This book was written so thoughtfully, so beautifully, and very concise. I was able to envision everything as it played out thanks to Erin’s writing. I’ve never been to Alabama but her writing literally sent me there.

The book does a great job of showing just how evil slave owners were. I mean, I wanted to just jump through the pages and strangle all of them. It was infuriating to see Junie and her family treated so horribly, but as stated in the author’s note, she focused primarily on the psychological abuse so there was much worse during these times. Which—again—is infuriating.

I loved the sweetness of Junie’s romance with Caleb, it added much more depth into her character and showed how strong (and sometimes stubborn) she could be. This was also proven through her relationship with Violet.

Overall wonderfully sad but triumphant story. Would definitely recommend to all Historical Fiction lovers!

Junie, by Erin Crosby Eckstine was a very good read for me.

I have, personally, always had an interest in the "old south" so I was excited to receive this book as an ARC.

I was pulled in to this story immediately, as we are introduced right away to Junie.
Her adventurous personality, sometimes even rebellious, drew me right in.
She has had her share of heartache and difficulty early in life and is doing the best she can with her circumstances to find her place in her world.

The "friendship" she had with Violet started out as a precious one that I was happy she had, considering each of their stations in life. They seemed to be very good support to each other.

When Junie encounters the "ghost" of her deceased sister in the woods one night, a mystery begins.
I will admit that it took me a few pages and putting the book down a couple of times to wrap my brain around this supernatural element of the story, as I was not expecting this.
Once I embraced this, I forged forth and enjoyed all aspects of the story.

Erin Crosby Eckstine can weave a tale!
I very much enjoyed her writing style.

As Violet's lot in life changes, so does Junie's.
At times, this inevitability was heart breaking.
Unfortunately, the author accurately describes what life was like on the plantation between the land owners and those enslaved. The treatment described was hard to read at times, as one feels for each of the characters the author has built and breathed life into.

I would like to say that all turned out well in the end.
However, I was saddened by some of the broken relationships, but completely understood the reason for the fractures.

Junie was a strong young lady with a lot of determined spirit.
The supporting characters were well fleshed out and believable.

A final bonus for me at the end of this tale was the fact that the story was based on the author's Grandmother's life.
This brought tears to my eyes and as I read all about her grandmother, I was even more impressed by Junie's perseverance.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a book where one can settle in and get to know the characters and cheer them on in their adventures and grieve with them through their losses.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am feeling slightly torn on this one. I loved the historical fiction element and I thought the writing was very strong - so strong that the story could have held perfectly good ground on its own without the supernatural element. I really enjoyed all of the elements of the story, except for that one. It felt pretty unnecessary? Just my opinion. This book had so much potential and felt Kristin Hannah-esque but it just didn't completely hit the mark for me.

Beautiful story! Thank you netgalley for my copy.
HOW HEARTBREAKING... every one deserves freedom. I am left feeling somewhat hard about life/the world. Very well rounded characters and plot.

You deserve more than a pretty view. You deserve to take all the beauty of this world and hold it in your hands. You deserve to bite it like a peach and let the juice drip ’til your fingers get sticky."
All I can say is wow!! Such a heartbreaking story! How awful! I have no words except this book deserves more than 5 stars!
Everyone deserves a chance at something even freedom.
This is definitely a book that will leave you thinking long and hard about life.
I almost didn't finish this book because of the big "secret" I don't approve of.
But I liked how the author has kept it discreet shall we say and didn't rub it in. I appreciated it and I also liked how the author has added the romance in too. I really wanted to cry for this kind of love.
I'm so glad that I decided to finish it.
Wow! Very well written and each character was well rounded out too.
I sure didn't like old Taylor or his mama. Ugh!
Karma does come around eventually.
I.stayed up all night to read this because Junie wouldn't let me sleep but eventually I had to.
While with an eye made quiet by the power Of harmony, and the deep power of joy, We see into the life of things.
I just had to share this thought.
Be sure to read the author's notes at the end. I had a feeling that it was based off those notes and I was right after reading them thoroughly.
In my opinion, this is what made this an excellent story and that is why I loved it.
I will be adding this to my shelf of favorite books.
I highly recommend this book!
My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book.I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own

Thank you so much Netgalley for approving me for this ARC.
This book centers around a young slave girl named, Junie. Of course this is a novel that centers slavery so if you're someone who is triggered by those themes this is not the book for you. I will say compared to other slave narratives that I've read Junie has a more "comfortable" existence than you would imagine a slave to have.
I devoured this book in two sittings, I think that the author should teach a masterclass on character study. Each character felt real and all had personalities and distinction. The way grief is depicted and how it can impact decisions you normally wouldn't make is also well done. There were some pacing issues towards the middle that made the story lag a little but by the ending everything came together and it was one of the most enjoyable reads I had this year!