"Acts of Forgiveness" by Maura Cheeks is a stirring debut dealing with the complexities of ambition, inheritance, and the weight of history. Set against the backdrop of the first US federal reparations program, the novel grapples with how much lineage one is willing to unearth in pursuit of redemption.

Meet Willie Revel: a single mother who sacrificed her journalism career to save her father's struggling construction company in Philadelphia. When the Forgiveness Act is proposed, offering Black families up to $175 thousand if they can prove their descent from slaves, Willie sees it as a chance for redemption but her family isn't as eager to dig up the past. Will Willie embarks on the journey to verify her family's ancestry?

Cheeks pairs powerful insight with moving prose and asks us to consider two things: one, how history shapes our identity, and two, what it truly means to leave behind a legacy. Cheeks had me reflecting on my own family histories, digging out my ancestry boxes. As a bi-racial woman, I was left to my own wonderings and the enduring impact of our choices.

Cheeks has crafted a remarkable debut who will linger in your heart long after the final page. Whether you're drawn to contemporary fiction, literary exploration, or stories that resonate with the human experience, this novel is a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books of Random House Publishing Group for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Definitely a very different subject than anything I have read before. A look into what a black family has to prove/do in order to qualify for $175,000 in reparations from the Federal government. Something I have never thought about. Amazing to learn about all the ways it affects people and their identity and family history.

I thought parts of this book were interesting and others not so much. This book just wasn’t what I was expecting or needed to read at this time
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

This is a story of a black family living in a white neighborhood. As you can imagine thay faced many challenges. The story revolves around the Forgiveness Act, which will give $175,000 to black families who can prove they were descended from slaves. An interesting concept but I wonder how it could be proven. And I wondered about the pain it would cause to those families digging into their pasts. A must-read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars. Thank you to Net Galley and Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. At the core of this story is the upcoming possibility of a forgiveness act for reparations trying to be passed by a female president and how this affects the Revel family, a middle class black family with a struggling construction business that the father has built. Willie, his daughter, has left her dream behind to help with the business and she believes that the money from the Forgiveness Act, $175,000 for each person that can prove their ancestry came from a slave, will save the business. The first part of the book is getting to know the three generations Revel family, their life and how the characters feel about the possibility of the Forgiveness Act especially as it requires them to dig through the painful past. The other half is once the Act is passed, Willie's journey to find the proof that will qualify them and how complicated that can be, dealing with the perspectives of the family members and literally finding solid documentation as many times records were not kept on slaves or black populations after Reconstruction. I was hoping for more depth about reparations and how this impacted the characters. The treatment was quite subtle about generational wealth and limited historical opportunities hampering the success of blacks as related to the Revels. Even though there were some disappointments, this was an interesting read regarding a world for black reparations exists.

Thank you to the author Maura Cheeks, publishers Ballentine Books, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of ACTS OF FORGIVENESS. All views are mine.

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. This book visits some really important themes that I wish fiction explored more, like EPA disasters that injure socially vulnerable populations. This book is in part about school children contracting lead poisoning from their public schools.

2. This 12-year-old character is unrealistically logical, but she's still believably youthful. She offers to kidnap her friend–who is to pack herself into a suitcase–and bring her home to live, as a possible solution to homesickness. Because 12 year olds. She also dreams of running an engineering firm in NYC almost purely so she can have a fancy home and live close to great shopping and dining. Still pretty childlike, as a motivation for life plans. But she's logical enough to recognize she isn't taken seriously as a female student– and that she must change both her goal and her methods to achieve it. And so, we have a reasonably believable 12 year old investigative journalist. It's fascinating character work.

3. I love what Cheeks does with the Forgiveness Act subplot. In her like-real-world fictional universe, the US government has paid reparations to black Americans for the losses they have experienced as a result of slavery and racism. The author presents and explores many possible ramifications of such an event, from the wonderful to the expected to the ironic to the wildly unpredictable.

4. This is also a story about fathers and daughters, or men and women, more generally: Women can’t work in construction used to be his unspoken but strongly held belief , and now that he had changed his mind, she was supposed to forget he had ever made her feel that way. He waved his hand and watched her leave. Loc.1264

5. The interviews that break up the form is an excellent stylistic choice.

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. The plot drags a little in the middle, where the narrative explains the finer points of the Forgiveness Act.

Rating: 📜📜📜📜.5 / 5 legal acts
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: Feb 12 '24
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
📚 contemporary fiction
👩🏾‍🦱 race and racism
💵 reparations
⛓️ slavery

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the eARC.

This book is going to be on the top of everyones list for 2024 reads. A family drama that really makes you think... how can you make such a deep rooted wrong right? Can you?

Important things you need to know about Acts of Forgiveness:

Pace: Medium

POV: 3rd person (Willie and Paloma).

Trigger Warnings: Acts of Forgiveness contains racism, medical content, classism, alcoholism, infidelity, rape, slavery, abandonment, and violence. If any of these trigger you, I suggest not reading the book.

Language: There is moderate swearing in Acts of Forgiveness. There is also language used that might offend some people.

Setting: Acts of Forgiveness is set in Philadelphia and New York City. A few chapters are set in Mississippi when Willie researches her family’s past.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Struggling to keep her family’s business afloat and to keep her father from doing business with a morally corrupt company, Willie Revel is looking for a miracle. And she might have found it with the Forgiveness Act. This bill will allow African American families, who can prove they are descended from enslaved people, to claim up to $175,000 per household. Willie could use that money to keep the business from going under. Using the skills she honed in journalism college, Willie starts researching her history.

Meanwhile, her daughter, Paloma, struggles to stay under the radar at her elite private school. As one of the only African American children there, she is singled out by students and teachers alike. Can Willie trace her heritage back to slavery? Can Paloma keep herself under the radar? Will the backlash from the Forgiveness Act die down?

My review:

Acts of Forgiveness was one of the most challenging books I have read this year. I wasn’t surprised by what I read; I had expected the content from the blurb. But it still packed a punch. I found myself tearing up in parts and, in other parts, being unbelievably angry over what Willie found out and what she had to endure growing up. The casual racism shown throughout the book sickened me, but it was true. People still act like this (especially in the South, where I live).

Acts of Forgiveness’s main storyline centers around Willie, Paloma, and the Forgiveness Act. Willie wasn’t likable, but I stress she was shaped that way. The shaping began when her parents moved into an all-white neighborhood. So, I didn’t let her grouchiness get to me or affect my enjoyment of the book. On the other hand, Paloma was the sweetest thing. Reading what happened with the Forgiveness Act and its backlash from a child’s POV was interesting.

The main storyline itself was well-written. It was jumpy (going from past to present), but considering how unstable everything was, it fit in with the book. The backlash to the Forgiveness Act was what I expected, unfortunately. It was something I could see happening in real-time (not that the bill would be passed with the current people serving in both the Senate and the House).

Willie’s backstory and her search into her family’s background were a considerable part of the main storyline. The author detailed Willie’s life from when her family moved into that neighborhood to today. Willie did spend most of the book pining for what she once had. But, her research into her history and what she learned about her roots made her rethink how she lived her life. The Willie at the end of the book is different from Willie at the beginning of the book. It showed how much she grew throughout the book.

Several secondary storylines were exciting, and they did bolster the main storyline. I was happy to see Paloma finally getting the praise she deserved and needed (that play was terrific). I was also pleased that Willie came to terms with several things in her life.

Secondary characters also added to the storyline and strengthened it. All of Willie’s family (her mother, brother, and father), her best friend, her mentor, and even Paloma’s father added depth.

I loved the end of Acts of Forgiveness. I won’t get too much into it, but it was what Willie and Paloma deserved. I was happy that Paloma grew up to do what she loved. I also liked that Willie finally got some peace with everything.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and Maura Cheeks for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Acts of Forgiveness. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

This was a new to me author and I will definitely be looking for more of her works. I felt like I was there with the characters and that I learned some things from them. I think this is a must read for everybody. It really will make you stop and think.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The premise of this book had a lot of promise. I was interested in this book because it would be interesting to see the impact if the U.S. gave reparations to Black people who were descendants of the enslaved. However, the entire first half of the book felt like an unnecessary prequel to the actual story. It wasn't until about 57% of the book that the plot actually began discussing the act passing and the hope and violence that ensued afterward. The epilogue included more of the aftermath after the money was received. While the story was well written, I would have enjoyed it more if the first half was shorter and the story focused more on the country leading up to the act passing then the MC's search for her lineage and the lives after they received the money.

Very thought provoking and compelling! I really enjoyed the book. I loved The multigenerational family and storytelling.

President Elizabeth Johnson, a descendant of Andrew, passes the Forgiveness Act. If any Black American can prove that they are the descendant of a slave will receive $175,000. Sounds easy.

The main character is Willie (Wilhelmina) Revel, a single mother who lives with her parents, Max and Lourdes. Her dad has a successful construction company where Willie works reluctantly as her true passion is journalism. The business wasn't going well and the forgiveness money could really help them. I didn't feel the characters were developed at all and I wasn't rooting for them to succeed. Willie's search for her ancestors was kind of anti-climactic as I was expecting some real aha! moments that never came. The idea of a Forgiveness Act is a great concept and generates a lot of questions about how this will be executed. The writing was fine and the idea was great but I just never felt anything, no sense of intrigue, no sense of joy or real love in this multi-generational home.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for providing me with a digital copy.

As soon I heard about Acts of Forgiveness by Maura Cheeks, I immediately added it to my tbr. In the story, the President of the United States spearheads the Forgiveness Act. If passed, the bill will allow payment of $175,000 to Black Americans who can prove they are descended from enslaved peoples. Told from single mom Willie Revel's perspective, the story explores what a bill of this magnitude really means to many Americans. From enslavement to a time where owning a home itself becomes an "act of resistance" to a more contemporary time, I was eager to see how the author would handle the premise.

In her debut novel, Maura Cheeks touches on sensitive subjects such as filial piety, family dynamics and generational wealth. With engaging storytelling, Cheeks brings up lots of great questions through her characters and their musings. Her deft writing touches on topics like identity, ownership, and belonging. I appreciate how she explored the challenges that come with a bill like the Forgiveness Act.

Acts of Forgiveness raises thought-provoking questions, like what would financial reparations truly mean for the recipients? Would the government formally apologize, pay the money, and it's over? What are the actual logistics of proof? How difficult is it to prove your ancestors in these situations? How well were records maintained back then? Who "owns" these records? Are they a matter of public record? I love that this book provides the opportunity for meaningful discussion.

If you're looking for another book for Black History Month or if you're aiming to diversify your reading, I hope you consider Acts of Forgiveness!

Acts of Forgiveness by Maura Cheeks
Read this if you like:
• Family drama
• Single mom MC
• Diversity in books
• Commentary on social issues

Available today! Many thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for this thought-provoking book!

Is the United States ready to reparations for slavery? This book follows Willie who has a 10-year-old daughter who she lives with in her parents' house in Philadelphia as she helps manage the family business. The book does a good job at flashing back to times that her family was disadvantaged because they were Black. The overall plot is just okay - it felt like there were some unnecessary threads and a few things that were a little hard to believe - but the story as a whole is intriguing.

To me, a book that gets 5 stars has to be well-written, make me think or explore ideas, sticks with me afterwards and makes me want to discuss and share the content with others. This book earned its 5 stars with me!

At the time of the book, we have a female president and the government is on the cusp of passing the Forgiveness Act, which allows Blacks to claim up to $175,000 if they can prove they have descended from slaves.

Willie, the daughter in the Reveal family, is charged with finding the proof that her family descended from slaves. As the story evolves, it does an amazing job of explaining the far-reaching impacts of generational wealth and how it has influenced the lives of the Reveal family many generations later. It also delves into the brutality and inhumanity of slavery as Willie conducts the research on her ancestors. I found myself physically ill as I read through these part of the book and it further solidified my embarrassment of society's treatment of Blacks.

The story also explores the logistical process of implementation of the Act and society's reaction - things like Blacks being unable to access family record or even being prevented from accessing records, assistance with how to research and the violence from those who oppose the Act.

The intention of the Forgiveness Act is society's way of asking forgiveness for slavery. As many Blacks embark on their search for their proof, it produces lots of anger associated with stories that may have never been told or hidden from the descendants of slaves.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.

#ActsofForgiveness #MauraCheeks

What if Black Americans were given monetary compensation for the way they have been treated since they were stolen from their lands and forced into slavery centuries ago? Is there a way to uplift this particular demographic that has been subject to unfair laws by the government for generations?

Maura Cheeks explores this topic in this debut novel which follows a middle class Black American family that is trying to create and pass on inherited wealth while dealing with the systemic racism that persists in American society. In this fictional reality, the government passes a Forgiveness Act that entitles current families to trace their lineage in order to receive monetary compensation. We are taken on a journey of ethical and logistical issues that could potentially arise from this.

I found this to be a fascinating read that invoked some ethical issues of right and wrong and serves as a hard look at the damage that has been done over many generations.

Thank you to @netgalley and @ballantinecorp for this early digital review copy

Wow this book was so good but it took me a little time to read it. I enjoyed the authors writing and I recommend going into this book knowing as little as possible. I can't wait to read what she comes with next.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

In a future year, which the author intentionally kept unknown, the first woman President of the United States successfully passes the Forgiveness Act, the nation's first federal reparations bill. Any African-American who can prove they are descendants of slaves in America stands to receive $175,000 dollars. To put it mildly, the country is divided over this Act.

Willie Revel, a single mother who still lives in her parent's house after giving up a promising career as a journalist to help with her father's struggling business after he suffers a heart attack. Having a child out of wedlock seems to be the only rebellion she has ever shown, but she still dreams of the career she might have had, and hopes for more for her daughter.

Willie sees the Forgiveness Act as a last attempt to both save the company and, perhaps, give her the freedom for which she longs. But the search for her family's history takes her to places and answers she never expected. In the end, they do receive the money, although the government in its infinite wisdom, only sends half, "in order to prevent inflation".

This was an eye-opening read and one that will give me things to ponder for a while.

3.5 stars. The country’s first female president is trying to get the Forgiveness Act passed, which would provide reparations to black Americans who can prove they are descended from slaves. It explores the political and personal implications of such a bill, primarily through the story of one family in Philadelphia. What real impact would it have on people’s lives? What kind of protests and retaliation might there be? What does it look like for families to have to track down proof of their ancestry?

This was a compelling premise and I loved the way the author was able to explore this topic through the lens of fiction. It’s very character driven and just as much a family story as it is about the Forgiveness Act. It didn’t blow me away, but it was a thought-provoking debut and I’m glad I read it!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

An uniquely imaginative debut novel which envisages an alternative reality where the American President wants to grant reparations to mitigate the cruel history of slavery in the United States. . The Revels are an African American family based in Philadelphia. They come from a history of slavery although that is never talked about in the recent times. President Elizabeth Johnson, granddaughter of the American President Andrew Johnson has just passed into law, the Forgiveness Act whereby the Revels may be entitled to compensation. They simply have to prove their genealogy. Definitely not a simple task for this extremely private family where the patriarch Marcus is absolutely reluctant to pursue any discussions of the past, his son Max is highly cynical of the benefits of the Act and Max;s wife Lourdes is herself adopted. . Max's daughter Lizzie is not one to let things rest though. Told through a series of back-and-forth flashbacks, the novel is part family drama, part historical fiction. I especially loved the freshness of the storyline and also the details of historical events surrounding the slave trade and plantations of the American South. This is not my history yet it had a profound effect on me. This novel would be an absolute must read for anybody who descends from that history. And all this while asking the highly provocative question of whether money can really compensate for the atrocities of the past. Perfect for book clubs.

Thank you NetGalley, Maura Cheeks and Random House Ballantine for the ARC.