This was an audio read about two black women in dual time lines recalling their quest for racial equality and justice for themselves and their people. It was also a commentary on relationships that were jeopardized by not following your heart , of judging others by their status or lack of it.

Thank you, NatGalley and HarperAudio Adult | HarperAudio for this audiobook for review. I couldn’t put this book down, I finished it in a day it was so good. This book bounces back and forth between two timelines- 1959 at Fisk University and the fight for desegregation and 1992 the continued fight for social justice as people witness the beating of Rodney King. I love that although this is a work of fiction, it pulls from very real and relevant parts of history to make the story more compelling and the push and pull between the mother in 1959 and the daughter in 1992.

I had high hopes for People of Means after reading Nancy Johnson's The Kindest Lie and was not disappointed.. Nancy is a master of writing about families, class differences, racism, and the struggle for equality. The Gilroy's are upper middle class African American family navigating the world in 1960's Nashville and 1990's Chicago. The novel is full of rich characters, family secrets, and personal choices. The dual timeline was perfect in showing how far the US has come in dealing with the struggle for equality and how far we still need to go. Read this in your book group now.

Historical fiction isn't my go to genre, but I took a chance with this one, and I'm so glad I did. I absolutely loved People of Means. I was fully invested in both timelines, but the 1960s storyline was my fav. I loved how we saw Freda's story unfold and how the author created a feeling of mystery about her life in the 1992 timeline. I kept wondering what happened back in her college days that created the life she has now! Soooo good.

A mother and a daughter caught in different historical watershed moments of civil rights in America - Tulip is irate at the miscarriage of justice for Rodney King while her mother was at the forefront of the civil rights movement. Through Tulip’s passion for the cause she begins to learn surprising facts about her mother and her own journey.

The book goes back and forth between the Jim Crow south and Chicago in the 90s and shows (as we all know) that there is so much more work to do. Unfortunately, I found the story sort of predictable and slow paced. In addition there was one thing that really clouded the whole book for me - there is one Jewish character in the story and he was written as a caricature of a Jewish man (while eating lunch at a diner he orders latkes, rugelach, and ends his conversation with Mazel Tov) - if we are trying to show how minorities need more respect and rights, we shouldn’t be using stereotypes to describe another minority. Beyond that, the characters never really felt multidimensional and because of that I honestly could not get particularly invested in the characters or their story. The audiobook made the pacing better but in the end this didn’t work for me.

3.25

Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for the ALC to review

This was a good dual timeline historical fiction novel that also explores family relationships. One thread of the book is the Civil Rights era in the 1960s south. The other is modern day Chicago. The main characters we follow are Freda, the mother in the 1960's south and Tulip, in modern day, an ambitious young woman in public relationship.
For me, the novel is strongest in the 1960's Civil Rights thread and in the exploration of the relationship between mother and daughter and of themselves. When it is in present day, the novel lapses into stereotypical racism which while it is, of course, very much present, there are few surprises and allows the author to lapse into delivering messages in a heavy handed manner. I think the novel was strongest in relaying the events in both time periods and letting the readers see the racism that still exists than when the character delivers a speech about it. I also thought the ending, which I won't reveal here, was a little obvious.
That said, the book was engaging and there was strong character development. I would give it a solid 4.25 stars.
I listened to about half the book on audio and the narrator was good, with good inflection as she read the novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow and Harper Adult Audio for providing me with print/audio version of this engaging book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Loved it. Fascinating, informative. Emotional and excellent audio. This dual timeline/dual character story was not only emotional full of secrets, but I was also rooting for the characters. It felt important for them to succeed and find happiness. Surprisingly, their stories intertwine more than they knew.

Advanced listener copy provided by Harper Audio but all opinions are my own.

Told in alternating narratives, Freda (59), is off to Fisk University to learn more about life in the Jim Crow south. Tulip, Freda's daughter (92) faces her own challenges in a career that seems to see her color and not her worth. Black excellence and the pursuit of such is a central theme in both narratives, but also is relevant even today. I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it, especially the audiobook.

I liked it but it drug on at points and it sort of read like a book club book. however it talked about important topics and the end did have me teary eyed so I still suggest reading it.

I enjoyed The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson and was excited to have her newest book in hand. I did enjoy People of Means, but definitely liked The Kindest Lie more!

In People of Means, we get two different timelines and main characters. Freda is attending Fisk College in Nashville in the early 1960s and her daughter Tulip is a young PR professional in Chicago in the early 1990s. We bounce back and forth between the characters and time periods as they discover the many ways in which the United States is racist and how people were trying to fight against it. Freda is from an affluent Black family and when she moves down South for college at the start of the Civil Rights Movement, it's an eye-opening experience. And Tulip is experiencing the nation's climate following the beating of Rodney King as she's simultaneously trying to climb the corporate ladder as a Black woman at a mainly white PR agency and dating a man who her family doesn't seem to think is "good enough" for her.

The story is an easy one to listen to on audiobook and I definitely got wrapped into both Freda and Tulip's lives. I also love that the book uses real historical events and even tied in many well-known people, in some cases before they were well-known. This really helps bring the book to life.

The characters felt very naive in many points of the book and though I think that was part of the point Johnson was trying to make- upper class Black families outside the South didn't fully understand the struggles and importance of the fight like the less affluent and those in the South did- it felt very elementary at times. But I guess that's probably also partly my current day perspective clouding things. Both Freda's and Tulip's families sheltered them and had expectations and notions of how they could best get ahead and make the best lives for themselves.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and it definitely gave me a lot to think about. I'm very curious to see more reviews from Black readers to see how they feel about the characters' reactions to racism and the overall civil rights fight.

People of Means is a thoughtfully written novel that explores themes of equality, racism, and justice. I enjoy Johnson’s writing style and the distinct voices she creates for her characters. The dual timelines add depth to the story, allowing readers to see the long-term impact of choices and circumstances. However, the pacing is slow, so readers should be prepared to take their time with the characters and their journeys. Overall, this is a compelling and important read for those who appreciate character-driven narratives with meaningful social themes.

This was an excellent book, examining Freda, the mother and her relationship with her daughter, Tulip in 1992 in Chicago. It also has Freda’s backstory working in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s in Nashville, Tennessee where she is going to Fisk University.

Tulip is a PR Executive in 1992 and the Rodney King Trial is going on. Both her parents were involved in Civil Rights causes, but currently find them elitist. Mom, Freda is bothering Tulip, her adult daughter about her boyfriend, Key and getting his teeth fixed and goes as far as to suggest setting up a dental appointment. Keeps asking where his people are from.

Dad, Gerald, wow, too much, saying: No, Rodney King didn’t deserve to be beat up, but he is a bad, N Word. What? He sees it that in his time of fighting for Civil Rights, working with dignified Black People, like Martin Luther King, Nat King Cole, and Aretha Franklin; now he sees thugs.

Yet, this felt quite honest. Both families came from means and money. Especially, Freda was taught to be proper and her way to move forward was to do as W.E.B. DuBois said and be in the talented 10%, so go on to prosper and raise yourself and your race this way. W.E.B. Dubois was accused of Elitism and while respected by many there was also debate about some of the things he advocated for. Yet, that seems about as it would go. Both Freda and Tulip have had fathers who were doctors. Families do worry about the effect protesting can have, since in Freida’s case she could get physically attacked and Tulip if she speaks up about the way her almost exclusively White PR Firm treats her, she will suffer repercussions. Certainly, talking about and actually protesting about the police being found non guilty for Rodney King will hurt her career success that she has worked so hard for.

Both women come to a crossroads and must decide how much each is willing to do. This is a book that makes you really think. We have current issues that are essential, yet how much do you get involved and how high is the cost? There always is a cost. Yet, that cost can be well worth it and force you to comfort yourself and some unpleasant realities. Really loved this book and it worked especially well on Audio. I enjoyed the narration, felt it brought the story to life.

Thank you NetGalley, Nancy Johnson, and Harper Audio for a copy of this book. I always leave reviews of books I read.

A heartwarming and heartbreaking story about learning to recognize privilege and of resistance. Historical fiction that feels fascinating.

this mother-daughter historical fiction about black excellence and activism totally blew me away! I love the themes exploring who are actually the people of means to enact change. The author's note is another aspect I adore about this book

People of Means by Nancy Johnson is a stunning historical fiction novel which spans two timelines: the Civil Rights Movement and the post-Rodney King America. I have been a Nancy Johnson fan ever since reading The Kindest Lie and then having the chance to meet her a Zibby Publishing retreat. I remember last year she was mentioning she was writing another book and I knew I’d have to read it. Nancy Johnson has a knack for writing about familial and societal complexities in such a compassionate fashion.

In People of Means, you’ll meet mom Freda and daughter Tulip and through the years you’ll hear of their own individual battles for racial equality, how the mystery of love affected their journeys, and how the strength of womanhood affects change in tumultuous times. There is also no denying the research Johnson has put into this novel - the details, the imagery - you will truly find yourself there. For me, that is always the mark of a well-written book - when I literally forget I am in my own reading room vs. a 1990’s Chicago.

I think you’ll find yourself asking the necessary questions of whether you’ve done enough to take action to right wrongs and the timing of this book release is applicable and gives us all an opportunity for reflection.

The narration of Nancy Johnson and Bahni Turpin most definitely added to my reading enjoyment. I will say for me, the back half of the story really kept off the pages, so if you find yourself struggling with the time line jumps - give yourself grace with midway through. It was here that I could begin to see Freda and Tulip together and identify with each of them a bit more.

Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to listen and review this audiobook.

This was a great novel about both the Civil Rights work in Nashville during the 19060's and the protests in Chicago during the 1990's. I enjoyed going back and forth and the characters the covered both of these time lines. The author's note gives some excellent information and personal background that really makes this novel special. I appreciate and enjoy this novel for what it set out to do.

Nancy Johnson's People of Means is a multi-generational story that explores anti-racist activism through the lives of a Black mother, Freda and her daughter, Tulip, each navigating a pivotal moment in history. The mother comes of age at Fisk University in Tennessee, getting swept up in the civil rights movement—and a love triangle—while her daughter, decades later, is working in PR during the Rodney King verdict and finds herself drawn into the protests. Both women struggle with the expectations of their upper-class families, who see activism as beneath them, adding layers of privilege, respectability, and class bias to the story.

The novel's dual timelines are engaging, giving a thoughtful and emotional look at activism across generations. I especially appreciated how Johnson approaches these movements from a perspective that isn't often explored in fiction, making it both enlightening and impactful. The book is challenging to read at times because of the raw depictions of racist violence, but Johnson handles it with care. And while the subject matter is heavy, the novel's depth makes it an important and a good read.

Freda's journey felt too predictable if I had one critique. Foreshadowing is excellent, but it is almost too obvious in this case, which takes away some of the suspense. A bit more subtlety—or just leaning fully into the reveals—could have made it even stronger.

Overall, People of Means is a thought-provoking historical novel that explores the pressures of Black excellence and the complexities of resistance. While I wanted a deeper dive into some of the social conflicts, the book still offers a powerful look at the intersections of race, class, and activism. Definitely one to check out!

Thanks to Nancy Johnson, HarperAudio Adult, and NetGalley for letting me read this beautifully crafted book. “People of Means” is now on sale.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audio copy of this book. I really needed it right now with everything going on in our government, and it reminded me to keep fighting even though it is very easy to give up right now. This book was a beautifully written picture of what it was like to live as a Black American in the 60’s and the 90’s (both not that different than today), and on top of that explores themes of grief, regret, true love, and complacency. It really showed a great example of generational trauma and how the events of the past are carried on from one generation to the next. Another part I really appreciate is that it showed how people can be prejudiced against their own race, and how people of color can be prejudice against other people of color of different races. That is something I never really understood and definitely judged people for it, but this book opened my eyes to the reasoning behind those views and how it’s all just based in oppression which is very heartbreaking. I appreciated the author’s note in the end and how a lot of the book’s events were based on her own life as well as research she did when writing. I think this is a really important book for people to read!

I'm not usually a fan of dual timeline stories but People of Means was well done. It painted a really poignant through-line from the Civil Rights Movement of the 60s to the efforts in the 90s after police beat Rodney King.

While I liked what this book focused on, civil rights, class, race and politics in the mid and late century, it felt very repetitive and shoved down my throat. I wasn’t fond of the writing style and the characters didn’t have depth. I enjoyed the dual timelines in the 1960’s and 1992 following both mother and daughter in their prime. This is my second Johnson book, and I enjoyed her first one, The Kindest Lie, much better than this one. I can see how some will love this book, but I just wasn’t fully invested in it. With all that said, it felt like there was something missing and I didn’t enjoy the ending.