The concept of reparations for those whose ancestors were slaves is traditionally a hot political and social topic. I think that Ms. Childs approach in treating this as fiction is genius.

I don’t think a review should “retell” the story of the book. That information can be found in multiple places. A reviewer needs to impart their impressions be they good or bad. So…..

I truly felt the passion and emotions of Willis and her family. The Act of Forgiveness was great in concept, but the trials and tribulations necessary to “prove” such were eye opening. I can hardly imagine the struggles of those who are less affluent. I am still thinking of the characters today. The fact that this is fiction makes it completely readable. Many thanks to NetGalley and especially Random House for the invitation to read pre-publication. This is a must read!

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 just because the book had the ability to make me think about it after I'd completed it.

Dealing with the somewhat difficult scenario of reparations for those who could prove they were descendants of slaves, the book focuses on Willie at points throughout her life. Because of this focus, the short chapters thrown in that focus on her daughter, Paloma, felt disjointed and incomplete. I wanted to be happy for her in the end, but it was more like reading a news story of someone I had no previous dealing with - a sort of detachment. If she'd been fleshed out a bit better, I think I'd have felt far more attachment and less like we were missing another chapter about Willie's "later life."

Despite the flaws, it was a decent read and brought up a lot of points that will stick with you after putting the book down.

The first female president has introduced a bill called the Forgiveness Act. The bill would let black families claim up to $175,000.00 if they can prove they are descended from slaves.

For Willie, a single mom, struggling to pay the bills after giving up her journalism career to help her family, this could mean a new life. A better life.

Willie jumps into their family history, and finds out it is a lot more complicated than it would seem.

This book showed us a lot about how history can change things. Erasing families and legacies. This was a good read beautifully told.

Netgalley/ RHPG Ballentine, February 13, 2024

As I read this wonderful book, ACTS OF FORGIVENESS by Maura Cheeks, I thought continually about the wonderful implications of reparations made to African Americans in America, and the words, “We are sorry for the pain we have caused you and your people!” happening in the real world. That would be a glorious thing! This book is everything! Beautifully written, I felt every sentence! When you read this make sure you read the Author’s note. This is a must read!

What a book. So many considerations, so many dynamics. How do you capture all of that in a story? Well Maura Cheeks has certainly done that. I appreciate that this book really explores some topics that should be talked about and interogated. Thank you for the opportunity to read this one.

3.5 Stars- This is one of those novels that stays with you when you are done reading and really makes you think about the state of our society. This story follows the story of a black family who live in a white neighborhood and the trials and tribulations that they encounter. However there is more to it because the president in this book proposed to give $175,000 (forgiveness) for all families who can prove that they are descended from slaves. This is called the Forgiveness Act. As you can imagine this idea does not sit well with everyone.

This book was a fast read and raised many interesting points. I feel like I really learned from this book and understood why something like the Forgiveness Act would be necessary. However I wish there had been more about the family and their relationships. This felt more like a political novel than a fictional story. I wanted more about their lives and to understand what happened. The novel was well written and I think this would be especially good for Book Clubs. There was much to discuss after reading.

Thank you to Random House for this ARC.

I received a free e-arc through Netgalley. This book is from the POV of a Black women who makes a choice between family and career when her parents need her help. It has some interesting thoughts about possible outcomes if the U.S. Government made reparation payments to Black people who could prove they had been slaves. I found it to be thought-provoking.

I was asked to review “Acts of Forgiveness” the debut novel of Maura Cheeks.

The novel opens with a great premise. The first female (!) U.S. president will allow up to $175,000 in repatriations for individuals who can prove that they are descendants of slaves. Willie is motivated to research her family history so she can prove she can qualify for this much needed financial benefit.

What I liked most about this book was how it quietly handled a very big political issue. But it wasn’t the political aspect that hooked me as much as the story of a woman needed to understand where she comes from before she is able to move forward.

While I enjoyed the book overall, I thought parts were hard to follow. I felt yanked out of the moment as I tried to determine where I was in the storyline and how these moments affected the bigger picture. Overall, this story did have plenty of heart, which is why I give it four stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read this evocative first novel.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the copy of Acts of Forgiveness, a debut by Maura Cheeks. It took some time for me to find the rhythm of the book- the timeline jumps were a little confusing. I had no idea where the story was going and how seamlessly each thread would come together in the end and it wasn’t until Willie started doing her genealogy research that I got so involved I couldn’t stop reading. The family’s history was painful to read, but Cheeks wisely added a scene that was so beautiful I had to close the book for a minute and just let myself *feel* it. Sometimes an epilogue feels just tacked on, but I loved how this one pulled everything together. If you want a beautifully written family story with richly-drawn characters you can’t go wrong with this one. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

“Acts of Forgiveness,” by Maura Cheeks, is a book about a family. What makes a family, how families function, how they get along, and how they work together. This book is about individuals but also how an individual fits within the whole. This wasn’t the hard-hitting commentary I thought it might be but instead is more a character study (maybe a “family study” is more accurate). As other reviewers mentioned, there are a number of time jumps that, frankly, I was a bit taken aback by, though for better understanding of characters and situations, it made sense, but I wish that the transitions could have been smoother. I felt this was an interesting read, but the pacing felt a bit slow in places and some of the time jump randomness took me away from the depth of the story.

**thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC for my honest review**

When I was sent an email to read Acts of Forgiveness by Maura Cheeks, I got excited to be chosen. I read the brief description and was interested to see how the book would play out.

I’m not big on giving spoilers when posting reviews so what I will say is that this book wasn’t what I expected. First, books that have a time jump always are hard for me to love. However, I thought it was warranted to allow us to better understand the character development.

Think family focused, understanding and processing family trauma, putting your goals on the back burner for family…

Overall, a great read and worth the read if you like any books with the focuses above.

I rated the book four stars because I enjoyed Willies character, I could relate to some of the themes, and I personally love the idea of financial reparations for those who were enslaved.

I took one star away for the random chapters of other POV, there is parts where it felt slow, and I feel like it could have had more of an bang with such a topic.

ACTS OF FORGIVENESS will be released on February 13,2024!

ACTS OF FORGIVENESS isn't the hard-hitting political criticism with a dash of speculative/what-if-ism that I expected it to be. It's really more of a literary character study. A calm, lovely film about generational suffering and having to sacrifice goals for family. If I had known that going in, I might have been more tempted to give it four stars.

Don't misunderstand me. This is a moving novel, and I thoroughly loved getting to know the characters. I simply thought:

1. The time jump felt strange. Following the announcement of the reparations, we jump back in time to when one of our key narrators, Willie, is a young child. We get to watch her mature. We learn about her family and her sometimes tumultuous adolescence. Then we take another leap. The novel can feel fragmented at times, as if I were dragged out of the study and thrown back into the present story.

2. There were a few chapters from the perspective of Willie's daughter, Paloma. I enjoyed getting to know her, although she seemed to be tossed in there at times.



3. Some sections dragged, particularly in the middle. I found myself skimming a little bit. It didn't detract from the overall experience, but I believe some stuff might have been eliminated.

Nonetheless, I had a good time with this book. If you're seeking for a literary look into generational pain and a family story, this could be the book for you.