"Long After We Are Gone" by Terah Shelton Harris presents a compelling exploration of family, secrets, and personal struggles. The story centers on the Solomon siblings, who return to their ancestral home in North Carolina after their father's death to save their family's legacy from a development company.

The positives: The narrative has excellent character development, offering a rich portrayal of each sibling's life. Junior, secretly in love with another man despite being married to a woman; Mance, struggling with his temper and criminal past as he tries to be better for his newborn baby; CeCe, a lawyer who has dug herself into a hole with seemingly no way out; and Tokey, feeling out of place and filling the void with harmful behaviors. These complex characters provide depth and emotional resonance, making their individual and collective journeys engaging. While they aren't particularly likable, they are well-drawn and I had a great understanding of each.

However, the novel has, in my opinion, significant drawbacks. One major issue is the overabundance of seemingly unnecessary sex scenes. I am by no means a prude, but these moments often feel out of place and do not contribute to the advancement of the plot, instead distracting from the central narrative. Additionally, the pacing suffers in the last 30% of the book, where the plot goes off the rails, losing focus and coherence as it delves into increasingly dramatic and convoluted developments. This shift detracts from the fairly strong foundation laid earlier in the novel and leaves the reader feeling disconnected from the story's resolution. The story also spends a considerable amount of time detailing the characters' personal issues, which were intriguing, but majorly neglected the central plot—the fight to save their home. This imbalance makes the narrative feel sluggish, especially in the last third of the book, where the plot seems to lose momentum. I struggled to care about how the story would resolve.

Despite these flaws, the book does shed light on important topics, such as intergenerational trauma, family expectations, and the fight to preserve one's heritage. The portrayal of heir property and the challenges faced by the Solomon family in protecting their land is both educational and moving.

Overall, while "Long After We Are Gone" excels in character depth and emotional storytelling, its excessive focus on irrelevant sexual content and a plot that spirals out of control in the final sections undermine its potential. It remains a worthwhile read for those who appreciate intricate family dramas but may disappoint readers seeking a more consistent and focused narrative. This was not for me, but there are readers I think this can and will work for.

Thank you to Terah Shelton Harris, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by Torah Shelton Harris. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

"Don't let the white man take the house." Those were the last words King Soloman says to his son before he dies. The Kingdom, their ancestral home in North Carolina, is now being threatened. All four Soloman siblings must fight together to save their home, as well as the secrets each are keeping from each other and themselves. Junior, the oldest son and married to his wife for 11 years, is secretly in love with another man. Second son, Mance, can't control his temper, which has landed him in prison more than once. CeCe, the oldest daughter and a lawyer in New York City, has embezzled thousands of dollars from her firm's clients. Youngest daughter, Tokey, wonders why she doesn't seem to fit into this family, which has left an aching hole in her heart that she tries to fill in harmful ways.

This was a beautifully-written family saga with perfectly imperfect characters just trying to live up to their legacy without destroying themselves. It's about the power of family and generational trauma, and mostly about communication - the troubles that come about when we don't communicate as well as the power of passing down stories. It's an eye-opening look into another way that Blacks in the south lost their family lands - be sure to read the author's note on that subject. Highly recommended!

Long After We Are Gone by Terah Shelton Harris

This five star book is just the kind I love: Teach me something new and entertain me as well. Send me back to reread a sentence or paragraph because it’s so deliciously written, once is not enough.

The four Solomon siblings are hiding secrets from each other, and maybe from themselves as well. After they return to fictional Diggs, NC for their father’s funeral, their stories carefully unfold.
They each carry a ton of guilt, unfulfilled dreams and wrongs they’ve done.

There is such well designed tension and drama in some scenes that I literally held my breath. These flawed characters will have you rooting for them individually and as a family, as they try to save the “heir property” they assume they have inherited.

I cannot say enough good things about this book and the superb writing by Terah Shelton Harris. I will highly recommend it to all my readers. (Published by Sourcebooks Landmark)

This was one of my favorite reads in a while! The author had the ability to make you feel like you knew these characters inside and out. This takes you through the struggles of a family trying to put their own lives back in order after their father had passed away. King was their father and he had ran what they referred to as the Kingdom and of course after his death there were people trying to take their land from them including King’s brother Shad.
The heartbreak that each one of the adult children was going through in terms to realize who they really were and why they were self destructive.

I received this ARC from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I loved this book so much. After the death of King Solomon, the four siblings Junior, Cece, Mance, and Tokey have to figure out how to keep their ancestral land from being taken. The four siblings are given their own personal story woven together with the story of their ancestral land and family. Terah did an amazing job of allowing us to get to know each one separately to show their personal connection to their land, the town and themselves. They each have their personal struggles and struggles with family secrets we find as well. My most loved character and character that broke my heart was Tokey. While Tokey is the youngest, she was the glue of the family.

Something else that I love is when I learn something new. This one gave me real information that I wasn’t aware of and had me reading and researching more on. I also loved the authors note and hearing that her books are inspired by real people and circumstance. That makes for a personal story even though it is a work of fiction!

If you want a moving story about family history, how it effects the family, family drama, family and individual struggles, family secrets, and how a family can come together when needed, pick this up today! I know I will because 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳!

If you look at a family from the outside, they are happy and eager to insure the family's interests are protected. But looking at the family dynamics from the inside, there are broken connections and jealousy threatening the future. LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE allows the readers to watch the family's foundation being chipped away from inside and out.

King Solomon.....what a name......is the patriarch, managing the compound that has been in his family for more than 200 years,,,,ever since the end of slavery. Upon his death, his 4 children have returned to their childhood home to honor their father and settle his estate. This is the back story that will lead readers to google "heir property" and give us a front row seat that is the drama of the Solomons. Harris' story telling abilities shine in a way we seldom see. She turns this fictional family into our neighbors and friends as they struggle with personal problems on top of the threat of losing the only constant in their lives. The book pulled me into the North Carolina community and I stayed there until the end of the story. 5 easy stars.

Good book particularly for a reading group discussion ... interesting story about adult siblings ready to inherit the family estate ... characters were well developed, each had their own flaws and problems ... and many secrets withheld from family and town residents ...

But the underlying issue in this story is inheriting land when decedent did not have a will. Unfortunately, this is factual and not fiction.

I like the author's writing style, her subject matter and how the story flowed. Definitely plan to read her first book, and hopefully more in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.

Long story short y’all, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!! 🥹

From the moment I started this story I was completely immersed into this story, the writing— her play on words, chefs kiss! 🤌🏾

Terah created these characters, in Diggs, North Carolina all based off of “real and unique circumstances that happen to real people and are not widely discussed”. What happens in this story is heartbreaking and then to find out these are things of the past makes it hit differently even more. 4 siblings, Junior, Mance, CeCe (😒🤦🏽‍♀️) and my sweet, sweet Tokey, each harboring their own secrets, each reliving the past— I don’t know that I can ever forget any of them. I know I most certainly won’t forget Ellis— talk about an ultimate book boyfriend! 😮‍💨

There’s extortion, greed, lies, secrets, drama, abuse and blackmailing! If you love family drama, this is for you. If you love Black stories, this is for you.

- Walk into a store today, purchase this book.
- Request/Borrow it from your library.
- If you have an eARC, drop your other reads and read this!!

Long after gone follows the Solomon family in. North Carolina. The Solomon’s are four siblings who are united under their patriarch, king, whose family has lived on land called the kingdom since the 1700s. On kings deathbed, his dying words are “don’t let the white man take this land.” The four Solomon children return to the kingdom to save the land from white developers who are trying to land under a North Carolina property heir law. During this battle, the four siblings begin to expose their secrets and the lives they are hiding begin to come to the surface and they must face their troubles head-on, while trying to hold on to the kingdom.
There is a lot to this book, even though it is a quick read. The four siblings are complex and human and all have varying crises in their lives as they fight for their homes. There is a lot here about racism, ownership, class, and the little known law that the Solomon children find themselves up against.
This is a truly important read, well-written, informative, and emotional.
Thanks to the publisher for providing the arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Long After We Are Gone is the story of the Solomon family, who have resided in the town of Diggs, North Carolina for many years and family generations. King Solomon, a carpenter/woodworker and father of four has passed away, bringing all four adult children back the family land, called The Kingdom, to say goodbye and make arrangements for how they will handle the land. Each sibling has their own serious life issues going on, creating much drama, and old family secrets are revealed as well. As the siblings come together to fight for the Kingdom, they find themselves learning to live and love all over again.

I'm breathless after finishing Long After We Are Gone. Beautifully written with fantastically flawed characters that are equally intriguing. King Solomon is a mountain of a man with an estate that has been in the family for decades. After his death, four siblings meet to save the estate from developers.

Told in alternating chapters from the four siblings. As each unfolds, so do the lives of the characters as well as the secrets they hold. Filled with drama, secrets, lies, and ultimately truth. This is an emotional novel as well as absorbing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advance copy.

[Authors Note
The US Dept. of Agriculture has recognized heir property as the leading cause of Black involuntary land loss. It’s estimated that between 1910-1997, Blacks lost 90% of farmland worth billions of dollars.]

There’s so much to unpack in LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE that I don’t know where to start. I had no clue nor the legality of developers challenging inherited land. It’s unconscionable this law is still in existence. We need to push for these inherited land laws + any/all loopholes to be changed. That being said, this is one heck of a powerful family saga that brings to life family legacy, facing adversity, embezzlement and blackmail.

When the larger than life King Solomon dies, his last words to his son are “don’t let the white man take the house.” The house he’s referring to is the Solomon’s 1700’s North Carolina plantation home that sits on the Kingdom.. 200 acres the Solomon’s have had for generations where their descendants were enslaved. King Solomon left no will, but there is a checkered uncle who goes against Kings wishes.

Told in four POV’s, we follow the variously different four Solomon siblings within their own chaotic lives, as they try to keep developers from taking their ancestral land. Each sibling has their own idea how to handle these developers, but can they collectively work together to save it? These siblings felt messy and real, each complex in their own way. I enjoyed the way Harris focused on each siblings personal growth, strong family bond, and of their friendships and romances. After reading this + ONE SUMMER IN SAVANNAH, Harris has become a go-to author for me. I’ll read anything she writes. 4.5 stars — Pub. 5/14/24

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A family drama about the Solomon family - four pretty selfish, shallow, immature siblings who come together after the death of their father. I think the concept of generational wealth in the black community was an important thing to highlight, but the characters made it a little hard to appreciate that part of the story.

Gosh this is gorgeously written. The characters just stick with you. They feel so real. It took longer for me to get through this book. The characters are going through some things and I needed to allow the chapter I just finished to settle for a day or two before picking up where the Solomons left off.

"Don't let the white man take the house." These are King's final remarks before his death, leaving four siblings to fight a bank that claims they own a portion of the almost 200 acres of land in North Carolina. This is not the only book I've read this year that discusses land ownership; it's a hot topic when it comes to African Americans, equity, reparations, and our ugly American history.

When a person dies without a will, the heirs inherit the land and objects. This can cause a large-scale problem if two brothers marry and have children (who have children), resulting in an increasing number of heirs. It is quite easy for a large affluent individual or firm to persuade one of the heirs to sell their stake, resulting in what can only be described as a hostile takeover.

In Long After We Are Gone, we see siblings scramble to address the takeover of their farm following the death of their beloved Patriarch. It is a great story on its own, but Shelton Harris adds four incredibly engaging characters for us to follow. Junior is the oldest and secretly loves another man. Mance, who fights his own fury and loses regularly; CeCe, the first daughter who has backed herself into a corner in her employment in NYC; and Tokey, a lady who has succumbed to her own problems and overeats excessively. The four unlikely protagonists are pulled together and forced to confront their childhood memories, contemporary challenges, and reconcile with one another. I was captivated by this narrative and am still thinking about it days later. Shelton Harris has an excellent ability for immersing you in the story, and you should pick up this book!

Yes it's a family drama but it's one that feels oh so real. These four siblings all have something they've been hiding from each other-and sort of from themselves. Now, though, they come together to deal with their legacy. THere's more here than I expected. Harris writes wonderful characters and she's a great storyteller. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Very good read.

A great premise that has a lot of value to bring to life through a fictional book. An ancestral home and land that is in jeopardy of being snatched by a big company even though it's been in the hands of this family for 200 years.

This book wasn't for me for a couple of reasons.
1. There are a LOT of characters and it was a struggle to keep them straight. I should've taken notes from the beginning to help with this-not my favorite when that feels needed.
2. Pretty much all of the characters were unlikeable. I don't have to love the characters to enjoy a book, but I just kinda got over them and all their poor choices. I feel like there were a lot of problems that were thrown in this book and it was a bit over the top (kind of like her debut).
3. I didn't care for the amount of sexual content and how it was handled. Not normally a problem for me, but in this book it bothered me.
4. It just felt slow. Not a lot was happening. Perhaps it was more about the character development.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the e-ARC.

I had never heard the term heir property, so to learn about it in this fictional story was fascinating and sad. This story focuses on the Solomon children (there are four) dealing with the death of their father and trying to keep their family home. It's told from the alternating viewpoints of the children. It's interesting to see how all of them are dealing with the issue at hand. They already have major issues before the passing of their father. Interesting read.

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

Honestly, I did not finish this book. I got a little more than half way through and just couldn't bring myself to finish the book. I may pick it back up later to see how everything turns out, but for now, I'm done. The reason I lost interest was the characters. First of all, there are too many characters. The book is written from the point of view of the 4 children, and the chapters rotate between them. However, on top of the 4 children, there are also multiple side characters. It was taking too much to keep up with them

The 4 children have come home to visit when their father, King, passes away. The find out that their family home may be snatched up by a development company, despite the property being passed down through the heirs for decades. The children are terrible people, except for Tokey, who suffers from an eating disorder. I found myself not really caring if the children inherited or not due to their awful choices they made and are continuing to make. From sex for favors, embezzling money, cheating on your wife, and carrying a sledgehammer to solve problems when you are upset.

This just is not the book for me.

What I love about this story is that it is so relatable in Black families where the siblings go their separate ways and only return home when a parent dies, hashing out the years of turmoil by being forced to work together for the same cause.