Night Wherever We Go by Tracey Rose Peyton - Book Review

Night Wherever We Go by Tracey Rose Peyton

Genre: Historical Fiction 

4.5 Stars 

One Liner: Hard-hitting and well-written 

*****

**The review and the book contain triggers.**

*****

The plantation is struggling in the Texas weather. Six enslaved women gather in the nearby forest in secret to find a way to overcome their problems. The plantation owners, the Lucys, have decided to breed slaves by hiring a 'stockman' to impregnate them. The women are determined to prevent this. 

A pregnancy will mean more such attempts until their bodies give up. However, being caught has deadly consequences, as slaves have no rights. Can the women win this uneven fight with the Lucys? 

The story comes in the first-person plural and third-person POV. 

My Thoughts: 

It’s not always that I don’t know what to say about a book I’ve read. Night The premise says it is a tale of Black women enslaved, humiliated, tortured, and abused by their owners. However, it is so much more! 

The narration is the highlight of the book. It’s a perfect mix of detached and personal. The reader is compelled to feel the pain but doesn’t get drowned by drama. In fact, there is no drama, even with the scope for it. I love how the narration is taut and a little meandering at the same time. This blend of contrasting styles somehow works to create the right impact on the reader. 

Though there are six women slaves mentioned, not all have an equal role. A couple of them stand out, a couple of them walk in and out whenever necessary, and the others fade into the background. This works to keep the focus on the main plot and how it unravels as the story progresses. 

As a reader, you know which character is doing something that could hurt them all. But you also know the reason for it and feel doubly sad. You want to know what happens at the end, but you also don’t want to know. 

Another interesting aspect is the importance of their rituals. Some of them are Christians but still hold on to their pagan roots. Some blend and merge all rituals, trying to gain what little comfort they can from any God willing to listen. 

Though the women are bound by common circumstances like slavery and abuse, they come from different backgrounds and experiences. Despite their shared sisterhood, they have arguments, fights, and secrets that bring the necessary action to advance the plot. They are a unit but with independent minds, thoughts, and ideas. This makes the characters more realistic and impactful. 

With so much to love about this hard-hitting story, why did I round it down to 4 stars? The ending. 

It is good and not good. I went in prepared for it. After all, there aren’t many options here. So, that part is good. However, there’s a split, which somehow left me feeling lost as the read the last page. I can’t explain without revealing spoilers, but a sudden new thread takes the reader out of the scene. Though it ties up with the plot, it removes the focus from the main characters. Though the POV shifts again, the momentum is lost. 

To summarize, Night Wherever We Go is a wonderful book about the lives of slaves on plantations and their constant fight for freedom. Using a setting like Texas and a smaller plantation with a handful of slaves makes the book more personal and poignant. I look forward to reading more by the author. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Ecco, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

*****

P.S: As you would have guessed, the book has many triggers, ranging from domestic abuse to forced sex and more.