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

A southern Gothic novel about slavery, ghosts, brutality, and escape.

What an incredibly powerful book! Junie is a slave in Alabama just before the Civil War. She is maid to Violet the daughter of the McQueen family who own a plantation. Junie is grieving the loss of her sister and believes it is her fault she is dead. One day she sees her sister's ghost and she sends her on a mission that will have far reaching consequences.

My heart broke when I read Junie's story. She was an incredible character and I wanted her to find all the happiness in the world. This book is a powerful reminder about our countries past and the fact that no one should ever have to be controlled by someone else. This is great historical fiction with a touch of magic. I love a story with a strong female character and I don't think I could ever find a character stronger than Junie. Even more powerful than the story was the historical note at the end. The fact that Junie is based on the author's actual ancestor is an amazing twist. I highly recommend this historical fiction book!

Thank you to Ballantine Books/Random House Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book was nothing I expected, but everything that I needed. Junie is an amazing book that depicts a side of slavery that we wouldn’t know if the stories weren’t passed down from generation to generation.

This book showed love, friendship and trust, but it also showed hatred and ruthlessness. I ran through every emotion reading this book.

The depiction and depth of the characters is what draws you into their world. Junie showed the black and white perspective and that’s not something I’ve seen in many books.

This is definitely a book that should be read by everyone.

I really enjoyed reading this debut novel. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Booksfor the ARC to read and review.
Expected publication date 2/4/2025.
Junie and her family’s story was so compelling to me. The story had it all - great historical background, memorable well drawn characters, a page turning plot and even a bit of the supernatural.
Set in Alabama on Bellereine Plantation just before the Civil War broke out, the story gave a chilling commentary on slavery and the fallacies the South was based on. I feel I learned a good deal about the period in history.
Junie was a wonderful heroine - I think readers will fall in love with her. I loved the interactions she had with her grandparents, sister, Caleb and even Violet.
I enjoyed the author’s writing style and the book and plot really flowed beautifully. It was a real Goodread.
I must say the ending rather floored me a bit. Just hoping it will mean we hear more of Junie’s life as it felt a bit incomplete and stunning.
.4.5 stars - the ending just fell a little flat for me.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. This is a very good book about slavery in Alabama in 1860 . The story takes place in Bellereine, the mansion on a cotton plantation run by the McQueen family . Violet McQueen , an only child, grows up with her personal maid/slave/friend , Junie. Even though Junie is very dark ( mentioned many times in the story) she is allowed in the house to take care of Violet . The girls are both 16 years old. Violet is forced by her parents to marry Beau who is a very sadistic and evil person. The story follows Violet’s marriage, Julie’s deceased sister, Minnie, and the desire of the slaves to get their freedom. I enjoyed the story even though ghosts and spirits were a big part of the story.

A beautiful story about main character Junie, and her family members enslaved on a cotton plantation in pre-Civil War Alabama. We follow Junie on a journey of experiences that challenge her convictions and open doors to new perspective.

Thank you Erin Crosby Eckstine for sharing this story with readers. The language the author uses to describe the characters and their experiences is beautiful and poetic, evoking emotion at every turn. This book broke my heart yet left me with great hope.

Thanks again NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

4 stars for me. I found the book hard to put down. Junie a slave and her relationship with Violet, the plantation owners daughter, was very interesting. Violet cared for Junie almost like she was her sister, teaching her to read and treating her well. Of course nothing stays the same. The storyline of Junie and her sister Minnie added to the book. The characters were so well written that you really cared about them. There was a supernatural storyline between Junie and Minnie that I really didn't care for, but as the story went on, I saw why the author wrote it that way. All in all, a satisfying read and something different. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love racial stories and this didn't disappoint. I found the story of Junie, a young slave, and her relationship with her "best friend" a white girl, of a similar age, who Junie works for as a maid, particularly well drawn.

This is a difficult book for me to review. I never struggled reading it & it kept me engaged & the story was deep.

Junie is a 16 year old house maid who has a close relationship with Violet, the young woman she tends to. They have a very close relationship & that takes a turn when Violet is introduced to a perspective husband. This is told prior to the Civil War starting, but it is mentioned a few times throughout the book.

Some interesting characters, difficult situations & a little ghost action.

Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine is going to be a "it" book. The writing was sublime and the character of Junie is one you will not soon forget. Her strength was a testament to her character. loved it.

Full review coming soon.

Beautifully written with a stunning portrayal of an enslaved young girl, Junie, who works for the McQueen family. Junie is bright, vivacious and very well rounded. She is grieving the loss of her sister, traversing multitudes of different personalities from her own family as well as the McQueen family, and doing it with grace and humor.

It isn’t often that a book shows us in such depth what life as a slave was like. As Junie comes to age, we get to see her grow and try to thrive in miserable conditions. It’s heartwarming to see her overcome obstacles and forge her own path.

Give this one a shot, you’ll be glad you did. Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the eARC of this 4-star book.

Eckstine's writing is beautiful. This book was powerful, emotional, and as a reader I adored the writing style. Junie is a character you want to root for and see the story work out for her. The descriptions of characters and the environment were impactful and really shined in the book. Also the cover is gorgeous which makes the experience even better. This book has made me a fan of Eckstine and I want to read more of their books.

Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine takes place just before the Civil War. Junie is the maid of Violet, and they are the same age and are friends. Violet has taught Junie how to read. But just how real is this friendship? Violet's family has been losing their fortune, her father is mostly absent from home. Junie is very insecure especially since the death of her sister Minnie as she feels responsible for this death. Minnie is a haunt and asks Junie to complete certain tasks. Violet is expected to marry, and a wealthy family arrives from New Orleans. Junie's grandfather travels with Violet's father and they arrive with this family and another slave Caleb. I wanted so much more for all these characters. There is much tragedy in this book which may be expected due to the subject. Sometimes it was a very hard read and for that reason I will give it 4 stars. Overall I enjoyed the book and it is worth reading. I did receive a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

Was a good read. Not five stars, but definitely 4 stars for me.

Not a must read. But a nice fast year for weekend. Vacation, or rainy day.

Recommrnf.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Junie has lived a hard life for a sixteen year old. She is a slave and dreams of a different life. This was an emotional read.

Generally loved this one. Junie, a slave on Bellerine Plantation for her entire life, has lost her mother and her sister, frequently disappoints her grandparents, and keeps up a tenuous sort of unbalanced friendship with the mistress of the house. Violet claims Junie is her best friend, but Junie's elders know that isn't the way of the world for enslaved help. When Junie accidentally disturbs her sister Minnie's dead spirit, things start to go south, as Violet begins a courtship with a suitor that might take Junie from the only home she's ever known. Junie enlists the help of Caleb to help run Minnie's errands from beyond the grave.

Without spoilers, the ending of this book was incredibly sad but so beautiful at the same time. Overall, Junie is about a slave reckoning with the realization that her "best friend" does, in fact, consider her property, and a coming of age about love, security, and the bonds of family for better or worse. I really enjoyed this read.

Thanks to Random House -Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC!

Loved the storyline and author’s writing style; however, for me, including the ghost of Millie was a miss. I think the storyline could have supported Junie moving through late adolescence and preparing to transition to her next phase in life without a supernatural element. That’s just my personal preference when reading historic fiction.

Debut who? I knew this one was going to be a really emotion-packed read, but this book left me gutted. Junie is just a really well written, thought provoking piece of literature. The levels throughout this story of slavery, sacrifice, and oppression were so impactful. Junie, our protagonist has hopes and dreams bigger than her circumstances and she refuses to allow herself to forget that. She is this really strong-willed, passionate woman who wants better for herself, her family, and the people she cares about.

There are so many layers to this story. Junie, enslaved since birth, cannot escape the memories of her recently deceased sister. It feels like Millie is everywhere, until she actually appears, shaking up any possible contentment that Junie felt with her current status in life.

Junie spends most of her time as maid to Violet, and though she has spent her entire life alongside girl, learning to read, sharing their love of books and poetry, the illusion of real friendship with the girl begins to ripple. With the arrival of a wealthy New Orleans family, intending to seek Violet's hand in marriage, Junie discovers how this will change everything she knows.

I love that Junie never really had to have that AHA moment in order for her to see what is truly going on in the utter imbalance of power she lives in. Instead, these feeling have remained simmering under the surface, just waiting for the catalyst. Junie will go to great lengths to find freedom, learning some painfully hard truths along the way.

This book just filled me with such rage, yet Junie herself was a balm. She was such a powerful presence and I adored her.

What an informative novel. Very well written. I didn’t realize how brutal the slave owners were!it certainly made you stop and think what the black people have gone through. Maybe retribution should be give to some of these people. Tha ending was quite sad!

While there were many things I liked and found compelling about this story, there were a couple that seemed to be attaching 21st century ideas into the white owner's family's part of the story. I think it could have been done differently using possibilities more likely for the time period and that aspect of it threw me off a little. I thought the author did a great job showing the complexity of the feelings about slavery with such things as if they should try to run away.