Based on a true story, mother of three Sheri Calloway brings her young children to Baltimore looking for a better life.  A chance for their own home leads to health issues, a demand for answers, and changes in the system.  While the ongoing nightmare stemming from the offer of affordable housing is a main component, the real focus of this story is the importance of family and friendship.  A promising debut, I look forward to reading more from Ms. Jones in the future.

Thank you so much NetGalley. This was a great read. I love the storyline that showed the present and the future. of a mother struggling trying to make ends meet with her three children. This was a book that I really like and I would hate to spoil it. Thank you so much for this read. If you like multicultural reads, read this.

Wow! A must-read multigenerational family saga about becoming your own champion, the interconnectedness of family and community, and showing who you really are when your back is against the wall.

Sheri is a single mother of three young children in the early 1990's making a move from her hometown of Spruce Junction, North Carolina to Baltimore, Maryland for a fresh start at life. Sheri's determined to find a good job, go back to school and has high hopes for the future of her bright children. When Sheri moves into her new place she believes everything is turning up Sheri, but quickly she discovers that she's been duped by unethical medical researchers when her children develop concerning behaviours. Sheri learns that the city has ulterior motives in their experimental housing projects and her family is not the only one being taken advantage of.

I could not put this book down! I was thoroughly invested in the Calloway family's past, present and future. Sheri was a truly inspirational character as a loving mother trying to do the best for her children while breaking the generational cycle of family trauma and unknowingly being challenged by a new city that does not care to protect her family. The connections Sheri makes within her community were beautiful with friends and family coming together to support the wellbeing of Sheri and her family spanning over several years.

Jana Jones is a phenomenal writer and I look forward to reading more from her in the future! Vivid was incredibly well written, it was real, raw, emotional, challenging, hopeful, and completely surpassed my expectations! I would highly recommend this one! Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.