This was such a unique approach to a topic that we all wonder what will happen if there are actual reparations for
African Americans. The main family, Marcus, Max, Lourdes, Willie, Seb, and Paloma, are figuring out how to get through life when the Forgiveness Act passes and they can get money from the government if they can prove they descend from slaves. This book's approach was so heartfelt and genuine. It shows how nothing is perfect but might be helpful just the same. Highly recommend this book as a glimpse into possibility.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

Wow, this book is really something. It’s about family history, family legacy and family obligation. It explores a bold idea: Can forgiveness be political, and can it be lasting? The story centers around the Revel family, focusing on Willie whose hope to pursue a career in journalism is dashed when she’s called home to help with the family business.

The story begin in the unspecified present day when the president is championing a bill to offer reparations to people who are descended from slaves in an effort to address the wealth gap and systematic racism that has held back the Black community. We then go back 22 years and learn more about Willie and her family as she grows up before returning to the present where she is the mother of a bright young girl and hoping the Forgiveness Act will pass and secure her family’s future.

The book takes what could be considered a controversial idea and makes a very good case for it. I was not surprised to read the author has a journalism background herself. The book feels authentic and touches on some hard truths. I was very invested in Willie’s journey to track down her ancestors in order to apply for the forgiveness money.

I don’t feel like I’m eloquently describing this book. I worried it might be a ‘homework’ kinda of novel that I had to force myself to get through since it covers some heavy topics, but it was a pleasure to read and I loved the characters. A wonderful epilogue as well.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The storyline is the granddaughter of Andrew Jackson becomes president of the United States and proposes a reparation payment to the descendants of slaves. The issues are complicated and citizens vehemently take sides which results both damaged relationships and violence.

Willie, the protagonist, is a daughter, mother, writer, employee of her family's business, and a woman struggling with her own issues during this period of national upheaval.

It's a powerful novel. The characters are well-developed and relatable.

I really enjoyed this book. I was captivated by how the signing of The Forgiveness Act affected Willie and her family and was so vested in the outcome. Would their application be accepted? Would they have to sell 512 Lewaro Street? I think it's such an important story that needed to be told. It was educational without being preachy with fully fleshed out and likeable characters who I very much enjoyed getting to know.

This book is perfect for the times we currently live in. Acts of Forgiveness is about the US acknowledging and paying reparations to the families of slaves for the brutal conditions that slaves in the US had to live through. As divided and prejudiced as this country is, this book will be hailed for the subject matter by many readers, but may also be disregarded by many potential readers. I found this book to be interesting but slow going. I am appreciative of the digital ARC that I received from NetGalley and Ballantine Publishing. I was not coerced to give this review and it is my own opinion.

Wilhelmina “Willie” Revel is the daughter of Max and Lourdes. When Max's construction company becomes a success, the family moves a few miles away to a more upscale suburban Philadelphia neighborhood. Willie is sent to a private school where she is the only Black student. While she started out to become a journalist, Willie returns to her family's home after a promising start in her career, when she is needed in the family business. Years later, female President Elizabeth Johnson, a descendant of Andrew Johnson and also a former mentor to Willie, passes the Forgiveness Act. The government sets to pay $175,000 to people who can prove they were descendants of slaves. The country becomes divided on its fairness. Willie sets out to learn the history of her family as the reparation payments offer a chance to get the family back on its feet.

In an impressive debut, author Maura Cheeks tackles the subject of reparations in Acts of Forgiveness. Through the eyes of one family, it becomes clear that this is a complex topic. Not everyone is comfortable with Willie researching the family's roots. And not everyone agrees on the role the government should play in providing these payments. This is a moving family drama where the lives of the Revel family play out in various timelines and narratives while addressing racism and a hypothetical public policy.

4.25 stars.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4

I am grateful to have been given an ARC of this book — which I could not put down and finished in a day.

I learned of Maura Cheeks’s new novel on a book podcast I listen to. I thought the premise was interesting and dove in.

I hadn’t read the article that inspired this novel, but I think it’s genius to explore issues through story. Cheeks does this by exploring what the idea of a “Forgiveness Act” and reparations for descendants of slaves could mean through the Revel family and some of their friends and community members.

This is a multigenerational story that mostly focuses on the main character Willie’s perspective and also alternates to her daughter Paloma’s perspective a few times.

I was deeply drawn in to the world of Max, Lourdes, Willie and all four generations of this family. Before we follow Willie’s journey tracing her family’s roots, we learn of their more recent past, how Marcus, Willie’s grandfather, was unjustly denied Veteran benefits that would have helped him pursue higher education and a mortgage, how his son and Willie’s father, Max, used these injustices as motivation to work hard and pull his family out of poverty, into a better neighborhood, home ownership, private schools, college, etc.

And most importantly, we see Willie’s internal struggles as the beneficiary of all this hard work - as the only black girl in her in her private elementary school, as a high-achiever at an Ivy League college starting on a promising path as a journalist but putting that aside to help her family when called upon, then later becoming a single mom. And then as Willie is dealing with all of this, to further help her family, when a reparations law is passed, she sets out to establish proof of her genealogy as a descendant of slaves, to find the people who owned her great-great grandfather/mother. (Those sections and those specific words — seeking the people who owned her family, were well written and devastating.)

While the reparations law is central to Willie’s search, this book isn’t just about politics. It is about Willie, her ancestors and their legacies and about her own growth as she searches for the truth.

Cheeks does a good job of writing these characters so that you want to keep turning the pages to see what happens to them. Does Willie find what she needs to prove who her family was? Will the Rebels save their family business? Will they compromise their ethics to do so? Does Willie stay on continuing to help her family or pursue her own dreams? Does she find love? How will all of this affect her daughter, Paloma?

There are so many themes this book speaks to — family, parents working to provide opportunities for the next generation but the new generation struggling to find their place, the different treatment and decisions men and women face in choosing careers, family or trying to balance both, aging parents, a job as a purpose vs a paycheck, ethical dilemmas in business and many others.

This debut tackles a lot, is compelling regardless of where you stand on the politics, and while there were some sections that I thought could be improved upon, it is 310 pages of stories and ideas that will make you reflect. A great debut novel.

My head feels a little heavy after this one.

The Revel family has a shadowy past with one side of the family choosing not to talk about why they left the south and the other not knowing much due to an off the books adoption.

We follow Willie, a daughter of this family as her parents move to a new, mostly white neighborhood to help be a part of the change, even choosing to send Willie to a private school with very few other Black students. She has big journalist dreams, but puts them on the shelf when her father's health declines and help with the family business is suddenly needed (of course the son couldn't possibly help).

During this time, a former professor of Willie's, shoots up in the political world and as president pushes for the passage of the Forgiveness Act, a bill to allow Black Americans who can prove lineage to slavery a sizable financial claim. Obviously some white people get mad and violent - cause hate.

Willie has to go digging deep to find her family's history and makes some astonishing and terrible discoveries.

The way the family obviously loved each other but seemed to hold each other a bit a part, like all the secrets and things unsaid were filling up that space.

Although a work of fiction, Acts of Forgiveness, tackles timely issues that have appeared in headlines and debates across America whenever the topic of Reparations or compensation to descendants of enslaved Africans surfaces in articles, blogs, talk shows, etc. The author creates tangible scenarios and when combined with a colorful cast representing differing political and socio-economic backgrounds, the reader can examine the many facets, schools of thought, and controversial aspects surrounding financial and other social benefits – including who exactly is entitled and to how much, how is heritage “proven,” and what about compensation/interest for lost assets due to intimidation, arson, theft, etc.

Each character represents aspects of (African) American experiences and the complications, pain, and challenges that each grapples with in this imagined world when the government attempts to right wrongs with financial payouts. This novel is layered and well-crafted – however, it only scratches the surface on the emotional and psychological impacts that a hypothetical Congressional Act of Forgiveness would bring forth. There is a lot to unpack and the topics therein would be excellent fodder for book club book discussions.

Thanks to the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for an opportunity to review.

Thought provoking and the story will stay with you long after you finish reading it.
Many thanks to Random House and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

It is difficult to fathom what Black Americans have gone through since being enslaved here in the USA. This book addresses what Black Americans continue to face today while trying to live their lives. The thought of reparations for what their ancestors faced is being addressed today, but with difficulty. I admired the author's work in writing about this subject.

Lovely writing and an intriguing premise. Acts of Forgiveness has a slow build up, then it really picks up the pace around the half-way point before heading to a moving conclusion. It took me a while to settle into the story and figure out all of the characters and who they are in relation to one another and I’m so glad I did. This is a thought-provoking and compelling read, and an impressive debut.

Thank you very much to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Took me a little bit to get the feel of the book, everyone had a first name & at first were not referenced as "mom" or "dad" or "grandfather" but once I figured it out things got easier.

Story is set in current times, but no year or noticeable references to current events.

Most of the story revolves around 1 family, a husband & wife, their grown daughter & son, the husband's dad, & a few others.

The bulk of the story has to do with The Forgiveness Act, which is reparations for black family members who can show their lineage back to slavery. The author brings up many different views- will the money be enough, will be help, should there not be any money given- there are many scenarios.

I was most interested in how family members had to reach way back into all types of documents, archives, slave trade orders, plantation lists, it was very interesting & at times frustrating for people searching for important information.

A very good debut novel.

Acts of Forgiveness by Maura Cheeks was an excellent story that consumed my every thought.
A well written and thought provoking story. With a cast of characters who were intriguing and very interesting. Her descriptions were so vivid that I felt as though I were in the scenes with her characters. She does a very good job of showing the conflicting emotions and feelings of each character.
I really enjoyed reading this debut.

Thank You NetGalley and Random House & Ballantine Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Acts of Forgiveness is a unique and powerful work of fiction. While I enjoyed the premise and the message of the story, the execution wasn’t quite on the same level. To start, the first 60-70% of the book, nothing happens. It’s mainly backstory and setup for what’s to come. I love a character driven novel, but I do wish the pace had picked up just a tad earlier. On the other end of the spectrum, the ending felt rushed to me. There is so much buildup to whether or not the Revel family will get the Forgiveness money, and then as soon as we find out, the book ends. I would have liked to have more details about the time immediately after. I also did not care for the romance subplot. I liked Jared as a character, but on the whole felt he was unnecessary to the story.

All that said, the idea for this book is incredibly novel and thought provoking, along with being beautifully written. While I wouldn’t recommend this to everyone, I think anyone who enjoys slow paced, character focused books should add this to their TBR!

There was a lot of inner thoughts from the characters, so much so that it got a bit boring at times. It was an interesting premise behind the story, and I wish we would have seen more of that in person. A good read, but not fantastic. Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the ARC.

Acts of Forgiveness

4.25 ⭐️

I’m so glad I picked this one up from @netgalley!

This was such a thought provoking story about a speculative Forgiveness Act in the United States, which would afford descendants of slaves $175,000 in reparations. The book focuses in on one family and their search through family history, but also their lives with and without the Act being passed.

This book had so many of the events that would in all likelihood happen if an Act like the Forgiveness Act was passed. The protests and the violence that were shown, I could absolutely see happening. I really liked the ending. The beauty of their family finally making it out the other side of the struggle was heartwarming.

This was a very interesting story to read. I liked that there was a vagueness about the timeframe of the current events in the book. The topics in this book are very much a hot button issue. I grew up thinking that civil rights issues were pretty much over, however, I am very much aware as I get older how much race is still a sensitive issue in the US. The idea of this book a Forgiveness Act to apologize for slavery is a very noble idea. I can only imagine that protests, outrage, and celebrations that would take place.

I really liked the Revel family. I enjoyed seeing a thread through the generations of women that wanted to write. I felt so bad for Willie having to give up her journalist career to help with the family business. I enjoyed her finding out that a long lost relative had her own story with delivering news. The research that Willie found why trying to show relation to slaves was heartbreaking but not surprising. I think I would have liked a little more depth into the Revel family.

I like that concept of a Forgiveness Act but am not sure that we will ever get there. I liked the ways all the sides of this issue were handled in the book. The author was well informed from all angles (in my opinion). I do thing that the government owes African Americans an apology from the way they were treated. The horrors and tragedies that slaves endured are horrific.

This is an interesting read and I highly recommend it to everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The novel adopts a third-person point of view with a brisk pacing, in my opinion. I was so captivated by the characters that I found myself reading it whenever I had some free time. The book became a heavily highlighted and annotated treasure for me, prompting contemplation of my own experiences as a Black woman in America through Maura Cheeks' narrative.

Willie, portrayed as insightful and realistic, was effortlessly relatable. Observing her exploration of sacrifice, self-discovery, forgiveness, and power was both refreshing and beautiful. The depth of the themes—forgiveness, Black identity in America, selflessness, self-deprivation, Black womanhood, and lineage—left me yearning for a book club discussion. The communal exploration of these topics would have been truly Beautiful.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for the ARC!

#ActsofForgiveness #Netgalley

An unusual little book based on the idea of the Redemption Act given to the USA from a female president (who else?) and the impact it has on one family and their circle of friends and neighbors. It's quite clever and easily held my attention to the end. It also tells the story of family obligation and family secrets. I hope it gets wide readership and that it is pondered by reading groups.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It resonates!!