This debut novel is a creative slave narrative. The title character, Junie is an enslaved young woman who is coming of age to be the maid servant of her once play mate. Junie experiences the tragic loss of her older sister, Minnie who appears throughout the novel as a “haunt” to Junie. The way in which the author uses the haunt in the novel, keeps the story moving along.

What gave me pause when reading this novel, is the casual nature in which Junie being literate is handled. Literacy amongst enslaved people was illegal. The punishments were severe and to read a novel that expresses this as no big deal made me question the intent of the novel. The author does provide inside in the Author’s Note. She wanted to write a novel about her maternal family and also did not want to write a slave narrative that has been done before.

This was such a beautiful, tragic historical fiction based on the authors own relative. I was absorbed in this story. Our FMC has complex thoughts and feelings and deals with some heavy stuff, particularly in regard to her recently deceased sister as well as her relationship with Violet, whom Junie is a maid for. I cannot recommend this enough.

“‘You're my middle C.’
‘Middle C?’
‘The key between the lows and the highs, the balance of it all, the true center of the music.’”

Erin Crosby Eckstine was meant to be a writer! Between the gorgeous writing and compelling storytelling in her debut novel, Junie, she held me hostage. Her lyrical words sang like a siren’s song.

Eckstine combined historical fiction and magical realism to create a stunning and heartbreaking story that explores some of the unknowns in her family history. Junie is based on one of Eckstine’s real ancestors (her great-great-great-grandmother) and this book takes place just before a pivotal event in her life. This coming-of-age story follows Junie as she grapples with a decision that emerges in the wake of seeing her sister’s ghost.

While the content is sometimes difficult to read, it sheds light on some of the horrors (both physical and psychological) slaves faced and evokes the strong emotions that their mistreatments warrant. Despite all of that, though, there is so much beauty in the story. Junie, a fan of literature and poetry, has such a unique way of thinking and seeing the world. Her thoughts were often poetic and captivating- I was truly blown away by the beautiful writing.

By the end, I was sitting on the edge of my seat- I had no idea what would happen. And though I’m so conflicted in how I feel about the ending- let’s just say it evoked some STRONG emotions in me- the author’s note makes me appreciate any uncertainties it left me with.

Thank you to Ballantine Books for a NetGalley copy of Junie. Eckstine’s debut novel is out now.

Title/Author: JUNIE by Erin Crosby Eckstine

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Ballantine Books/ Penguin

Format: Hardcover review copy and NetGalley (I read it as the eBook)

Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: DEBUT

Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/9780593725115

Release Date: February 4th, 2025

General Genre: Literary

Sub-Genre/Themes: Pre-Civil War, Enslaved people, Family, Arranged Marriage, Death/Grief/Loss, Plantation (cotton crops), Housemaids and Servants, Romance, Freedom, Ghosts, Coming-of-age, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Paranormal

Writing Style: Character-driven, high-stakes/emotional investment

What You Need to Know: "A young girl must face a life-altering decision after awakening her sister’s ghost, navigating truths about love, friendship, and power as the Civil War looms."

My Reading Experience: "See, in this life, we're all just floating down the river. You might have somewhere you wanna be, but like it or not, that river's taking you where it wants to go. Fighting the current don't hurt the river, it just wears you out."

In the same vein as Beloved by Toni Morrison, Junie is a haunting ghost story rooted in historical horror. Erin Crosby Eckstine pulls readers into a past confronting the brutality of pre-Civil War America, where history itself is the most terrifying threat of all. At its heart, Junie is a coming-of-age ghost story. The main protagonist, sixteen-year-old Junie, is a housemaid for a teen girl of the same age named, Violet. Junie's whole family lives on Bellereine Plantation in Alabama and just recently, Junie lost her older sister, Minnie to some kind of health complication after rescuing Junie from drowning. Minnie's ghost calls to Junie from the woods, insisting that three tasks be completed before it’s too late.

What makes Junie especially difficult is its unflinching portrayal of the period. There is no way to soften the realities of racism and violence against enslaved people or the cruelty that thrives in a society built on oppression and subjugation. Domestic abuse against women and enslaved people is woven into the fabric of daily life...and yet, through all of the trauma, there are moments of care, love, and quiet resilience.

" It's what we can choose that makes this life special."

The romance is especially endearing and accounts for the high stakes and the emotional investment. Eckstine’s writing is so immersive and compelling.

"You're wrong, " Junie says, "There's a life in this. There's a life in everything, even if you have to squeeze in to find it. And even if it's on the edges...it's room for love. We just gotta carve it out ourselves."The atmosphere is thick with tension and dread, and the supernatural blends seamlessly with the horrors of reality.

 Final Recommendation: If you’re drawn to ghost stories that carry weight beyond their hauntings, Junie is a book that will stay with you. Erin Crosby Eckstine has created something arresting, haunting, and deeply affecting. Read it, but know that you will walk away with a broken heart and a severe bookish hangover.

"There ain't no good and evil in this world, not when the devils are the ones setting the rules."

Comps: Beloved by Toni Morrison, Kindred by Octavia Butler, The Color Purple by Alice Walker

I liked the first part of a book. Junie is a young girl who is a slave is friends with the master’s daughter. She taught her to read and they have a strong bond. Then Junie awakens her dead sister’s ghost. I wasn’t into it after that.
This book just wasn’t for me. Many people like this book, so please read other reviews. Many thanks to the author, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Erin Crosby Eckstine, inspired by her family history, introduces us to Junie, a sixteen-year-old slave on an Alabama plantation. Junie has spent her life tending to the needs of her white master's daughter, Violet. It is Violet who has taught Junie to read, and they love to spend their days exploring the literary characters that they meet. When rumours swirl that someone is coming to visit a man who might be Violet's own Mr. Rochester, it is clear that Junie's life is about to change.

At the same time, Junie is struggling with the guilt over her sister's death and soon begins to realize that there are a lot of secrets on the plantation, and they are about to be revealed.

This was a darn good story! Junie is a character that I immediately took to my heart. I knew that this story was going to be heartbreaking in so many ways, but it was also a hopeful tale. Junie's love for her family, for her deceased sister, Minnie, and the fear of what comes next in her life made her the type of character that I enjoy cheering on and for.

I don't think you have to be a historical fiction devotee to love this one. It will certainly be one that I am recommending to my reading buddies.





Publication Date 04/02/25
Goodreads Review 16/02/25
#Junie #NetGalley.

In a word: heartbreaking. Honest. Devastating. Take your pick. But also amazing and thoughtful. Junie and Violet have a complicated relationship as slave and owner before the Civil War, just as Junie has a complicated relationship with her remaining family. Seeing the growth Junie goes through with Caleb, only to lose him in the end was soul crushing. BUT, I loved how real it was. I appreciated how well the author, Erin Crosby Eckstine, portrayed the horrors of slavery. The twist at the end with Mrs. McQueen was so unexpected and added so much more depth to the story. I can’t think of anything that would have made this better.

I loved this book so much! Julie was an absolute winner for me, Historical fiction that takes on a haunting twist?? Sold. I ate this book up. And don’t even get me started on how beautiful the cover is!!

All the characters played their part and I loved the ones that were meant to be loved. I loved the ending. I had the hardest time putting this book down. As a debut book this is spectacular! Junie is an enslaved woman in late 1800's and the story portrays a few years of her life in Alabama.
Junie's story is one full of curiosity and strength. She was taught to read and write by the plantation owner's daughter, Violet. They've spent their whole lives together and Junie feels they are sisters. She is Violet's housemaid, but it feels more than that. But she's realizing how intertwined their lives really are.

There is love and parts of it were brutal. It pulls in a ghost twist, but it was done so well. I couldn't put this one down from the minute I picked it up. There is so much packed into one book.

Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine will be a book that people talk about all year, in my opinion!

The story of a young slave girl, Junie, who is the maid to the owner's daughter. They consider themselves best friends. She was taught to read and write and Junie wrote many poems. But life wasn't easy for any slave and she missed her sister and mother, both dead now. But her sister Minnie is a ghost, a "haint" that guides and advises Junie.

Junie comes to fully understand things the hard way. The story slowly builds to an intense ending but what made this book so good was the Author's Note. I appreciate her sharing her own family's personal story and how she weaved some of it into this historical fiction story.

My thanks to Net Galley and Ballantine Books.

I liked this story a lot-it gave me a lot to think about and I did like how she wrote the characters. Junie was a great character, and I wanted everything to work out for her. I liked how the author didn't sugarcoat the history of that time. I'm glad we are seeing history written honestly now. However, I didn't love the writing, and sometimes it felt more YA-ish to me. Will I read more from this author-YES. Don't miss the author's note in the end!

Junie is a wonderful novel. It is the story of a 16 year old slave growing up on Bellereine plantation in Alabama. Her mother has long been sold, and other slaves and relatives are now her family. They form the tapestry of her life, but she doesn’t quite fit the mold of a maid in the Big House. Her days are spent tending to the needs of the master’s daughter, Violet, and Violet gives her the gift of reading, which turns out to be a blessing and a curse. When guests from New Orleans appear one day and threaten to upend Junie’s life, she acts in desperation and in so doing, raises her sister Minnie’s spirit up from the dead. While initially unwilling to heed her sister’s spiritual calling, she eventually discovers hidden secrets that impact her past and her future. Her life’s path will hinge on whether to remain with her beloved family tethered to a life she has not chosen, or to seek freedom and follow another direction for her heart. And if she chooses love and freedom, what is the cost of what she must leave behind? I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Ballantine Books for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an objective review.

This book blew me away. I loved Junie as a character. The author loosely based Junie on her great-great-great-grandmother, who escaped from slavery at the start of the Civil War.

I think what I loved most about this book was that Junie was such a dynamic character. When we meet her, she is naive, almost content with her life at Belleriene. She's the favorite of Violet, daughter of the master, who has taught her to read and write, she loves wandering the woods and daydreaming, even writing poetry. But the death of her sister Minnie begins to weigh heavily on her. When Minnie's ghost appears to her in the woods with quests to fulfill, she begins to uncover some darker truths about life on the plantation. Through these quests, we see Junie grow and fully realize what staying enslaved will mean for her. There's a really great line about having to live in the margins - having to find small bits of happiness around the horrors that surround you, just to survive.

This is a book about grief, about being brave and asserting yourself even when it's dangerous to do so. I loved seeing her relationship with Violet - who is also a bit naive for most of this story - and how the two find ways to live in the margins of their lives in different ways.

It was a really beautiful story filled with resilience and hope.

This is the @gmabookclub pick for February, and I can see why!

A powerful, poignant and emotional story. Junie is an enslaved teenager on an Alabama plantation in the years prior to the Civil War. She and several of her family members labor for the McQueen family.

Junie is the maid to the McQueen’s teenage daughter, Violet, with whom she has an unlikely friendship. When guests arrive at the plantation, there is sudden talk of marriage for Violet, a frightening realization for both Violet and Junie. Junie tries to control the changes, enlisting the help of the guest’s coachman, Caleb. She also turns to her dead sister and awakens Minnie’s spirit. Things quickly unravel as family secrets and lies are revealed and life-altering choices are made.

The story is so well-written, just as bold and brilliant as the cover. Yet the words also have an extraordinary passion to them. I suspect that is because the author based it on one of her ancestors. She added an element of magical realism and changed many of the facts to fictionalize it. But a legacy flows through this story - and it is felt. Please don’t skip the Author’s Note!


Thank you @randomhouse for the gifted ebook via NetGalley. #Junie #Randomhouse @erincrosbyeckstine

This historical fiction story takes place in Alabama before the Civil War. Junie is 16, living on McQueen’s cotton plantation, and serving as a maid to daughter, Violet. When the Taylors come to visit, Junie becomes friends with Mr. Taylor’s valet and coachman. Violet and Junie have a special relationship that dies when Junie is beaten. Junie is stuck in her past and is helping her deceased sister, Minnie, in the In Between. She has tasks to complete before Minnie can leave this earth. Junie learns a lot about her family and many ugly truths. This story moves between the cruelty of slavery and the devotion of family. I would have preferred the ending to be more complete rather than left hanging.

🧡📖FIVE STAR BOOK REVIEW📖🧡

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🥰Thank you so much to @randomhouse for the gifted book!

📖Title: Junie
✍️Author: @erincrosbyeckstine
📅Pub date: February 4, 2025

🧡WOW- I was absolutely stunned by this deep, moving, and beautiful debut. Everything about it was perfect. The cover. The story. The characters. The narrator. Absolutely amazing.

📖Be prepared for this book to win all the awards this year!

🫶This story takes place in 1860-1861 on Bellereine Plantation in Alabama where 16-year-old Junie has spent her entire life enslaved. Junie has always dreamed of life beyond the plantation, but her dreams are haunted and halted by her dark reality and by the ghost of her deceased sister, Minnie.

📖The supernatural aspect of this book, while important, wasn't overwhelming or too much in my opinion. The idea of historical fiction mixed with supernatural may sound odd, but I really think it worked so well here. If supernatural elements typically aren't your thing, I think you should absolutely still give this one a shot.

🧡As far as pacing goes, I felt like it kept getting progressively more intense as it went on and built up to an absolutely jaw-dropping end. Every chapter felt more intense than the previous one!

📖I felt the widest range of emotions while reading this book which is a testament to Erin's immersive writing! I finished the book with tears in my eyes and feel like I could start it again today and feel the same way the second time.

🫶This would be a perfect bookclub pick! The discussion could go on and on since there is so much to unpack. Do not miss the author's note!

I love this cover! This is phenomenally written and immersing. I was invested in finding out how this was going to end. This is one of my favorites of this year so far! I would highly recommend this! Special Thank You to Erin Crosby Eckstine, Random House Publishing Group Ballantine and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I feel so giddy when an author knocks it out of the park for their debut novel! Erin Crosby Eckstine has written such a powerful novel that I would've NEVER guessed this was her first! Bravo, Ms. Eckstine💯!

Junie, a 16-year-old enslaved girl, is a character that will stay with me long after the last page was turned. The author managed to create a feisty character with heart and an indelible spirit unlike any I've encountered in the recent past. A well-crafted cast of characters joins Junie as this coming-of-age story unravels seamlessly.

Despite the addition of magical realism, a genre that requires a deft ability to reach a precise balance between suspension of disbelief and a realistic plot line, the author managed to hit the nail on the head. Her writing is silky smooth, and I just couldn't put the book down!

This historical fiction novel is based on the author's ancestral grandmother, and the care and precision with which she writes has resulted in a stunning tribute.

If you're looking for an Own voices historical fiction novel with a twist to read during Black History Month, look no further. This book will readily transport you to the pre-civil war era and will leave a lasting imprint on your heart.

Many thanks to partners, Random House and NetGalley for this gifted review copy!

The narrative voice in Junie sounds so assured that you wouldn’t realize it was a debut. The title character, just sixteen in 1860, has lived her whole life on Bellereine Plantation in rural central Alabama, as “property” of the McQueen family. Junie has hopes and dreams like any young woman, and her interior life is fully and richly described. Although she shares household duties with her family—including her loving grandparents, Auntie Marilla, and cousin Bess—she primarily acts as companion to her white master’s daughter, Violet, who taught her to read. The teenagers share confidences and thoughts on literature; Junie has a fondness for British poetry, while her relatives worry that her head’s too much in the clouds.

Junie’s world is about to change. Already in financial distress due to the master’s alcoholism and irresponsibility, the McQueens are becoming nervous about potential war. When Mr. Beauregard Taylor, a wealthy suitor for Violet’s hand, arrives to stay at Bellereine, Junie—fearful of what Violet’s marriage will mean for her—undertakes a daring nighttime excursion that awakens the spirit of her late sister, Minnie, who had died after saving Junie from drowning. Minnie has several demands for Junie to accomplish on her behalf, and fulfilling them unearths terrible truths about life at Bellereine.

The eeriness of the ghostly visitations stands in effective contrast with the verdant beauty of the woods that Junie loves. The plotting is superb, with many unforeseen twists, and Junie is a compelling creation. Her growing closeness to the Taylors’ coachman, Caleb, is depicted with tender realism. Knowing that enslaved people’s futures aren’t their own, both hesitate to become too close. Still innocent in many ways as the novel begins, Junie is repeatedly tested, and she recalibrates the meaning of friendship, freedom, and sisterhood with every shocking revelation. (From the Historical Novels Review, Feb. 2025)

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I did enjoy this book even though I thought it was a little slow. It did end up picking up and I did read it in one day. I did enjoy the characters and their development. I would recommend this book.

This is just good storytelling. I highly recommend everyone pick this up in February. Junie is going to stay with me for a long, long time. I read this shortly after my dad passed, and it was the only thing that kept my attention.