My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson

A frightening collection of stories of race, violence and uncertainty that are complete on their own but flow together beautifully. The main story is of Da'Naisha and a group of neighbors who are run out of town as their homes are burned down by a white supremacist group. They flee to Monticello where they take it over barricading themselves against the outside world. Da'Naisha is a direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings so it seems right that this is where they stop and fight back. Themes of racial hatred, the struggle for a better life and the violence and uncertainty of the future makes some of this feel apocalyptic like McCarthy's THE ROAD. This is a powerful debut that you will think about well after the final page.  4 stars