First published 2023
The residents of Homewood navigate lives shaped by their neighborhood's complex history. In this Pittsburgh community, families carry stories that stretch back to slavery while confronting present realities. Characters move through streets where the past refuses to stay buried. Some seek hiding places from the weight of history. Others find themselves summoned by yesterday's unfinished business. The trilogy follows multiple generations as they wrestle with how the neighborhood's origins continue to influence daily existence. Wideman brings readers into the homes and hearts of people whose experiences reflect broader American struggles. These interconnected stories reveal how community members resist being reduced to simple categories or dismissed entirely. The residents fight to have their full humanity recognized. Through their voices, the trilogy captures both the burden and the beauty of life in a place where every corner holds memory. This is literature that insists on the complexity and worth of lives too often overlooked.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, historical-fiction, family-drama, african-american-historical-fiction
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, generational-saga
Setting: Homewood, Pittsburgh
Period: 20th-century
576 pages · Paperback · Scribner
Content warnings: racism, slavery