We can all agree that a story has a way of capturing our hearts and minds in a way that a textbook often cannot. That’s precisely what happens in today’s featured book. Yonder Come Day: Exploring the Collective Witness of the Formerly Enslaved by Jasmine Holmes transforms history into a powerful memoir, weaving together the voices of the formerly enslaved to create a deeply moving and unforgettable narrative.

Keep reading to find out more about this unique book!



Rediscovering Hidden Histories: Yonder Come Day by Jasmine Holmes | A Book Review

Summary
My Take
My Recommendation
Quick Stats
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Content
Summary
Yonder Come Day by Jasmine L. Holmes is a unique "collective memoir" that brings to light the hidden stories of resilience, faith, and survival of formerly enslaved people in the United States. Using interviews conducted in the 1930s with over 3,000 formerly enslaved individuals, Holmes crafts the narrative around a composite character named Little One. Through her journey—from being called Little Bit to Lonely One, Lovely One, and finally Grandmama—the book weaves together the harsh realities of slavery with the enduring strength and spirit of its survivors.

The book aims to deepen the reader's understanding of America's history, particularly the enduring impact of slavery, while highlighting the faith and fortitude of those who endured it.

My Take
Growing up in Canada, narratives about the history of slavery were sparse. Aside from reading Underground to Canada in elementary school, my understanding of this dark chapter in human history felt distant. That perspective shifted dramatically when I stood inside the chilling confines of a slave market cell in Zanzibar, confronting the harrowing reality of what enslaved individuals endured.

This story is a sobering reminder of the grievous and unfathomable treatment of human beings. Even more disturbing is how some who called themselves Christians went so far as to adapt Scripture into what became known as the Slave Bible—a manipulated text that omitted passages about freedom and equality to justify and perpetuate oppression. It’s a stark and tragic example of how sin corrupts even the sacred when used to serve selfish and sinful purposes.

Reflecting on this, I’m reminded of the profound responsibility I have as a follower of Christ to let His love flow through me to others. It’s a call to always see people as God sees them: imago Dei, created in His image, deserving of dignity and compassion. Yet, living this out is often easier said than done. God’s patience, mercy, and love are both a comfort and a challenge as I strive to reflect them in my own life.

How might the truths in this story inspire you to reflect Christ’s compassion and justice in your interactions with others today?

My Recommendation
This is an important read for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of the legacy of slavery and resilience. She masterfully bridges history and storytelling, offering readers a powerful lens through which to view one of America's darkest periods. The narrative’s emotional depth makes it an engaging read for general readers.. Whether you’re looking to uncover hidden histories or simply explore a compelling and thought-provoking story, this book is an essential addition to your library.

Quick Stats
# of Pages: 195
Level of Difficulty: Easy
My Rating: 5 stars

A really interesting example of how communal suffering can create a particular wisdom and integrity among a group of people. Sad, troubling, and yet hopeful, I thought this was a really good and important read.

(I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

The WPA slave narratives aimed to capture the stories of prior slaves and were undertaken in the 1930s. In this book, Holmes masterfully weaves stories from the WPA slave narratives with the story of a Black girl who grows into a woman and then a matriarch through the years of slavery up to the 1930s.

I loved how Holmes grounded the WPA narratives in a larger story that made you want to keep reading and gave a place for each of the WPA narratives to shine. Having many WPA narratives referenced throughout each chapter really helped the reader understand the atrocities that occurred by reading about them from many different narratives. Reading about the lived experiences of these prior slaves was not easy, but important and I definitely want to read more of these narratives now.

Why isn't everyone talking about this book? Yonder Come Day tells the story of many through the story of one, and Holmes absolutely pulls it off. This was thoroughly researched, heartbreaking, and important.

I really enjoyed this book, can see myself revisiting it, and would highly recommend it to almost anyone.

From the jump – literally the first sentence of the Introduction – I was completely sucked in. I was so grateful for the peek behind the curtain Holmes gives us to her process for researching and creating this story. The introduction alone would be a worthwhile reason to check this book out.

Holmes expertly weaves together primary sources (included as excerpts throughout the book), something she refers to as Collective Memory (a summary of some of those primary source excerpts in narrative form) and moments from the life of Little Bit (a character Holmes has created to serve as the anchor for the book as time progresses). Honestly I felt like I was reading a beautifully crafted historical fiction novel that had its references seamlessly built into the book. It’s these references that give the story the weight it deserves; as a reader you’re directly confronted with the reality that the fiction is built on top of – you cannot look away.

Description
As our nation has experienced a renewal of reckoning with the reality of slavery in our past and the continued struggle for equality and liberation in the present, many previously untold stories have come to light. But not every story. Some histories remain shrouded, waiting for someone to uncover them and make them known. Incredibly, some of them have been hiding in plain sight for decades.

Yonder Come Day brings these hidden histories into the light in an unconventional yet powerful way. Drawing from the recorded interviews of more than 3,000 formerly enslaved people from across the South collected in the 1930s, Jasmine L. Holmes creates a compelling "collective memoir" unlike anything you've read. The story follows Little One, a composite character who guides the modern-day reader through the experience of slavery. As she grows from Little Bit to Lonely One to Lovely One to Grandmama, she exposes both harsh truths and an irrepressible spirit, helping us better understand the love, resilience, and faithfulness necessary to survive the evils of our nation's original sin.

Teachers, historians, and anyone doing the work of reconciliation will find that Yonder Come Day is the vital resource they didn't even know they were missing.

My Take:
This is a unique case where the description does the heavy lifting for the reviewer. Therefore, I can assure you that the reader will receive exactly what is promised. Additionally, I recommend this book to individuals who may enter communities with the intent of extracting data. It explores how their biases and identities influence the data collected. It also examines how one can engage with communities empathetically and attentively, rather than merely advancing their own agendas. This book probes these issues, fostering dialogue and opening avenues for transformation. It is a valuable addition to syllabi that cover data collection methodologies and more.