A strong debut novel by a talented storyteller. While the writing shows many marks of a first-time novel, the story is well-crafted, with vivid characters and bold storylines. The story, of affluent and influential black families in the Jim Crow era, is fascinating and important. Ms. Grant draws from her own impressive ancestry to tell this story, and it is an honest and proud history.

This is a 3-part story, and as the novel is fairly short, I wish we had spent more time with each part. Big Will’s back story, concerning the policing of a black community via mandatory service in a vigilante group that metes out justice to offenders, was the shortest, but also the most compelling of the three. The story of Jordan and Sarah Sable, from their young lives to their courtship, and then on into their rise in power and influence is a fascinating middle installment. The final part concerns their daughter Vivian. Her story is one that is often told, and although it does not add anything new, it does add a layer to the family story and wraps up the entire story quite well.

'The Sable Cloak' is a rich and poignant portrait of a lesser-told story of American history. I found it moving and though-provoking, particularly the emotional effect on Big Will of the aforementioned policing of crime in a black community, train travel during Jim Crow, and learning a bit more about the Overground Railroad. This book would make an excellent book club selection, as it elicits much meaningful thoughts and discussion. I am glad Ms. Grant wrote this novel and that I had the opportunity to read it. My thanks, also, to NetGalley, and to Grand Central Publishing for the invitation to read this ARC.

I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley. The first chapter was pretty jarring, but after that it calmed down although there are incidents of violence throughout the book including rape so beware if that is a trigger for you. This book covers multiple timelines in an extended family as they become successful financially in a racist world. The writing was well-done and kept my attention. I felt sick after some of the scenes because they were painted so well with words to capture the ugliness of the violence.

The Red Sable


This Black family story set in St. Louis in the 1940s is both engrossing and relatable. The undertaker and his wife were able to rise to prominence, and become leaders in their community. When a tragedy rallies them together, they find that their family’s true wealth is not in money or in their upper-middle class status, but in the bonds of affection and loyalty.

The book avoids being overly sentimental. In short, this is a good read.

The Sable Coak by Gail Milissa Grant
TW: child abuse, rape

Posthumous novels are hard to review. I feel like I’m intruding on someone’s legacy. Gail Milissa Grant wrote only two books in her lifetime - a memoir and this novel. Her acknowledgements state she hoped she did her people justice. She certainly did, but that doesn’t mean the novel doesn’t have shortcomings.

There is no distinct protagonist in the novel, as the story focuses solely on one person’s journey before starting another. This is different from many modern novels which are told chronologically with alternating viewpoints. Each chapter is easily identified with a clearly stated place and time. Readers feel heavily connected to each character and their world. But it also makes character transitions jarring. This is most apparent once Calvin is introduced.

I preferred the first parts of the novel detailing Jordan and Sarah’s stories. By the time Vivian’s teenage story started, I wanted more of a deep dive into Jordan’s political career or how he and Sarah were an early American power couple. Their stories were told so honestly and vividly. My favorite part was the chapters detailing their courtship - it is so uniquely southern American.

However once the story shifts to Vivian and her struggle it feels almost like a different novel. Honestly I didn’t care much for Vivian and Calvin’s story. I’m not sure if that’s because of the brutality within it or because its evolution seemed very predictable. The actual rape itself is thankfully not graphic. But a trigger warning might be needed.

I would also be heavily remiss if I didn’t say how much I learned while reading this novel. I have heard of the Underground Railroad, but this is the first time I have ever heard of (and then researched) the Overground Railroad. What a fascinating idea! One of the many reasons I enjoy reading historical fiction is that I love learning new things. I also didn’t know why Jim Crow Laws didn’t apply to trains, although the explanation was quite clear. For that I am very grateful.

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the early access copy. All opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone.

I struggle sometimes with historical novels, as it's hard for me to adapt to different speaking styles and societal norms. And so I struggled with this until about halfway through, and it clicked in. This was a story outside my background, and it was told in an interesting and captivating manner. I particularly identified with the story of Big Will, and the awkwardness of his new setting. I absolutely appreciated the connection with author's own family background, making things more connected.

I enjoyed this, and learned some things along the way. Recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

This was an eye opening read about the Sable family and the reach they had within the St. Louis community during the Jim Crow era. Jordan Sable worked his way into the powerful position he obtained in controlling the black vote and used that to his advantage where and when he could. Finally finding himself the one, Jordan marries Sara and they become a formidable couple in the community. She helps take on running the mortuary business and the Sable name becomes even more known. Sara and Jordan are both high class respected members and often advice is asked of them. When tragedy strikes and they endure a great loss they need to find the ability to continue to move forward. But sometimes it takes just one event to change things to uncertainty and loss. I always love when a novel is based off true people and places and this being based off the authors family was fascinating. I also love how the title really has two meanings within the story. Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the complementary novel! This review is of my own opinion and accord.

I really enjoyed how this book centered around the successes of individuals in black communities, particularly in the St. Louis area, and how these successful individuals heavily influenced politics as an effort to further progress for their community. I thought this was really well done with all of the different characters! And the story was engaging - I found myself flying through the chapters.

This is definitely worth the read for anyone who’s interested in a historical fiction that’s not the stereotypical WWII or slavery-centric novel.

I had a hard time with the way this story was told - I found it hard to follow and disjointed. It was just not the book for me.

A story about interconnected Black families in the Jim Crow South and Midwest of the 1920s to 1940s shows the world of the upper middle class in largely self-sufficient Black communities. Jordan Sable, a man with an iron will, runs a mortuary - and the Black vote in St. Louis - and when he finds his match in Sarah, their legacy seems set until something terrible happens to their only child. It's a tale of struggle and success, tragedy and overcoming.

This is a very engaging, well written work of historical fiction that will be perfect for anyone looking to illuminate a region and time not often discussed. The characters come alive in this one, and even though I read it while I was going through a very tough time personally, I found it hard to put down, Totally immersive, and even more startling when you learn these characters spring from the author's own family. A thoroughly enjoyable work of historical fiction.

This is the first time I have read anything from this author, and Grant did not disappoint. This book was very well written, and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was captivating and eye opening in a time. I found that I enjoyed the book more knowing that it was inspired by the author's family history. I would definitely recommend this book to other. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you Net Galley ARC!

This book is absolutely fantastic! It's filled with captivating history and lore, vividly portraying the characters' unwavering determination to protect their families and the community's resolute action in removing troublemakers through their own brand of justice. The portrayal of relatives living with and supporting each other demonstrates a timeless way of life. The book is inspired by the author's family history. Ms. Grant does an admirable job of sharing what her ancestors faced and how they persevered. This is a phenomenal historical novel. Aspects of history no longer talked about are brought to light. The characters are bold and interesting, and I wanted to know more about them. I'm sure Ms. Grant has more stories to tell. Hopefully, I will get to meet more of her bold characters in her next book.

This was a beautifully done historical fiction book, it had everything that was promised in this universe and was engaged with what was happening. The characters felt like they were supposed to in this time-period and glad they were so well written. Gail Milissa Grant wrote this well and was glad I was able to read this.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.