*Junie* by Erin Crosby Eckstine is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant story that lingers long after the final page. Eckstine masterfully portrays the complexities of relationships and personal growth, crafting characters who feel deeply real and relatable.

The narrative is poignant and heartfelt, with moments of quiet beauty that catch you off guard. While the pacing can occasionally lag, the depth of the story and its themes of love, loss, and resilience make it well worth the read.

*Junie* is a touching and thought-provoking novel that will appeal to fans of character-driven, emotionally rich fiction. A lovely, memorable read!

It’s not easy to read about how the enslaved were treated harshly on a plantation in the mid-1800s in Alabama. On the first page, my tension escalated when there was the sound of a foreman’s whip nearby. I held my breath in hopes that Junie, a young adventurous teenager, would be okay. It turns out that it was her lucky day.

Junie was brave, full of adventure and had a strong flair for life. She was the reason I fell in love with this book. There were times when I had to pause while reading about white folks that abused their power with fear and violence. Yet, this is the story that was based on truth from the point of the enslaved workers.

It’s well-written with a dialogue that made me want to reach inside the book and give Junie and her family hugs. There was a lot of passion and love with those who had to keep going with strict conditions. I felt so taken by the characters, I didn’t want it to end. I hope the author will consider keeping this story going.

My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of February 4, 2025.

Junie is a book about a young lady brought up in slavery who is haunted by the death of her sister and is slowly starting to realize what being a slave truly means. This book is haunting, enlightening, moving, and heartbreaking. Junie is such a young woman whose best friend is her mistress. Yet when her mistress is faced with being forced to marry to save her family, Junie starts to realize that the dynamics between them are not quite what she always believed they were. As she struggles to find what this really means to her, she also is being haunted by her sister’s ghost who is asking her to complete three tasks and to see what truly living in her mistress’s house means. I love that this story is very loosely based on one of the author’s descendants. This book will leave readers extremely reflective on the true relationships that happened between slaves and their owners.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

A really beautiful story with such interesting elements. I'll admit I was sorely disappointed by the ending but I do think that was the point.

“Junie” is a heartfelt and beautifully written novel about resilience, family, and self-discovery. The protagonist’s journey is deeply moving, with vivid storytelling and relatable themes of love and perseverance.

With well-paced narration and compelling characters, Junie is an inspiring and unforgettable read.

Junie is an enslaved girl living in Alabama in the years before the Civil War. Her life on the plantation is all she's ever known. Taught to read by her enslaver's daughter, Violet, Junie also spends her spare moments daydreaming and secretly writing poetry. When her sister Minnie dies, Junie's life is irrevocably changed, even more so when guests unexpectedly arrive and show a promise of marriage for Violet. As Junie faces life changes, Minnie's spirit arrives and sets her on a dangerous course, unraveling dark secrets and a journey both hopefully and heartbreaking.

I highly recommend you also read the author's note at the end. In her debut, @erincrosbyeckstine lays out a beautiful story, inspired by her own family history. The writing is also beautiful to boot -- I saved numerous quotes that stuck with me.

A big thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for allowing me early access to this stunning debut. The book will be published Feb. 4.

This story is set in antebellum Alabama before the Civil War. Junie is about an enslaved 16 year old who is a housemaid on the Belleriene Plantation in Alabama. Junie is the personal maid to Violet McQueen the 17 year old whose parents are the McQueens, owners of the Plantation. Heavily in debt the McQueens are anxious to have their daughter marry. Junie is a free spirit who at times wanders far from the house, in her carefree ways. Having been a “friend” and confidant to Violet since she was little, Junie has been taught to read and in her imagination she thinks of a different life. Yet with her sister, Minnie, now dead for over 8 months, she is heartbroken and haunted by her memory. With the death of her sister, Minnie, Junie feels guilty and blames herself. One night she runs out to the woods as she frequently does and is confronted with the ghost of her sister. Minnie wants her to do three tasks so she could cross over from the in-between land. Junie is about to learn the secrets of the past that has been kept from her. However her life is about to change. Mr. McQueen informs the family that he has invited the Taylors from Louisiana to visit them. Of course, that is Mr. McQueen’s intention…to marry off Violet to Beauregard Taylor who is a wealthy cotton merchant.
While all this is going on, Junie is concerned that she too will be going to Louisiana with Violet if there is a marriage. All this while she is trying to handle the three tasks asked by the ghost/haunt of Minnie. The Taylor’s visit also introduces Junie to Caleb, the valet for Mr.Taylor. Now Caleb is drawn into Junie’s world as she goes about her life and tasks…though not in a good way as she is exposed to some of the violence of being a slave. Her family has always protected her from those aspects, now she sees life in a different way.
This book was heartbreaking as we read how the lives of these enslaved people suffered the indignities at the hands of others. Their freedom and daily lives were a misery…there was nothing “romantic” about the “old south” as created in the story “Gone With The Wind.” The book was well written and hard to put down. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This is a powerful work of historical fiction that follows Junie, a 16 year old slave girl. Junie lives on the McQueen plantation and, even though she is very dark skinned, she is allowed in the house to take care of Violet, the owner's 16 year old daughter. Through the years, the two girls have seemingly become more than master and slave - they are friends.

It is an unfortunate statement of the conditions of the pre-Civil War south, that Junie, who is very bright, loves poetry, and can read and write, is the property of her master and under his total control. In fact, she must hide her intelligence, since slaves are only meant to obey their masters.

The book provides the reader with a vivid picture of life during this sad time in our nation's history.

A powerful and heartbreaking read, at times. This story shares the story of a young woman, a maid for Victorica, the daughter of the family, raised side by side in their early years, and Junie considers her to be her friend. Victoria has shared her stories with her, her books, as well, a secret well kept from the parents and others. As time passes, things change as Victoria’s parents decide that it is time that their daughter marries.

There are heartbreaking moments throughout this story as it shares the story of Junie’s sister, Minnie, who died at a relatively young age, which Junie blames herself for.

This is a story of heartbreak, but also a story of love, and finding a place to call home.


Pub Date: 04 Feb 2025

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Ballantine Books

Probably my favorite ARC to date! I’m speechless 😭 this book was incredibly well written and there’s so much more going on in it besides Junie who speaks to her sister’s ghost. This story had me hooked from the start. Junie is a strong, resilient, and bright girl who finds herself wanting more for herself than living as a slave. Starts out on the cusp of the civil war, follows Junie as she works as a housemaid to Violet, the daughter of the master of the plantation. Violet teaches her how to read and write and they bond over their love for literature. Watching their dynamic change throughout the book was tough but an integral part of the story. Junie meeting Caleb and getting a real chance at real love was so beautiful. I found myself not knowing exactly what was next which kept me on my toes and enmeshed in this story.

I’d recommend Junie to just about anyone. I’m not much of a historical fiction fan myself and almost didn’t request this book, but I’m glad I did. Junie is so much more than I expected. If you loved Gone with the Wind, but have matured since you read it, Junie offers nuanced characters and a gripping plot around some similar themes. Delilah June (Junie) is a teenage enslaved girl on a plantation in Alabama 1860. Junie can read and write and, thankfully, she can dream. She has lost her parents and, recently, her sister, but she generally seems to find a place in the world. Things get all shaken up when a wealthy family, the Taylors, come to visit the plantation. It seems that Mr. Taylor intends to marry Violet, Junie’s best friend and the plantation owner’s daughter. In an act of desperation, Junie does the only thing she can think of to preserve life the way they’ve been living it. In doing so, she begins the first of many acts that unearth family secrets. Junie comes face-to-face with old griefs and new ideas that change her life forever. Erin Crosby Eckstine’s writing planted me firmly in Junie’s shoes, contemplating how I’d feel in each situation. There were moments of violence that were hard to read, but I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of the tender moments. Each character contained many layers and I found myself slightly surprised by some of their actions, much like people in real life. The plot seemed to stall around 55% in, but it picked back up at 65%, for which I was thankful. Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin RandomHouse , and Erin Crosby Eckstine for this DRC! What a phenomenal debut.

A hard, triumphant story of a woman who finds love and yearns for freedom and poetry before and at the beginning of the Civil War. I vote with the editor about Caleb.

Junie is a haunting and powerful coming-of-age novel set in Antebellum Alabama. It follows the journey of Junie, an enslaved girl who grapples with the oppressive forces of family, society, and her owners, while being haunted by her sister’s ghost. The novel does not shy away from the brutal realities of enslavement, but it excels in its nuanced portrayal of its characters. Each individual—whether friend, foe, or family—has depth and complexity, with their motivations explored in a way that makes their actions both understandable and tragic. Through Junie's struggle to reconcile her desires with the expectations placed upon her, the book offers a raw, emotionally charged examination of identity, freedom, and survival. It’s a powerful and unforgettable read that lingers long after the last page.

While I admit that this was a difficult read for me, it was only because Eckstine has breathed life into Junie and the world and people around her. I highly recommend picking up this book.

Eckstine’s prose is lyrical yet grounded, painting a vivid picture of Junie’s world and the people who shape it. The narrative balances heartbreak and hope with a delicate touch, drawing readers into Junie’s emotional journey. While the pacing may feel slow at times, the depth of character and the raw, authentic storytelling make it a deeply rewarding read. Junie is perfect for fans of character-driven literary fiction that lingers in your heart long after the last page.

Very powerful and very interesting story. would deeply recommend this incredible historical fantasy about the life of a 16 year old enslaved girl. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Junie born a slave and can't get over the death of her sister Minnie. Can't sleep and roams in the nearby woods. She is the maid of Victoria the daughter of Master McQueen 0f Bellereine the big house. Also helps in the kitchen under her Aunt. Victoria and she become good friends and was taught to read vy Victoria unknown to the master. So many things happen as the story goes that cause Junie not to want to leave, but was told she need to if Victoria married, so she tries to keep Victoria from wanting to get married. So many ups and down and surprising things in Junies life up to the end. After reading the Author's Notes I understood the story!

Junie is an enslaved 16-year-old girl living in Alabama in 1860. She has a loving biological family but knows that the nightmare of slavery can take everything away from her at any time, and weighing just as heavy on her heart is her sister Minnie, whose death Junie feels responsible for. When Minnie’s ghost reaches out to Junie, secrets and lies will be revealed, spurring Junie on to seek a future where she just might be able to break away from the chains of the past.

Junie is marketed as historical fiction, but it has strong supernatural and romantic elements. If a reader is looking for pure historical fiction, it would be good to know that this feels in parts like a fairy tale. I enjoy fantasy, so this element did not distract me from the emotional story.

I did find some of the dialogue and ideas to be a bit too modern but perhaps this is to make it more relatable and readable? I’m not an expert in the 1860s South so I could be wrong of course. The novel felt like YA in parts but that could be due to the fact that Junie is a 16-year-old. There were a tad too many similes for my liking. I would have liked a bit more editing in certain places that slowed down the pace.

But all in all, Erin Crosby Eckstine has created a beautiful novel with unforgettable characters that are well-rounded and complex. They really do feel like living and breathing people. Her evocative prose propelled me into the settings of the enslaved family as well as the enslaver’s plantation. She succeeded in telling a riveting story as well as humanizing characters whose voices are too seldom heard in novels.

Junie is an engrossing historical fiction story with a paranormal touch. The title character, Junie, is an enslaved teenage girl, who has no knowledge of the world beyond Bellereine, the plantation she was raised on. Her parents are gone and her older sister died from a fever, after saving Junie from drowning. To help her sister’s restless spirit move on, she searches for answers to secrets that her sister kept.
Junie is a coming of age story, a love story, a mystery and a compelling look into the life of one slave and her deep longing for freedom.

Junie is an absolutely stunning and endearing debut novel by Erin Crosby Eckstine. Eckstine has long been a writer of editorial and think pieces, specifically related to public education. In Junie, her excellent writing skills shine in strong character development and a stellar balance of depth and plot.

The main character is the novel's namesake; Junie is a teenage girl enslaved in the Deep South. As a maid to the daughter of the household, Junie is sheltered from the harshness of plantation work and has an innocence about her. But Junie is also deeply grieving the death of her sister, and this becomes a pivotal plot point.

After the first quarter I was swept up in the world that Eckstine created, which is loosely based on her own ancestors. Everyone in this book is more than one shade, more than one motivation. I was so impressed by how many layers and how much richness this story delivers in a concise way. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Junie's coming of age and spirit will be in my heart for a long, long time.

I would like to thank Random House and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. This book is set in Alabama , pre civil war. It is the story of the enslaved girl, Junie, who serves the daughter of the house, Violet. Junie's sister has recently died, and Junie conjures up her spirit. This sets events into motion that cannot be controlled.It was a bit difficult to read, as it moves slowly at first, and it does not establish the characters well ( in my opinion). The writing is good and the story idea intriguing, ot just was not as compelling as I thought it could be.