3.5⭐️ This started out strong for me and I loved Mika, but I started to get a bit bored about 60% and at about 75% skimmed a bit. It’s more slices of life, and there are some real gems, than a story with a plot.

I was excited to read this book, which I anticipated following a linear story about a Black family from generation to generation. However, there was a lot of jumping around such that it caused a bit of confusion. Also, there seemed to be various occurrences rather than an intertwined developed story. Accordingly, this one didn’t move me too much. 3 stars ⭐️. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy for review.

This is a novel of a black family moving to a Cul De sac in the 1950’s. The novel starts with Teta and Weesie as they move into Redwood Court. Most of the novel, however is from the youngest in the family, Mika’s point of view. She listens to the family’s history, provides care as needed and learns about her family’s struggles. There are multiple characters, neighbor relatives that add to the novel. Overall for me this was a three star book.
I received a complimentary copy, opinions are my own.

Redwood Court is an entertaining debut with lively characters and lots of back and forth banter; reading Dameron's writing feels like getting a hug from your grandma. Having said that, I didn't feel like there was a strong plot and the number of characters made the story hard to follow at times. A heartfelt story and I'd definitely be interested in reading future works by this author.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this ARC.

How is this a debut? Everything about Redwood Court blew me away. I don't care what genres you like, this is genre spanning and bending and I want you to readi t.

Actual rating 3.5, rounded up for the lovely cover.

Multi-generational family saga that *almost* lets you feel like one of the family, but keeps you at just enough of a distance to let you know that you're not REALLY one of them. I loved the various stories but felt like they didn't entirely let the reader in. Kinda like when you go to someone's house and they open the door just a bit so you can see there are things happening, and they chat with you in a friendly-ish way, but make it clear you're not really welcome. I'd've loved to get to know the characters a bit better, and am disappointed to have been left out on the stoop. In the end, slightly unfulfilling.

My thanks to Random House Publishing Group/The Dial Press, the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House/Dial Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. The title of the book is where the main character's grandparents live in Columbia, SC. Through Mika's eyes we see the three generations of her family as well as the neighbors on Redwood Court. Her grandparents lived through Jim Crow and were able to buy the house in the 60s, a dream of leaving something for their family. Also, you see how the neighbors of Redwood Court care for one another through hardships. Mika's family is composed of all different types of ordinary people working hard to make a good life for their families, dealing with racism and bias, the unfairness of law enforcement and the carceral system, and Mika blossoming into a young woman in her teenage years. The author creates a beautiful picture of the characters and the place in which they live but the story didn't come together at the end, as if the tone changed and the storyline was heading in a different direction.

Reese picked this debut for her February book club. Redwood Court is a book in two parts: First it’s the story of a black couple in the 1960s buying their first home in a South Carolina suburb and raising their daughter who marries the boy next door. The second part is about the couple’s granddaughter Mika, as she comes of age in the 1990s, partially at Redwood Court. I wanted to love this book, but it was just so slow and had very little plot, which made it difficult to get through. Also, in Part One of the book, the narrator changes frequently which made reading it somewhat jarring and disconnected. ⭐️⭐️.5. Thank you to #thedialpress and #netgallery for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
Redwood Court is a family saga about a black family in South Carolina spanning three decades. This story is told from multiple POVs. At times it was hard to follow, especially on audio which is how I read this. I plan on checking out a physical copy to get a better idea of how it was set up.

This is a slower paced story where not a ton happens but the writing was beautiful which is one of the biggest strengths of the book! It's a very character rich story.

The theme of genealogy and everyone not being able to trace back generations was a theme I enjoyed throughout the story. Especially as a white person I think this is an important thing to think about.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced copy of this book.

Redwood Court by DeLana R.A. Dameron was a sweet surprise. I didn't expect a debut novel by a published poet to affirm my role as grandmother.

This character-driven story features a multi-generational family living in Charleston, South Carolina. Grandparents Weesie and Teeta bought their home on the Redwood Court cul de sac in the mid 1950s and fostered a strong sense of community among their neighbors. Their house is home base for extended family, especially granddaughter Mika. The book is written as Mika documenting her family's heritage for a school project.

I loved Weesie and Teeta - she the gossip and he the strong silent type - and their relationships with Mika. As grandmother to four young children who spend time at our home every week, it's my goal for our grands to develop the type of memories Mika had. This family is there for each other through good and bad times, and it was heartwarming to see their love in action. The emotions feel so genuine, I wonder if some of Mika's stories are somewhat autobiographical for the author.

The cover is beautiful - I want to know more about its creation and meaning. Thank you to The Dial Press and NetGalley for the review copy of this novel.

4.5 stars.

In DéLana R. A. Dameron's novel, Redwood Court, Mika Tabor's tale begins with a family tree assignment — something particularly difficult to both explore and encapsulate in the same way or to the same degree as her white classmates. So the unfurling of Mika's beautifully rich tapestry of matriarchal generations begins with the idea of filling out the tree with stories, rather than simply names, branching the idea of the tree outwards instead of focusing on the typical upwards angle.

Although the overall style moved the entry point a little later, once I found the rhythms of her writing, I settled in comfortably for the remainder of the journey. The account through Mika's youth reads like an engrossing collection of short stories, or family stories...the kind you share and recount endlessly at reunions, weddings, and funerals. And with each new addition, I was reminded of Don Draper’s carousel — a deeply moving nostalgia slideshow.

On a personal point, I absolutely adored the complete exploration of the Columbia I both knew and didn't...the first mention of Two Notch Road sent me squealing. I still have family in that area, and I cannot tell you how many times that was the exit off the interstate that meant I was near my destination. This was one of the best representations of that area and life there during the 90s, that I have read.

The title comes from the all-Black working-class suburb where Mika's grandparents settled in the 1960s and established a strong connective extended family whose ties held each other together and built each other up. Though not totally absent from any story about a Black family (particularly in the South and covering the 50s through the early 00s, instead of focusing on Black pain and Black trauma, Redwood Court presents a beautifully perfect account of youth surrounded by love and full of joy. Having found this superb new Southern voice, I will absolutely read what Dameron writes next.

I would like to thank NetGalley and The Dial Press for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

REDWOOD COURT by DéLana R. A. Dameron has a creative cover and was chosen as a Reese's Book Club Pick, plus it has received accolades from talented writers like Ann Napolitano (Hello Beautiful), Renee Watson (Piecing Me Together) and Jacqueline Woodson (Red at the Bone). And, Dameron's series of stories about multiple generations of a Black family living at Redwood Court in Columbia, South Carolina is in some ways reminiscent of their family novels. But Dameron's work seemed more complicated. For example, she finds it necessary to introduce her many characters in a list which became a handy reference for me because I found it difficult to clearly picture the characters and to remember how they were originally connected to each other. It was also a challenge to relate to a suburban enclave where (perhaps reflecting the 1960s time period, or the culture, or even the sheer determination of one woman named Weesie) neighbors seemed to be overly involved in each other's business. The publisher says that this text from an established poet "is a celebration of extraordinary, ordinary people striving to achieve their own American dreams." Perhaps something will strike a chord with you?

This book was ever so slow, with so many characters to keep track of. The stories came across as short stories with no definitive wrap up. Not being a fan of short stories, this book was a difficult read for me and one that wasn’t an enjoyable read. Thank you to Random House Publishers and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

In the genre of literary fiction, this is a book about a family living in an all-black suburb of Columbia, South Carolina. Most of the story is told from the perspective of Mika, the youngest granddaughter of Weesie and Teeta, who live on the cul de sac called Redwood Court and ends with Mika’s 16th birthday. The story is presented as anecdotal and is not always told chronologically. We learn some about Mika’s parents, Major and Rhina, some about the troubled young uncle, Junior and a bit about distant relatives and neighbors.
I think the important aspects of the book are cultural anecdotes around a black family living in the south in the late 1990s. The neighborhood is “tight” and somewhat gossipy but Weesie is a matriarch who takes care of the neighbors as well as her family. I found it interesting and most certainly correct that a distant relative from Tampa referred to all black neighborhoods as “ghettos” no matter how nice or new they are because this is the way that white people view them. And while we don’t learn much about Junior, his legal issues and potential gang involvement and how the family deals with him is another nod to the cultural influences of the time. I did find the characters interesting and thought that the book was well written literary fiction but was disappointed that some of the characters such as Sissy, Rhina and Junior barely got a mention. I felt like the anecdotes would have had more meaning if their characters were better developed. And sometimes the POV changed and there was even some switching between tenses that might have added interest but I found it confusing and distracting.
#NetGalley #RandomHousePublishing

“...let me have my Sunday like I like it. Full of gospel and gossip.”

This quote captures the tone of this debut novel. The setting is a predominantly Black community in South Carolina. The main character, Mika, grows up at her grandparents’ home on Redwood Court. The author tells the story of Mika’s family and all that occurs on Redwood Court. The author uses beautiful rich language to describe the people and places in the book. She also writes tension in the book well.

Readers who enjoy family sagas or American Southern fiction will enjoy this novel.

Loved reading about this family and Mika. I grew up in the same era, so this coming of age story had particular interest and relatability for me. Dameron creates characters I care about and they were very real.

REDWOOD COURT is a gentle and meandering coming of age story. I liked how the author wove themes of family, Black history, and genealogy into the fabric of the story. A well-rounded cast of Black women from different generations elevated this book. I enjoyed the stories within the stories creating branches like a hearty family tree.

Redwood Court is a family drama told mainly by Mika the youngest member of the clan. She often spends days with Weezie and Teeta, her grandparents, at their home on Redwood Court.

The characters were well developed but overall there was not enough plot for me in this one. This story will be more geared to those that love a character driven novel. I did however enjoy the many 90s nostalgic references - from music to Teddy Ruxpin, the stores and the Capri Suns and I felt like outside of the racial issues, Mika’s working class neighborhood and family felt relatable to growing up in the 90s. Ultimately, this one is about the American dream, home and family.

Pick this up if you enjoy character driven family novels and coming of age stories.

A coming of age, multigenerational family drama centered around a community called Redwood Court.

Mika is assigned to bring in an artifact to her class tracing her history back to the country her family emigrated from to come to the U.S. the thing is, Mike doesn’t have such an artifact, but she does have the stories she has been told and she has stories to tell, which will unfold as life goes on.

I enjoyed the sense of community created by Weesie, Mika’s grandmother, the exploits of the flawed characters and the prose. The characters had their struggles, but the neighbourhood always rallied round. It’s reminiscent of the olden days where everyone knew everyone versus the modern era where everyone text each other on their phones instead of having real conversations.

At its heart, this is a story about relationships and their ability to foster a sense of belonging. A solid read that was selected as a Reese Bookclub pick for February 2024.

3.75 Stars

Thank you to Penguin Random House/Dial Press for the gifted ARC. This is my honest review.