Disclosure: I received a complimentary ebook from the publisher via JustRead Publicity Tours. Opinions expressed are my own.
Warning: The Content Notes section contains spoilers. I feel these are necessary as potential “trigger” warnings.
Scripture Connection
In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:8
I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustains me

Psalm 3:5
For this novel, I paired the two verses (which I think I’d been conflating in my head), which speak to God’s presence. For me, they are a reminder that He is with us both waking and sleeping, and the novel overflows with the message that God is constantly with us.

Spiritual Themes
The title, This Ain’t No Promised Land, is of course an allusion to the land of Canaan. And what a fitting title it is! During the forty years that the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, they were never alone and God always provided. That’s exactly what we see in Shelton’s novel. The characters experience great hardship, but there’s a deep, pervasive thread about God watching over them, through it all.

The book also has a powerful thread about love and fear and how fear gets in the way of love (see 1 John 4).

What I Liked
I’ve been wanting to read This Ain’t No Promised Land for awhile, and it exceeded my expectations. Tina Shelton’s debut novel is fantastic. I could see her becoming one of my favorite authors. While some books have a “Hallmark-style” feel, This Ain’t No Promised Land reminded me of one of my very favorite shows: Touched by an Angel.

The number one thing that stood out to me, as I read, was the beautiful mixture of pain and hope, grief and beauty. The book’s synopsis made it clear that this would be a more serious read, so I was prepared for that. When a book is serious, I know that there’ll be a bit of slogging through the hard parts, and I eagerly anticipate the redemptive payoff—the beautiful moment that makes it all worth it. Usually, I don’t get that payoff until the end of the story.

I’m so happy to note that this was not the case with This Ain’t No Promised Land, which infuses hope and truth, throughout. The idea of God’s presence in the midst of hardship pervades the entirety of the story. There are sweet lines throughout about God being with us (which is exactly what the name of His Son means).

Pacing
Shelton’s pacing is excellent! At the beginning of the story, I noted the skillful exposition: Shelton unrolls the back story while also unfurling the action. I was impressed with how she managed to accomplish both things at the same time.

The shifts in perspective and time period also kept my attention, throughout. I read the bulk of the book in one day, and had a lot of trouble putting it down.

Characterization
Characters are nuanced and realistic. Narration is believable—it feels like I’m talking to two real women. Wrong actions are not excused, but we are given greater insight into characters’ motives, through their backstories and personal journeys.

I also thought that it was an interesting twist to see the middle sister step up as a parental figure for the older and younger. This is something I don’t typically see explored in fiction.

Writing
The writing itself is simply gorgeous. Meaningful analogies flow with the text, contributing to the novel’s themes, without feeling forced in. These connections, and the skill of the narration, lend to the novel’s literary qualities.

In addition to being believable in their voices, the two narrators are interesting foils for one another. While Charlotte can be compared to her oldest daughter, Joanna, middle-child Gracey may be a little more like her grandma (Charlotte’s mom). It’s also interesting to see their different understandings of faith and interpretations of God’s presence (or lack thereof) in hard times).

Discussion of Racism
Discussion of racism is powerfully-presented, woven seamlessly into the narrative.

Content Notes (SPOILERS)
As mentioned in the publisher’s synopsis, parental abandonment plays a significant role in the plot.

This book does deal with some challenging sexual content, but it is presented in a very sensitive manner, without gratuitous description.

Nonetheless, trigger warning for sexual assault, which happens on page. This is one of the less detailed accounts I’ve encountered—graphic by nature of it being an assault but NOT detailed. This is much gentler than what I’ve seen in books marketed for a YA audience.

There’s also a brief discussion between sisters about sex, which compares intimacy to scratching a mosquito bite.

Additional possible trigger for a discovery of unexpected paternity/parentage.

Last, there are just a few instances of the Lord’s name that I read as colloquial.

Recommendation Status
This Ain’t No Promised Land is an absolute masterpiece. Shelton’s debut novel overflows with beauty: a beautiful message conveyed through strong, beautiful prose. While there is some content to be aware of, this is a title that I’m highly, highly recommending.

If I see a Christian fiction book offered for review that does not appear to have romance as a main topic, I often sign up for it without much thought. This Ain’t No Promised Land was a case like that. I had never read a book by Tina Shelton, and had no idea what to expect. I have not read very many books with Black main characters, so that was different, too. However, the struggles faced by this family are common, no matter what group is being talked about.
The story in This Ain’t No Promised Land switches back and forth between Gracey’s point of view, and that of her mother Charlotte. Charlotte’s story also switches between 1987-88 and 1963. Because the chapters are each labeled at the beginning with the date and the point of view, I had no problems keeping track.
I appreciated a story about a Black family that did not over-emphasize their color. It was just who they were, and the story could have happened to anyone. The conflict in this book is within each person and between the people in the family, because of the trauma they have experienced. I found the book rather heavy, as far as subject matter, but full of hope at the end, too.
This Ain’t No Promised Land is a hard book to describe. I was telling my daughter about it, and she commented that it sounded like a story with many nuances. That’s exactly right! This story deals with abandonment, teen pregnancy, rape, and secrets, as well as love, family, and Jesus. The effects of keeping sin and trauma hidden for many years are shown, and then the freedom and ability to love that result from admitting to what has happened in the past. I found myself surprised by how much I ended up appreciating and enjoying this book, and I will be watching for more books by this author.
Oh—there were a couple of little things that added to my enjoyment of the story. I found it quite interesting to hear a brief description of the foods in a grocery store in Mississippi that were different from what could be found in Chicago, and I also enjoyed the little bits here and there about how the girls took care of their hair. These were just little details stuck in that made the story even more authentic.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
WARNING: Chapter 1: Dang, “girls who knew bad word and all about sex.” Chapter 10: Dang, crap. Chapter 11: Dang. Chapter 12: 16-year-old got pregnant. Chapter 13: Boy groping girl, girl beaten up. Chapter 14: Dang. Chapter 17: Dang. Chapter 18: Rape. Chapter 19: Kissing. Chapter 22: Dang. Chapter 23: For Pete’s sake. Chapter 24: Girl praying about not hitting or cussing. Chapter 25: Darn. Chapter 26: Doggone broom. Chapter 27: Who the heck, girls fighting. Chapter 28: Sure as heck. Chapter 34: Darn well, doggone it.

This Ain't No Promised Land by Tina Shelton is the emotional story of three generations of women in a family. The story in this debut novel is told by 14-year-old Gracey and her mother Charlotte and delves into weighty topics including identity, grief, regret, abandonment, and forgiveness.

Overwhelmed with grief, Charlotte does the unthinkable and flees Chicago while her daughters ages 12, 14, and 16 are in school, leaving them unsupervised. The girls do their best to keep up with school and the house, but despite the support of compassionate neighbors, they can't manage on their own indefinitely, and authorities eventually intervene in their mother's absence.

I really appreciated that Charlotte's perspective is shared, both current and past, told in memories/flashbacks. While it doesn't negate her neglect, it provided insight into her actions. The novel explores the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters, and the questionable behavior isn't limited to Charlotte's choice to leave.

This was such a unique reading experience, like a "general market" novel with the immersive writing style and "gritty' topics and then references to faith, church, and God, seamlessly woven into the plot, reminded me that it's a Christian fiction novel. For this reason, it earns a rare 5-star rating from me, and I'm eager to see what Ms. Shelton writes next.

Thank you to the author and Kregel Publications for the review copy of this memorable novel. All opinions are my own.

Whew—this was one heavy but hope-filled story, y’all! 😮‍💨

The story takes place in the late 80s and tells the story of women from three generations—Iona, her daughter Charlotte, and Charlotte’s three teenaged daughters. The story is told from a dual POV perspective—that of Charlotte and her middle daughter, Gracey.

This story was messy, gritty, and heartbreaking in many ways. It told the tale of what happens when trauma remains unhealed; how it impacts future generations—not through curses as some would have you to believe, but through decisions and behaviors that impact parenting.

I love that faith was woven throughout, even though it felt like undiscipled, unlearned faith. It was the raw, “I don’t know You like I should, but I trust You” kind of faith. I also appreciated the threads of hope laced throughout.

If you enjoy a character-driven story with elements of coming of age and redemption. There are certainly trigger warnings, but giving them would ruin the story. Just know that hard and messy, but endearing and beautiful.