Ava and her son Toussant moved north to make a better life but end up in a homeless shelter and them a commune after Toussant’s father comes back into their lives. The story revolves around Ava and Toussant but also on Ava’s family that she left in Bonaparte, a small community owned by Black families.
Mathis covers multiple generations and multiple themes in this sweeping novel.
Unsettled left me feeling unsettled as it undertook to address so many different themes and plot lines.
Recommended for readers of Black history.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.75 out of 5 stars

The story begins with Ava and her son, Toussaint, being kicked out of their house by Ava's husband, Abemi, when he finds out that Toussaint's here-to-fore absent father has stopped by the house. Despite Ava pointing him to the road, Abemi is certain that something nefarious is afoot.

Ava and Toussaint end up in a homeless shelter, which is unnerving for Toussaint, but absolutely devastating for Ava, who looks down her nose at the bugs, the dirty rooms and beds, the sub-par food, and most of all, the people. Eventually, she ends up depressed and sleeping through days she should be looking for a job.

Meanwhile, Toussaint is skipping school, hanging out at a homeless camp with Zeek and friends. Here is a life that is terrifyingly full of not-normal, not-mundane. Days pass with Toussaint making the trek from homeless shelter to homeless camp.

When she is threatened with being kicked out due to lack of effort on her part to get her and her son out of the situation, they have found themselves in, as well as the fact that the school has called and advised Toussaint hasn't been to school in weeks, Ava and Toussaint make ready to head out. Possibly to Ava's hometown of Bonaparte, where her larger-than-life mother lives.

But before they can decide definitively where they are going, Ava discovers Toussaint at the homeless camp, and begins to drag him away when she hears the voice of Cass, Toussaint's larger-than-life father, and they end up staying while he creates a commune of sorts in the house of a woman whose (good-for-nothing???) husband Cass kicked out before he somehow managed to get the house in his name, and now Ava, Toussaint, Cass, Zeek, Winnie, and her sons, Alvin and Nemo stay there and are fixing up the house and Cass has become a preacher of sorts in his quest to rid these people of their dependence on drugs, alcohol, sugar, meat, whatever it be that holds them back.

The book is told through dual POVs, third person around Ava's life, and first-person through her mother, Dutchess. The parts where we are with Dutchess are such a stark and brutal contrast to what Ava is going through, I just never want to leave those parts. She lives in the woods of Alabama in one of the first black-incorporated towns, and despite her husband being dead and her daughter being gone, Dutchess seems to have an okay time of it with her dog, Delilah, and her friend, the post-master Carter Lee.

They are being hassled by some folks down the road who are trying to take (even more of) their land due to back taxes that Dutchess feels is just a scam, but that the rest of Bonaparte feels needs to just be paid so they can keep the land.

The point of view of Dutchess of how Ava grew up differs from the point of view that Ava has of her childhood, but isn't that how it always is with parents and children?

This was an addicting book. I was constantly aggravated with Ava, but I adored when I got to a Dutchess part. I felt that Dutchess was so real, despite her feeling that she (and Bonaparte) was disappearing, and that Ava and Toussaint were ghosts. But as Cass pushes the Ark (his group of people in Winnie's house and those who have started attending his meetings) towards a free clinic and self-sufficiency, he catches the eyes of authorities.

Like electricity in the air, you can feel the storms coming through the pages in both Dutchess' and Ava's lives. An incredible, haunting book that is sure to rise in the ranks of bestsellers.

What a privilege to read this book. A great read. Sure to be a bestseller. A bit of a wait since her last book, but worth the wait. Be sure to pick it up when it comes out.

A powerful and epic read. I loved the narrative and prose of this book. The main story was set in the 1980's and seen through the eyes of a mother, a daughter and the daughter's young son. The description and dialogue kept me glued to the story. The complicated relationships and internal struggles were depicted with a truth and rawness that gave the characters depth and layers. At its core the story is about finding home and the tumultuous journey and winding twists that bring you there. We all long to be settled.

A bit of a slow burn, a strong incomplete finish. This book is aptly titled, because the characters as well as the fictional town of Bonaparte, AL are all unsettled in some way. Ava is bouncing around Philadelphia,PA after having left Bonaparte, Al in an attempt to become an adult far too early and clearly before she’s ready. Ava is unsettled in that, she has no stable home after her husband puts her out, her mind is also unstable and unsettled as she tries to balance her present while reconciling her past. She is attempting to deal with life while raising her son, Toussaint.

When Ava reconnects with Toussaint’s father Cass, she feels that the light to stability may have gotten a little brighter. But Cass is now the leader of the Ark, a collective commune that in a daring literary move by Mathis, has echoes of the infamously legendary group MOVE. MOVE was firebombed out of existence by “black” mayor Wilson(NO)Goode. The thinly veiled references include the back to nature movement, the tensions with the broader community and of course the consistent constant police harassment.

As the Ark begins its descent into oblivion, Toussaint seeks to find a way into a relevant existence. It begins with a letter to his grandmother in Bonaparte, AL. She was previously unaware of his being because Ava never mentioned him to her mother. This is a well written and engaging story about how easy it is to fall between the cracks, especially for women and find your self unsettled. I think Ms. Mathis has done a great job here if creating empathy for Ava, even while unsettling her readers. Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf publishing for an advanced DRC. Book drops September 26, 2023. I’m sure Ms. Mathis will be thoroughly queried about her allusions to MOVE.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for supplying this ARC for reading and comment.

Set in the 1980s but with a long tail back into the 1800s which informs the way things turned out for all of the main protagonists in late 20th century Philadelphia and Alabama.

Two parallel, crisscrossing, and deeply connected storylines run throughout this very powerful and tragic novel from Ayana Mathis. A crumbling, under-attack community in Alabama and a deeply traumatized mother and son in Philadelphia equally under attack, in different ways but ultimately as a result of decades and centuries of racism and white supremacy.

The main characters are all complex and believable as are the situations in which they find themselves and from which they may or may not be able to extricate themselves.

The lives and experiences of the characters couldn't be further from my personal experience but it all felt very real and believable to me.

This is a story about abuse, individual and racial trauma, disappointment, and in some way the triumph of will but there's not a lot of hope in it - I'd love to know what happens next.

A slow burn of a story - power, misogeny and racism at the root.

Ava and her son, Toussaint, have no choice but to go to a shelter in Philadelphia in 1985. With one foot in, Ava is already trying to find away to get out. She reflects upon her mother Duchess - a strong and sharp woman still living in Bonoparte, a town created by Black Americans freed from slavery.

Ava becomes entwined with her first love Cass and the three move on attempting to find a place to settle - a long sprawling story that not soon forgotten.
#Knopf #vintage #Pantheon #Netgalley #TheUnsettled #AyanaMathis

I had a hard time with The Unsettled. It started off strong, but I couldn't follow the multi-generational storyline at all. The interspersed sections of Bonaparte confused me... were they magical? Real? I couldn't follow Ava's part in them. By halfway through, I wanted to skip each Bonaparte section and continue on with Ava and Touissant in the present-day. Generally, this is a sad book. The ARC had enough errors that I found it distracting. Overall, I just couldn't get into it.

The Unsettled
By Ayana Mathis

I found this book unsettling – pardon the play on words. Toussaint and his mother, Ava, have left her husband, Abemi, and their home in New Jersey with almost nothing and no place to go. Ava finally gets them into a shelter of sorts, the Glenn Avenue Family Shelter in Philadelphia. She is in this city looking for Toussaint's biological father, Cass. When things aren't working out, she calls Abemi, who shows up and offers to take Toussaint – but not her. They get into a fight – a physical fight – which apparently leaves Ava with brain damage. Meanwhile, Toussaint plays truant from school and finds his way to Zeek and the homeless encampment he lives in.

In the meantime, Duchess, Ava's mother, still lives in Bonaparte, by the Alabama River – all that remains of a settlement of black landowners which has decreased from 2000 acres to 200 acres. The residents are old now, but trying to hold on to their land.

Ava decides to take her son back home to Bonaparte to meet his grandmother. But before she can do that Cass comes back into her life. Cass is a former Black Panther, a rebel who seems to be fighting against everything - but FOR what exactly? He is a messiah figure; he is a con man. Ava blindly follows his lead once again.

But this is a path of ruin. Her choices and her actions will affect them all – herself, Cass, her son, her mother, and all the other residents of the cult-like community at 248. There is no happily ever after to be found in this book. I found it a difficult read and I am still not sure what the author is trying to convey.

The author has matured in her writing style since her debut novel, and I greatly enjoyed this one. That said, I struggled to sympathize with either Ava or Cass, who always put their self-interest above that of their son, Toussaint. Neither one of the adults is level-headed or reliable. Their erratic and inconsistent attempts result in Toussaint's childhood being a rollercoaster, being bounced between a shelter and a cult-like home where his father has manipulated those around him and their assets for his benefit and for his vision of a radical future. Despite the racial and societal turbulence in their urban surroundings, Ava and Cass are self-defeating in their efforts to make life better for the next generation.

The Unsettled by Ayana Mathis lives up to its title. It is an unsettling story about a young Black boy named Toussaint and his mother Ava in the 1980’s. The story takes place mainly in Philadelphia during political and racial upheaval. But Bonaparte, Alabama where Ava’s mother Dutchess lives is also trying to cling to the past when it was a thriving Black community. There are a few twists and turns in this story that surprise you as both Ava and Toussaint try to survive. However, there are parts of the story that are not told in chronological order, and sometimes this is confusing. I recommend this book to readers who want to learn more about what it was like to grow up poor and Black in America during the 1980’s. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
This is the story of Ava and her son, Touissant. It is about racism and misogyny. It is about how land is stolen away and how power is given and taken. It has a lot of cruelty and hate, but also how those with little to give still give what they have. I wish it had a different ending, but it is what it is.

This book unsettled me, and it was also a book I thought I would not finish. It turns out you have to get uncomfortable with this novel to get to the good stuff.

Ava and Toussaint get kicked out of the story by Ava's husband, which leads to the search for shelter. We are also introduced to Dutchess (Ava's mom), who lives in a town called Bonaparte. Because the depiction was so lush, I imagined this settlement to be nothing more than a sizable clearing in the middle of a forest. There's something eerie about this town and Ava and Tousy's situation. I couldn't put my finger on it, and I think that's the reason why I struggled in the middle of this book. I was trying to place pieces of the puzzle when everything had not been laid out for me yet. Proceed with caution when reading, as you may get confused too.

Onto Ava's situation or mindset: she is one of those individuals who feels I am too good for this homeless shelter but must stay because I have nowhere else to go. It infuriated me because, girl, please!! This type of behavior Ava exhibits trickles over onto her child, Toussaint. I am not entirely sure if this woman was so unsettled by life that she could not see the needs of her child, but he was constantly crying out for help throughout the entire book. It's interesting because at first I was invested in Ava, but when I started to hear Toussaint's thoughts, I immediately switched to him. Toussaint has a relentless need to belong. The reader may trace the progression of this theme as well as how identity, grief, and the importance of love are defined. These characters in this book are all unsettled in some way, shape, or form. They are struggling to find a place to call home.
As bad as I wanted Ava and Tousy to have a stable place to live. Having Cassius Wright (Ava's partner and Toussaint's father) in their lives was anything but that. It actually got worse, in my opinion, and I'm excited to hear what everyone thinks about him once he's introduced.
Ava and Toussaint move from place to place. Dutchess even reflects on how her younger years were traumatizing and unstable. Cassius Wright (Ava's partner) moves from place to place too. There is a constant weight on everyone's shoulders. There are so many things to unpack in this book, but this review is getting long. Please someone go request this book so we can ride an emotional rollercoaster together. I still have unanswered questions, and maybe I will get to participate in an author talk, and when more people I know read this book, I can ask them as well.

- Was that a cult in this book?
- Why were the scenes in the beginning so choppy?
- Does Toussaint get a book of his own?
- Does Ava have Stockholm Syndrome or another condition?
- How does Bonaparte play an important role in this story?

The Unsettled by Ayana Mathis

First thank you to you publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.

From the moment Ava Carson and her ten-year-old son, Toussaint, arrive at the Glenn Avenue family shelter in Philadelphia 1985, Ava is already plotting a way out. She is repulsed by the shelter's squalid conditions: their cockroach-infested room, the barely edible food, and the shifty night security guard. She is determined to rescue her son from the perils and indignities of that place, and to save herself from the complicated past that led them there..

This was an interesting read. This story kind of reminds of a real life incident that occurred sometime in the 1980’s I believe, somewhere in the north east. Being a “POC” I found the parallel story lines very sad on all accounts. The points of view of Ava, her mother Duchess, and poor young Toussaint were gut wrenching for me and very relatable.

Ayana Mathis writes beautifully. She certainty paints a geographical picture, whether it be of a homeless shelter or a beautiful but dying place in Alabama. I was there with her every step of the way.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an early copy of The Unsettled by Ayana Mathis

The title of Ayana Mathis's new book The Unsettled could not be more appropriate as the life of main character Ava is exactly that---she is attempting to raise her 11-year-old son, Toussant, in the settings of a women's shelter and later a type of commune. She loves her son but has difficulty seeing to his care and education.. Ava did plan to return to her mother, Dutchess, in Bonaparte, Alabama, but an unfortunate mix-up kept her from leaving Philadelphia.
Ava takes up with a man whose duplicity will lead to tragic results for Ava. Toussant, however, will be given a chance to become "settled" as he will be united with the grandmother he has never known.
Mathis's characters are deeply created and satisfying to the reader. The contrasts of mother/daughter, mother/son and man/woman add weight to the idea of "unsettled" lives.

Thank you to NetGalley and the amazing publisher for the ARC of this title! I am so grateful to be auto-approved for this title!
I look forward to reading and reviewing. More to come!

This was an interesting read regarding family trauma. It was heavy and contains triggers (abuse and violence). The characters were well developed. The plot was good but I did have to take a break from it due to the heaviness.
****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****