One Blood by Denene Millner is about three generations of African American women who are trying to find their place in society. Grace is a teenager who is raised by her beloved grandmother, Maw Maw, in post-segregation Virginia. Grace watches and helps her grandmother deliver babies. She loves her life and living with her grandmother. However, that all changes when, in a span of a few days, Grace’s mother, Bassey, dies and also her grandmother is accused of a crime she didn’t commit. Grace is heartbroken to have her grandmother taken away from her and thrown into jail. With no other relatives in the area, she is snuck across state lines to live with her Aunt Hattie in the North so she isn’t at risk of being found by persons intending harm.
Aunt Hattie is a formidable and ambitious woman. She wants nothing to do with her Southern roots and wants only to focus on upward mobility. She started a school to teach young girls about manners and hospitality to show that she belongs with the rest of the society. Grace is grateful for having a roof over her head but she quickly learns that her aunt has a different purpose for her. Grace is put to work to take care of the needs of her aunt and her students. She barely has time for herself and she feels trapped because her aunt won’t let her practice any of her Southern rituals that Grace finds comforting.
Instead, Grace finds comfort with Dale, the son of a prominent family in her aunt’s social circle. Dale believes that the Black community shouldn’t be focused on manners, fancy teas, and pageants. Instead, they should be working towards getting equal rights. He wants them to realize that racism still exists in the North, even though the community likes to pretend otherwise. While attending a protest he gets caught up with the police when the protest turns violent. His mother decides to send him away to avoid Dale getting into more trouble with the police. Dale wanted to spend one last day with Grace before he leaves. The one magical night they spent together leaves Grace pregnant. Grace is scared because she doesn’t know who to trust and she doesn’t have anyone else she can confide in once Dale leaves. When Grace gives birth to her daughter, Hattie takes the baby and gives it up for adoption without telling Grace.
Delores, or Lolo, as she is known to her friends and family is known for her witty and protective nature. She had a hard life growing up and it was filled with heartache and pain. Lolo had a dream of becoming a model but had to put her dreams on hold. She had to find a way to survive with little money and as a Black woman. She decides that having a family and a husband is the best option for her, and she is willing to do anything to obtain and keep her family.
Lolo finally gets her dream of having a family. She has a doting husband and two kids with a beautiful home. However, when secrets from the past emerge, it threatens to tear apart the family Lolo has worked hard to create. Lolo will do whatever it takes to keep her family and dreams intact.
Rae, Lolo’s willful daughter, finds out she is adopted and learns that is just one of the few secrets that her family has been keeping from her. When Rae finds out that she is about to become a mother herself, she decides to address her past and her family. Will Rae be able to reconcile the truth over her family’s secrets?
I am on the fence for this book. The book was a hefty read and it took some time getting into the writing style. When we were first introduced to Grace, it took some time to understand the Southern dialect. As we get introduced to the later characters (Lolo and Rae), it was easier to read and get into the flow of things. It was interesting to see how the different characters were connected but at times I was trying to understand the point of the book. Was it to show the demands of motherhood? Is it to show the lengths we go to for the ones we love? Or is it how hard it is and how long it takes before we come into our own? Or perhaps, the decades and generation long struggles of being a woman or a Black woman in society? Or is it the effects of generational trauma and how it affects the future?
Each of the three main characters were unique and interesting. I didn’t like, though, that after Grace’s chapters were over that we never saw her again. I was interested in learning what happened to her and some of the characters in her story. I felt attached to some of the characters and wanted to read more about them. I felt like their stories weren’t complete and were left unresolved. The three main characters didn’t really feel connected and their stories felt disjointed. The timelines were also confusing as characters would get older or we would be taken back in time but it wasn’t very clear.
The ending was a bit confusing to me as I didn’t quite comprehend what was going on. Did Grace and Rae finally connect with her blood family? I also didn’t quite understand the magical elements in the book. I felt like it took backstage in the middle until the very end. What was the purpose and role of the magical elements? The book is a powerful and emotional read but also has a lot of sad and depressing moments of how people and children were treated.
