sampson is expected to go to medical school and practice alongside her mother, one of the first Black female doctors in the United States. But Libertie is hungry for an autonomous life. She chooses marriage to a man who promises her equality. But after she moves to Haiti, she discovers that her husband cannot imagine her free. And indeed, she is not free.
This book sucked me in at the beginning. I enjoyed the flow and reading about the historical community of Kings College and the daily life of a Black female doctor, her daughter and their community.
The last half after Libertie gets married becomes less interesting. The flow is more poetic and vague as if the author is trying to teach a lesson through inference rather than fact.
"Libertie" does push hard for freedom and equality for women, homosexuals and Black people. I appreciated these themes in the book.
"How is it possible to become free when you do not even know who you are?"
"You say you want a different world than your father. This is a chance to start making it."
Rounded up from 2.5 to 3 stars because the subject is unique and interesting.

Raised by a single mother, the first black, female doctor, in Reconstruction era Brooklyn, Libertie was groomed to be a doctor herself. Her own heart and abilities lie elsewhere, and h=she leaves her mother disappointed in her academic pursuits fizzle. Falling for a Haitian doctor in training, she believes his promises of equality and partnership with a marriage and life in Haiti together.
A coming of age story set in difficult times for African Americans, the focus is on the daughter, although the doctor (mother) was the inspiration for the author. Well researched and written, I felt like I expected a bit more, but I'm not sure what was lacking. Recommended for historical fiction fans and those interested in strong female characters.

An absolutely stunning read from an absolutely talented beyond-all author. Greenidge has meticulously researched this time period and created a beautiful backdrop to this story of a free woman of color living in Restoration-era New York.
This story follows Libertie, whose mother is a free Black woman who works and is educated as a doctor in a time when that was VERY opposite the norm. Her mother wants her to follow in her footsteps, but Libertie is just looking for her place in the world where people like her were experiencing inequality, and continue to do so, even now. This book is actually based on the life of one of the first Black female doctors in the United States and is absolutely wonderful to read. I found myself picking up this book when I definitely should have been working on my studies. This book shows us that despite everything to the contrary, people will survive and thrive. Libertie didn't take the easiest road, but she took a road that led to HER happiness.
I highly recommend this book to any young woman who is looking to make their way in the world and needs something uplifting. 5/5

This Book was provided by NetGalley and Algonquin Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Algonquin Books and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.


Set in the Reconstruction era in Brooklyn, Libertie is a story about mother daughter bond and how it's reshaped as Libertie grows up.  Kaitlyn Greenidge drew inspiration from the Dr. Susan Stewart, one of the first Black physicians in America, and her daughter.  Much like the real-life mother-daughter duo, Libertie's mother is a physician and hopes that Libertie will follow in her footsteps.  When Libertie is sent off to college instead of focusing on medicine, Libertie falls in love with music and art.  When Libertie is let go from her school she returns home hoping to hide her growing secrets.  The decision to leave home will put her on another path that will led to Haiti where she'll learn more about what she wants out of life.

After reading Libertie I find myself with a love/hate relationship with the book.  I loved the writing but the story was a little slower than I was anticipating.  I also liked how Greenidge handled the topics of racism, sexism, passing, and mental health.  

As a reader I felt like we are meant to empathize with Libertie but I felt myself always at an arm's length from her.  Libertie came off quite a bit as spoiled although she doesn't realize that she is.  She is headstrong but also didn't know how to fight for herself and her beliefs for the majority of the story.  I enjoyed the historical references to the story; however, it was hard for me to fully invest at times.  Some of it may have been the format of my early e-copy and the timing of when I read it.  Regardless I think Libertie is one a lot of people will be talking about upon its release on March 30th.

It's such a different story! I think the comparisons to Yaa Gyasi are apt, there's a deep sense of culture, heritage, and history here.

A compelling coming of age story! Loved the relationship aspect between mother and daughter and how they were able to come to understand each other in the end.

Libertie Sampson lives in Reconstruction-era Brooklyn with her mom, a practicing physician. The plan has always been for Libertie to go to medical school and then join her mother's practice, but as is often the case, that plan doesn't include input from Libertie herself. She wants to live her own life, be in charge of herself, and is drawn more to music than medicine. While her mother can pass for white, Libertie cannot, and faces a set of challenges a little different from her mother. She meets a man from Haiti who treats her as an intellectual equal, and falls in love. Libertie agrees to join him in Haiti, but when they arrive, their relationship changes and she is once again subject to someone else and subordinate to her husband. Libertie needs to figure out what freedom means for her, and what it can mean for her.
Greenidge took inspiration for Libertie from the history of one of the first Black female doctors in the United States. That inspiration gives a framework that could be just a retelling, yet this, Greenidge's second novel, is more than just historical fiction or a coming of age story. The bonds between characters are so strong and at the same time so complicated. The exploration of devotion, duty, expectation along side independence, dissent, and liberty move beyond this specific setting. Libertie was an excellent read. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. It was savored!