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midnightmarauder's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Jam on The Vine follows the story of Ivoe Williams, a girl growing up in the fictional town of Little Tunis, Texas, during the late 1800s through the early 1900s. Her favorite activity is reading, and she'll read practically anything she gets her hands on, yet, her main choice is always newspaper, which she steals from her mother's employer.
Ivoe is very attentive to the world around her. In it, she notices that people with her skin color are persecuted for simply existing. She urges to tell the stories of those people, whose struggles are wholly ignored in media, such as the newspapers she reads.
Her gift for reading and writing give her the opportunity to go to college, something that her family weren't able to do. There, she meets Ona, her professor in her printmaking class, and later, her girlfriend.
Ivoe works hard at her craft, pushing to tell the world about black people's plight in a nation that prides itself on democracy and equality. But, setback after setback bring her down and nearly cause her to give up. It is through both Ona and her family that she finds the courage and strength to follow her dreams and open the first female-run black newspaper, Jam on the Vine.
I really enjoyed reading every single page of this story. As a black lesbian, I especially enjoyed seeing the love between Ivoe and Ona and how it blossomed over time. I also loved Ivoe's family, and how much they lifted her up and supported her dreams. Their own respective stories kept me turning the pages. It is a well-written, loving story about perseverance, hope, and love, all wrapped up into one.
Ivoe is very attentive to the world around her. In it, she notices that people with her skin color are persecuted for simply existing. She urges to tell the stories of those people, whose struggles are wholly ignored in media, such as the newspapers she reads.
Her gift for reading and writing give her the opportunity to go to college, something that her family weren't able to do. There, she meets Ona, her professor in her printmaking class, and later, her girlfriend.
Ivoe works hard at her craft, pushing to tell the world about black people's plight in a nation that prides itself on democracy and equality. But, setback after setback bring her down and nearly cause her to give up. It is through both Ona and her family that she finds the courage and strength to follow her dreams and open the first female-run black newspaper, Jam on the Vine.
I really enjoyed reading every single page of this story. As a black lesbian, I especially enjoyed seeing the love between Ivoe and Ona and how it blossomed over time. I also loved Ivoe's family, and how much they lifted her up and supported her dreams. Their own respective stories kept me turning the pages. It is a well-written, loving story about perseverance, hope, and love, all wrapped up into one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Murder, Racism, Violence, Classism, Death, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Sexism, Blood, Confinement, and Misogyny
Minor: Abortion, Vomit, War, Abandonment, Excrement, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment
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