Book Review: ‘Long Gone, Come Home: A Novel’ By Monica Chenault-Kilgore

The year is 1936 in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, and Birdie Jennings is a 16-year-old black girl in the south, working the fields to help support her Mama, and two sisters. It’s a small community, and she must watch how she acts. When she goes to see a band at a club, she meets Jimmy, an older black male, and she lets herself go a little crazy. In the days to come she sneaks off to spend time with him, and soon finds herself with child, and Jimmy asks her Mama if he can marry her. Mama agrees, but Birdie is on her own after this. They settle into a nice family for a while, Birdie has a second child, and Jimmy starts vanishing at night, and for days at a time. He finally just leaves, and Birdie and the kids go live with Mama, until Birdie goes looking for Jimmy in Chicago, and Cincinnati. She goes to jazz clubs, seedy type bars, gets wined and dined, and finds Jimmy, who promises he will be home soon. Birdie decides not to wait for him, and decides she has to make a life for her family, with or without him. A story of love, survival, and one woman’s determination to do what’s best for her family, on her terms, regardless how the world sees her, and treats her. You follow along, and hope for the best. It’s one of those books you don’t want to put down.

You can pick up Long Gone, Come Home in stores on Tuesday, June 6th from Graydon House.