Loved this story from the very beginning. Based in 1950's San Francisco, in the historically black Filmore District, I personally loved all how Margaret really brought the neighborhood to life through her writing. A personal sidetone about me... I lived in SF not to far from this area for a few years during college, but of course quite a few decades later, so I could still picture the area and truly visualizing it throughout the book, which is always nice to have the personal reference.

The store centers around Vivian and her three Daughters. Vivian is a mother who has BIG dreams for her daughters. Each chapter switches back between the mother and the three daughters different perspectives. I found the mother / daughter relationships very interesting and could relate to some parts and as a mother now myself I could understand some of the moms perspective too. If you love getting lost in the world of historical fiction, particularly the 1950's dealing with racial tensions, segregation, mother/daughter relationships, connected through a musical thread, then "On the Rooftop" is for you.

On the Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton is a highly recommended historical fiction novel set in the 1950s.

In 1953 the changing Black San Francisco neighborhood, Vivian's three daughters, Ruth, Esther, and Chloe have been singing and dancing in harmony since they could speak. Vivian's husband has passed away, and she dreams of her three girls reaching stardom. On stage, the three girls are known as The Salvations. Now in their 20's, they are becoming well known, especially due to their weekly appearances at the Champagne Supper Club, and a talent manager has contacted Vivian hoping to help them reach the pinnacle of success. However, things are changing, both in the lives of the girls and the neighborhood.

The writing is a descriptive delight in this novel and it depicts both the good and the bad of the many events the family goes through. Chapters are from the point of view of Vivian, Ruth, Esther, or Chloe. Readers can follow Vivian's dreams for her girls and the plans the girls have for their own lives. Also detailed are the changes occurring in the neighborhood. Complex relationships reign in this novel, and they are what makes the narrative interesting, with the relationship between the mother and her daughters a main depiction.

The descriptions of the mother and sisters are all clearly delineated and each character represents an individual with dreams of her own. The experiences of the sisters are removed from those pf the mother, yet the mother's experiences ultimately effect the daughters too, although with a modicum of restraint.

Normally historical fiction isn't a choice of mine, but this novel represents an excellent choice for anyone who understands the dreams a mother may have for her children and then the alternate paths the children take. On the Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton was inspired by Fiddler on the Roof, and that comparison is apropos.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

I wanted to love this book. Margaret Wilkerson Sexton’s writing is beautiful and I enjoyed the relationship between Vivian and her three daughters, but the story itself felt very slow and I could not get engaged. Those who enjoy character-driven historical fiction should give this one a try, but it wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Ecco and NetGalley for this ARC.

This one has a pretty slow start, but by the second half of the book I found myself rooting for all of the characters. While the pacing and tone are a little uneven throughout, Margaret Wilkerson Sexton does a good job of creating strong characters and an immersive setting. I'll be interested to see the direction she takes in future novels.

I think this is a book that you have to immerse yourself in and it is completely worthwhile.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

A really enjoyable read due to the historical setting and the characters. The descriptions are good enough to create a picture in your mind as you read and the lives of the three daughters and mother during this period of change in San Francisco are laid out very well. Loved the food descriptions and desperately wanted a dinner invite to the table!
Great reading to explore a piece of lesser known San Francisco history. Highly recommended for book groups as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. Loved it!

This is one of my favorite books I’ve read this year. I got completely wrapped up in the lives of the four women in this novel. I loved how complex and interesting the mother and her three daughters were and how each had her own journey to finding her own voice. This book is destined to become a classic.

With a pretty slow start, I was able to get into the story after sticking with it. I like the parents dreams aren't those of the kids trope and I liked the multi-POV chapter aspect. Overall it was a pretty okay read. Great writing style and good story. I am not a fan of historical type books, but I enjoyed the cultural aspect and the fight to rise despite the raging racism throughout the south in the time peroid.

Thank you NetGalley and ECCO for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

On the Rooftop
by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
Ecco
Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
Thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This book took a while for me to get interested in. On the Rooftop follows the story of a mother and her daughters with a dream of musical stardom. It’s a classic story of a parent having dreams for her children that aren’t necessarily the dreams they have as well.
This book switches between the four characters and took me a while to get into….but once I did I was moved by the emotions each character felt.
Not a great book for me, but I am sure others will like it.
3 stars

On the Rooftop follows the story of a mother and her daughters with a dream of musical stardom. It’s a classic story of a parent having dreams for her children that aren’t necessarily the dreams they have as well.
This book switches between the four characters and took me a while to get into….but once I did I was moved by the emotions each character felt.

Thank you to NetGalley and the published for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to Netgalley and Ecco for the ebook. In the 1950’s, in the Filmore section of San Francisco, Vivian holds musical practice with her three daughters, Ruth, Esther and Chloe, as they chase the dream of musical stardom. As they play at a local club and audition for bigger gigs and search for management to take them to another level, we quickly learn that Vivian’s dreams for her daughters might not be their own dreams. Vivian feels pressure for success as the group starts to splinter and their very neighborhood is being bought out around them with thoughts of gentrification. A musical novel with a rich family at its core.