Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - All We Were Promised

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All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore

2 reviews

henrygravesprince's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

In the interest of full disclosure, this review is specifically regarding a DRC copy of the book from Net Galley, so while I imagine this eBook was pretty close to finalized, some details may have been changed between my copy and the official release.

I think this book would appeal to a lot of historical fiction readers, especially those who are interested in stories grounded in historical realism. The strongest element of this book is the fact that it’s extremely well-researched; one can tell that the author knows what she’s talking about and is committed to communicating it in as accurate a manner possible. The weakest point is that it does feel like a journalist’s first major endeavor into fiction, which is not much of an issue to me because that’s what it is—it’s easy to see that the author is more well-versed in the technical aspects of writing and the process of research and weaving that research into a piece than fiction writing. That being said, this is an incredibly strong debut, in part, I’m sure, because of the author’s journalistic background. I think that as she writes more fiction, her skill in prose writing will catch up to her strengths. As things stand, I’m on board for what Lattimore writes next, and I’m confident that if she continues writing historical fiction with this level of dedication, she could become a powerhouse in the genre.

The writing style is consistent and strong, very effective and impressive for a fiction debut—that’s another thing I think may be in part a strength of the author’s journalistic background. Description is quite lucid and prevalent, but pretty evenly spread throughout scenes instead of heaped on unevenly. The pacing is incredibly steady, not too fast or too slow. On a technical and grammatical level, this book is clear, consistent, and competent, never distracting the reader with its construction and flowing relatively well both in its style and its mechanics. Overall, the structure of the narrative is also compelling: it alternates between the point of view of the three central characters, Charlotte, Nell, and Evie.

I appreciated the secondary plotlines,

such as Nell and Alex’s romance and the familial bond between Darcell and Charlotte,

and found them cohesive and very well-woven into the overall narrative. There’s a thematic throughline there of found family that is incredibly effective, forged through the shared experiences of the cast, even as they differ in background and in some of the views their backgrounds have informed. This only bolsters the major recurring theme of praxis and the advantages of direct action in comparison to more rigid diplomatic and bureaucratic forms of activism.

I don’t think the story would have lost something if it were constrained to one of the women’s perspectives per se, but I do think the usage of multiple points of view lends to the breadth of the story covering all three of their vantage points. I think the decision to portray three different positions of intersectionality between race and the factors of class and gender through the point of view characters pays off here. So often in literature dealing with marginalized identities, authors are expected to only portray one specific experience. However, in portraying three different Black women’s entwined stories, Lattimore manages to make a powerful commentary on how oppression can affect people in unique but familiar manners and the way individual experiences with a particular identity can both compare andcontrast with another’s.

Lattimore’s choice to use more historically accurate language around race and racial identity within dialogue and the more modern identifier of Black within narration is just one very strong example of ways authors can navigate the changing landscape of language, especially within historical fiction. I also appreciate her discussing those decisions around the language used within dialogue vs in narration in the author’s note. Transparency about linguistic decisions made by authors I believe can make people more conscious of the fluidity of language, especially language around identity, and it’s something I’ve seen done in nonfiction works (for example, Leslie Feinberg’s Transgender Warriors and Lamar Hardwick’s How Ableism Fuels Racism both include notes around the language used within their texts) that I think more authors writing fictional works ought to consider doing. Hearing a writer’s thought process around their choices of terminology is always interesting to me, as well, and can help inform future readers regarding the landscape of language at the time a work was written.

In the author’s note, when Lattimore discusses how she developed the concept for this book, the passion and dedication put into telling this story shines through. This is a lovingly crafted historical narrative about activism and intersectionality with just as much effort put into the characters and their relationships as into the research foundational to it. I understand that the usage of a lack of (or complications with) communication as a major element of conflict may put some people off, but to me, this book is an example of that plot device being used well. Within the story’s particular historical context, the issues with communication make sense; it’s justified within the plot and doesn’t feel arbitrary. If anything, it feels like another well-thought out element of the plot.

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kerryamchugh's review

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informative tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Inspired by Les Miserables, historical fiction that really explores the fits and starts of abolitionist movements in the United States (in this case, Philadelphia/Pennsylvania in the 1830s, where slavery is illegal but rampant racism and loopholes allowed for free Blacks to be kidnapped and sent South and enslaved people to be held in the city for up to six months at a time). A bit slow for the first half of the novel, but worth sticking with to the end.

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