A young girl must face a life-altering decision after awakening her sister’s ghost, navigating truths about love, friendship, and power as the Civil War looms.

Sixteen years old and enslaved since she was born, Junie has spent her life on Bellereine Plantation in Alabama, cooking and cleaning alongside her family, and tending to the white master’s daughter, Violet. Her daydreams are filled with poetry and faraway worlds, while she spends her nights secretly roaming through the forest, consumed with grief over the sudden death of her older sister, Minnie.

When wealthy guests arrive from New Orleans, hinting at marriage for Violet and upending Junie’s life, she commits a desperate act—one that rouses Minnie’s spirit from the grave, tethered to this world unless Junie can free her. She enlists the aid of Caleb, the guests’ coachman, and their friendship soon becomes something more. Yet as long-held truths begin to crumble, she realizes Bellereine is harboring dark and horrifying secrets that can no longer be ignored.

With time ticking down, Junie begins to push against the harsh current that has controlled her entire life. As she grapples with an increasingly unfamiliar world in which she has little control, she is forced to ask herself: When we choose love and liberation, what must we leave behind?

This is one of those reads that stays with you, and makes me question why I don’t read more of this genre. I got this one from my Aardvark back in February but waited to read it for a July historical fiction prompt. I’m so glad I held onto it. The wait was worth it.

This book is raw, emotional, and beautifully layered with just enough magical realism to elevate the story without overshadowing its historical roots. At the heart of it is Junie, a sixteen-year-old girl who is impossible to forget. Born into slavery on the Bellereine Plantation in Alabama, Junie has spent her life serving as a maid to Violet, the young daughter of the house. Despite their circumstances, the two girls form a close bond, sharing secrets, dreams, and a quiet rebellion. Violet even teaches Junie to read—an act that sparks Junie’s longing for a life beyond the plantation, a life shaped by the stories she’s only just begun to understand.

But when Junie discovers that Violet’s parents plan to marry her off, everything changes. Junie is expected to leave with Violet, abandoning her family and the only home she’s ever known. Faced with an impossible choice, Junie makes a decision that stirs the spirit of her dead sister Minnie—and sets in motion a story both haunting and unforgettable.

What stood out most to me was how the book holds space for both devastation and hope. It doesn’t sugarcoat history. The violence and dehumanization inflicted by white people during this time are portrayed with unflinching honesty. And yet, the characters are never reduced to their suffering. They retain their agency, their humanity, their spark. That’s what makes this story so affecting and so unforgettable.

There’s also a quiet, tender romance woven through the story, one that blossoms naturally between Junie and Caleb, the coachman of Violet’s soon-to-be husband. Their connection doesn’t overshadow the plot but deepens it, adding richness to Junie’s journey. Through Caleb, Junie gains another piece of life she can finally call her own. As hidden truths come to light and the story plunges into darker territory, Junie’s choices grow weightier, more urgent. I found myself rooting for her with everything I had.

The magical realism threaded through the novel adds a beautiful, haunting layer. Minnie’s ghost isn’t just a plot device, it’s a tether. Junie’s love for her sister runs deep, and as we learn more about their bond and the tragedy that tore them apart, Minnie’s presence adds a poignant emotional weight to the story.

This is not a gentle or easy read, and it shouldn’t be. The brutality and injustice of slavery are shown in full, unflinching detail. The power dynamics, the cruelty, the indignities are all here. But so is Junie’s strength and her resilience. She is inspiring, determined, and brilliantly rendered.

If you’re a fan of historical fiction that pulls no punches, centers Black voices, and weaves in a thread of the uncanny, this book should be at the top of your list. It’s heavy. It’s haunting. But it’s also deeply beautiful.

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