Beautiful, insightful, educational read. Set in 1955 and the present day this book alternates between Mattie and her granddaughter Ashlee. Brilliantly written, it taught me a lot about a subject and time I knew little of, the time of horrendous racial inequality in the US, and the amazing strong black women of that time. The book opens with Mattie boarding a bus and witnessing Rosa Parks stand up for her civil rights and in doing that, not only change the world but the life of Mattie and her future generations
Definitely a book that falls into “if you read just one book this year” category.

This book has been equated with The Help and, initially, that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up because The Help is often viewed as a white savior book.

But I certainly see the similarities. There is a story of a Black teenage girl who ends up getting published. She was on the same bus as Rosa Parks when Ms. Parks refused her seat to a white man. Civil Rights is a theme in both books but that's where I feel the similarities end. And this book is far far better and more fair.

There are two story lines in this book and it is rare that I equally love both stories but, with this book, I certainly did. There was the story of Mattie Banks who was on the bus with Ms. Parks in the 50s and there was the story of Ashlee Turner, in the present day, who is still dealing with racial injustices both personally and nationally. The reader can also see how the issues Mattie faced and how they are still faced by Ashlee. There are things that are better and things that certainly need more work, both as a Black person and as a Black woman.

This was a very good book and I find myself still thinking about the characters. But don't be fooled. There are similarities with The Help but The Girl at the Back of the Bus: is significantly better.

"The Girl at the Back of the Bus" by Suzette D. Harrison
Release Date: 2.8.2021



Mattie Banks, a 16-year-old pregnant and unmarried young girl, leaves her family home, thinking she will bring shame on her family. Mattie boards the 2857 bus and watches Rosa Parks refuse to give up her seat to a white passenger.

Ashlee Turner's relationship is ruined, and her career is held back by discrimination. She is returning home to her family. When clearing out her grandmother's closet, she discovers an old secret that could wreak havoc on her family. Ashlee needs to decide whether to protect her family from the secret, or honor her grandmother's wishes.

Ms. Harrison intertwines the stories of Mattie and Ashlee, unraveling at just the right pace. I could not wait to find out how it would end. This story is heartwarming and heartbreaking. It shows the deep racism of 1955, as well as the prejudices and discrimination that still exists today.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for my review.

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A truly fascinating story which had me hooked from the very first page. It is told in chapters with alternate timelines it is very easy to follow. The characters are very well developed and I really enjoyed learning about Mattie’s life in particular while it unfolded.

Some parts of the story I found hard to read, the way that the blacks were challenged throughout the book because of their skin colour was terrible, however I really enjoyed reading this book and overall found it to be heartwarming and captivating,

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was hooked from the very first page and finished this book in two days! Be prepared to laugh, cry, and find that your mouth is unexpectedly dropping open! This vividly written work of historical fiction is a MUST-READ!

This is an exceptional book! Historical fiction has to be done very well in order for me to enjoy it and this is done very well. Switching back and forth between Mattie, a 16 year old girl from Georgia who is in the back of the bus when Rosa Parks refused to get off, and Ashlee, a corporate attorney in present-day Atlanta trying to make partner, we learn the history of a family and a struggle. Mattie has to deal with Jim Crow racism while figuring out how to deal with a pregnancy at 16. Ashlee is struggling to see the point of devoting herself completely to a career, where she's been passed over for advancement due to the color of her skin. The author's voice is authentic and she presents these complex and infuriating issues with strength, empathy, and humor. I loved both main characters and felt invested in their lives. Mattie is a spit-fire who will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

This is such a beautiful written, educational, heartbreaking, amazing book that I honestly think will stay with me for the whole of my life! The world needs to read this book.

It’s 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, and the girl sitting at the back of the bus is the true sheroe of this novel. Mattie Banks is on her way to Miss Celestine, a woman known to help girls like this sixteen year old rid themselves of the “innocent evidence of fornication” but an altercation on the bus, involving Miz Rosa changes the course of Mattie’s lifetime. This historical moment is portentous, leaving the reader in no doubt that Miz Rosa’s actions will impact not only on Mattie, empowering and inspiring her, but on the Coloured community as a whole. History is in the making and Mattie inadvertently but fortunately happens to be part of it. However this isn’t simply a novel about the social injustices of the day but a sweeping tale of one family’s fortunes, their secrets and loves, disappointments and sacrifices amidst a backdrop of upheaval, unrest and prejudice.

The roots of this novel run much deeper than the era it’s set in, so although the main focus is on the civil rights movement sweeping the Deep South in the 1950’s and 60’s, Mattie Banks and granddaughter Ashlee, cannot forget the struggles of their ancestors which began in slavery. For generations, the lives of black women, such as those featured here, have been shaped by the supremacy of the white man, at the mercy of their power and privilege because of the colour of their skin. This storyline is evidence that the white man has been taking advantage for centuries, taking what they feel is rightfully theirs so that blood and race mix yet equality and acceptance remain unobtainable. Jim Crow living is at the heart of this novel in which Coloureds are segregated, racial abuse is an everyday occurrence and education often only leads (if you’re female) to a lifetime of being the domestic help, with ambitions left unfulfilled and dreams forgotten. At least that is true for Mattie and her mother Dorothy who is the live in domestic help for the Stanton family when this novel begins but you have to question how shades of these social injustices still live on in terms of Ashlee, Mattie’s granddaughter. Overlooked for promotion, within the corporate law firm at which she has spent years trying to reach the top of her profession, it would seem the colour of her skin is still a barrier to progression. Favouring a simple dual time line encompassing both the past and the present the author brings this family’s history to life, painting a vivid and fascinating picture of Dorothy and Mattie’s reality, living in 1950’s America.

Although I much preferred the storyline following Mattie’s eventful life, the spirit of this vibrant, courageous and beautiful woman lives on in future generations, inspiring Ashlee who finds herself at her own personal crossroads in life. Keeping a vigil at her dying grandmother’s bedside it is Ashlee who is responsible for discovering Mattie’s hidden secret and is the perfect way for the author to allow the reader access to this amazing woman’s hopes and dreams and fears. The whole novel is full of strong minded, independent and sassy women characters whose love and loyalties to each other knows no bounds. They are FIERCE and they are great company to find yourself in. Despite Dorothy and Mattie’s experiences of suppression they have never allowed negativity to ruin them, a lesson passed on through the generations and this refusal to be beaten and downtrodden underpins the whole narrative. From the events surrounding Mattie’s pregnancy, to the connection her own father Matthew has with the Stantons, worthwhile sacrifices are made by each generation of women, all in the name of love which is a real positive to take from this storyline.

The Girl At The Back Of The Bus is a charming bittersweet novel that doesn’t weigh you down with unnecessary historical details and dates which means it will appeal to readers who aren’t ordinarily fans of this genre. Although I’d consider this to be a light and easy read the sense of history is woven into every word and for anyone who has read and enjoyed The Help, this is one for you! At times it verges on being overly sentimental but that is my one and only criticism. It is well written, with one pivotal, defining historical moment inspiring the author to create bold and brave characters in the shape of Dorothy and Mattie whom are brilliant role models for women who may be trying to find their own path in life. Highly recommend. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

Where do I start? For the first time, I am left speechless after reading a book. Speechless because the narrative just grabbed me by my core and thrust me back in time to a period where racial tensions were high and a divisive line stood between people of color and whites.

The Girl at the Back of the Bus is an emotional tale of how 16 year old Mattie Banks defied all odds after witnessing the courage and tenacity of Rosa Parks. It was that encounter with Rosa that changed the course and fate of Mattie and her unborn child.

Navigating between past and present, the story of Mattie Banks and her now extended family unfolds in a poignant tale revolving around love, family, and relationships. I laughed, but mostly cried. A must read for lovers of women's historical fiction. Five stars. It was memorable.

I received a digital copy of the book from Bookouture through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

A complete review will post to my blog, Goodreads, and other social media and retail sites on my tour date of February 10, 2021.

This is an emotional and engaging story, showing how the actions of others can affect our lives, told through the viewpoints of two strong black women Mattie and Ashlee, a grandmother and granddaughter, the two stories running alongside each other.
Mattie Banks’ thought she had no choice in the path she was taking until she sat on the back of a bus one day and witnessed Rose Parkes’ refusal to give up her seat. This made Mattie realise that she didn’t always have to do what was expected of her and question whether the choice she was about to make was really the only road for her. Rosie Parke’s stand gave Mattie the courage to change her path.
Ashlee grew up in a different world, where black women had more choices and is a young, successful lawyer until the day she is overlooked for promotion and returns to her family home to visit her dying grandmother, Mattie. Mattie is desperate for Ashlee to read her story, and as she does Ashlee realises that it isn’t fiction but the story of her grandmother’s life. Her grandmother’s story has a big impact on Ashlee’s life and decisions. Beautifully told, with strong, warm characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed Mattie's story, set during the civil rights era - including a bus ride with Rosa Parks. The writing really made you feel the emotion of the time. It's a split story - Mattie's in the past and Ashlee's in the current day. You can really feel the history and how certain events really change your life, and future generations.

Once upon a time (December 1955) in Montgomery, Alabama, a 16-year-old girl named Mattie Banks packs her suitcase and boards a city bus alone. To not disgrace her widowed mother, she heads across town to see a woman about her pregnant condition. On the bus ride, she witnesses an act of bravery by a woman named Rosa Parks. Being at the right place at the right time changes everything.

Fast forward to present-day Atlanta, Georgia, where a 32-year-old black woman named Ashlee Turner returns home to her beloved dying grandmother. Her relationship isn't sanguine, her career is held back by prejudice and her family is a safe haven. Of course she finds and reads a stack of old letters, uncovering a family secret. Ashlee can either protect her loved ones or honor her grandmother's wishes to reveal the truth.

I wanted to pick a good book to get lost in for the first weekend of 2021. A book that would keep me up reading late into the night. An eBook that I would hurriedly turn the pages on my Kindle. A fresh story of hope, love and survival. The Girl at the Back of the Bus gave me all of this from the first lines to the last paragraph. It is simply amazing and a great introduction to Author Suzette D. Harrison's writing. (This author just came on my radar; I have catching up to do!)

This may very well be the best dollar you spend on a book this year! This new novel is for my Bookhearts that enjoy historical fiction and romance. Add it to your reading list and pre-order now (only $0.99). Be ready to laugh, cry and smile often. I recommend a tall glass of iced sweet tea and a comfortable spot to read in too. You'll be stationary for a while!

Happy Early Pub Day, Suzette D. Harrison! The Girl at the Back of the Bus will be available Monday, February 8.

LiteraryMarie

This book deserves all the hype ever. The concept of this book is incredible enough but the author's ability to execute her vision and really tell this story is admirable. From the point of view of a young girl who witnesses Rosa Parks' incredible stand against segregation on a school bus in Montgomery, Alabama, follow Mattie as she maneuvers the Deep South as a young black woman who is pregnant out of wedlock. The book spans from 1959 until present day. I can't recommend this book enough. Please read this book.

This book, I was completely blown away by this beautiful story of Mattie Banks.
What a brave and courageous young lady.
I absolutely adored the dual storyline of Mattie and her young life running along side her granddaughter Ashlee..
You can feel the love Ashlee has for her grandmother.
Ashlee was so very luck to have time with her grandmother before she passed away.
I felt so many emotions whilst reading this story.
I laughed, cried, got angry, forgave, loved and so many more as i got to know these lovely ladies through the pages of author Suzette D Harrison's book.
She captured me with her beautiful writing and her in depth knowledge of a time in history..
I honestly did not want her story to end.
Thank you for putting this book in front of me. I am so very grateful.
Well done to Suzette on writing a cracker of a story and creating characters that will stay with me forever.
I am on the blog tour or this story soon so I will come back with my review and link to my book page.

Thank you
Claire
www.facebook.com/bookreviewsforu

This multigenerational family drama touches on heavy subjects while remaining light and compulsively readable. This may not be the type of book I would typically pick up, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. Partially set in the Jim Crow South, with flashes forward to modern day, I loved the perspective changes between grandmother and granddaughter. The characters' relationships and interwoven, fast-moving narratives kept me turning the page well past my bedtime. I especially appreciated that the historical novelization from this era was written by a black female author and centered on strong black women.

Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture for providing me with an advanced copy of this title ahead of its February 8 publication!

The Girl At The Back Of The Bus by Suzette D. Harrison is a rare gem of a book, an extraordinary example of historical fiction at its best. The story is one that’s captivating, beautifully written, rich in detail, and filled with emotion. Sixteen-year-old pregnant and unmarried Mattie Banks,  flees her family home, believing she will bring shame on her family. 

The Girl The begins when Mattie Boards the 2857 bus and is witness to an event that will dramatically shape the course of history for Mattie and that of future generation’s. Based on a historical event Rosa Parks is on the same bus as Mattie, segregated in the black section of the bus she refuses to give up her seat to a white passenger, the scene has a big impact on Mattie, which encourage her to make life-changing decisions. From that one event the author takes the reader on a fictional journey that tells the story of three generations of black women who face adversary, discrimination and prejudice. Told through the voices of Mattie and her granddaughter Ashlee, the book spans the 1950s to present day.

The characters are fantastically drawn and turn a story into something much more; they are so convincing you feel every emotion alongside the characters; you laugh alongside them; you applaud their triumphs, your heartbreaks as they face adversary, heartache and disappointment. The Girl At The Back Of The Bus highlights the fact that although some outdated views have changed, unfortunately racism and sexism are still alive and kicking! . This is such an inspirational, bittersweet novel about redemption, the power of a family's love, family secret and survival in the hardest times. Highly recommended.

This book is brilliant! It’s injustice; heartbreak; love; abuse of power; tenacity; fighting against the odds; and it’s a triumph as the story is incredibly captivating. I love how Rosa Parks’s iconic historical stand has such a profound effect on Mattie’s decisions and life.

There are two POV’s; Mattie’s and Ashlee’s. I was hooked on both in equal measures. The story unravelled at just the right pace and I couldn’t wait to find out how it was all going to end; so much so, I read it into the early hours.

I found myself in a perpetual state of anger at the injustice of how racist and misogynistic a society these characters were living in. I’m even more angry when I think that we still do in many ways and I feel that we should never stop challenging it. If ever there was a story that reminded a woman of the power and abuse of the patriarchy, this is it. I admire the themes tackled and unfortunately, their relevance today is just as strong. The fight to end racism and misogyny goes on.

This story is also heartwarming and heartbreaking in abundance. Ashlee and Mattie’s close-knit family made me smile and there are moments where a few tears were shed.

If you love a powerful, exceptionally told novel with strong and emotive themes that will have you clenching you’re fists, this is it! Excellent top read!

In 1955 Montgomery, Alabama, 16 year old Mattie Banks is one of the passengers on the bus who witnesses Rosa Parks's famous resistance to give up her seat for a white person. Inspired by Mrs. Parks's bravery, Mattie embarks on her own course of resistance and bravery. This book tells Mattie's story in the 1950s concurrently with her granddaughter Ashlee's story in present-day Georgia as Ashlee reads what she thinks is a fictional novel her beloved Nana has written.

The Girl at the Back of the Bus seamlessly weaves in the Civil Rights movement and current racial injustices without being heavy handed. I admit, in all the time I have taught about Rosa Parks as a teacher, and read about her as an American, I never really thought much about the impact her resistance may have had on her fellow passengers. It's a compelling thought and I'm glad Mrs. Harrison has turned that thought into this novel. I enjoyed Mattie's storyline more than Ashlee's, and the way the story was written you knew what to expect from the ending, but it's a powerful book about overcoming adversity and standing up for yourself and what you believe is right.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced read copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Girl at the Back of the Bus by Suzette D. Harrison is a must read for anyone who enjoys multi-generational historical fiction. It is the story of how one woman's decision, during a simple bus ride, will change the course of not only her own life, but the lives of those who will follow as a direct result of her courage.

It is 1955 in Montgomery Alabama and Mattie Banks, 16, boards a bus with the intention of ridding herself of an unplanned pregnancy. What Mattie will witness that day is an event that will be referenced for generations to come. Future civil rights icon Rosa Parks is on the bus that day, and by refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger, she will alter the course of history. Mattie, of course, will not immediately recognize the act for its tremendous significance. She is, however, emboldened enough by the courage and determination of Ms Parks, so much so that she chooses then and there to keep her unborn child, and it is a decision that will alter the path of her life forever. Told from the alternating voices of Mattie in 1955, and her granddaughter Ashlee in present day Atlanta, the unique fabric of a family's history is witnessed and recorded.

This is a perfectly executed narrative that had me equally engaged with each woman's story. I look forward to reading much more from this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the chance to read this ARC.

This book starts out with a story that is well-known to all of us, but then continues on with a fictional character who just happened to be on the bus where it happened. We learn the stories of three generations of black women and how their lives were impacted by their experiences both under and not under their control. It felt a little odd switching abruptly from one character to another, but all in all, the story is very engaging and it is hard not to get caught up in this family. The reader is challenged to put pieces together, but that just added to the experience for me.
I think there are many readers who would enjoy this book and it would be an excellent choice for a book group to read.