Rich, interwoven stories of the Deep South focused on family, community, and expectations. The Sense of Touch and Daughter were my favorite, but each story in the collection added another branch of lived experience to the family tree, including some ghostly ancestors. Highly recommend!

Description
Two events tie together the nine stories in Monic Ductan's gorgeous debut: the 1920s lynching of Ida Pearl Crawley and the 1980s drowning of a high school basketball player, Lucy Boudreaux. Both forever shape the people and the place of Muscadine, Georgia, in the foothills of Appalachia.

The daughters of Muscadine are Black southern women who are, at times, outcasts due to their race and are also estranged from those they love. A remorseful woman tries to connect with the child she gave up for adoption; another, immersed in loneliness, attempts to connect with a violent felon. Two sisters love each other deeply even when they cannot understand one another. A little girl witnessing her father's slow death realizes her own power and lack thereof. A single woman weathers the excitement—and rigors—of online dating.

My take:
This book released in late 2023. If it missed your escape then, make up for it now.

"Daughters of Muscadine" by Monica Ductan offers a captivating exploration of women's lives in a small community. The collection of short stories resonated with me, providing a relatable glimpse into the experiences of these women. Ductan skillfully gives voice to the girls of small towns in the south, offering a great representation of the challenges and triumphs that characterize life in such close-knit communities. A compelling read that beautifully captures the essence of women's lives in smaller towns..

An immersive Southern experience.

Daughters of Muscadine is a collection of interconnected stories set in a small, rural town of Muscadine, Georgia. Each story is of Black mother, daughter, sister, or wife. All the women were grappling with various aspects of life to include death, grief, poverty and sometimes love and success.

I liked the format. Certainly enjoyed the read.

This is a collection of short stories that are tied together by a place called Muscadine, Georgia, and the women who live there. I enjoyed how some characters made repeat appearances in different stories and how their lives and connections were woven together. The main characters are all struggling with some turmoil and trying to overcome challenges. I also think the cover is gorgeous. Sometimes I felt the stories were a bit scrambled from one train of thought to the next but overall I liked the book and the creativity of stories. Thank you @NetGalley and Fireside Industries for an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.