The Fallen Fruit

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Special Announcement!

Hey there, book lover! Before we get into the usual review post, I want to let you know that we will be having a special edition of Books, WIPs, + Sips Book Club for Quarter 4, the date for which has been moved to accommodate the schedule of our very special guest. You DON’T want to miss it! Details below! Now on to the review!

Update: I’m sorry you missed the live event, but don’t worry! The replay is available below for you!

Synopsis

Combining history and fantasy, a sweeping multi-generational epic in the vein of Kindred and The Time Traveler’s Wife about a woman who travels through time to end a family curse that has plagued her ancestors for generations.

On a rainy day in May 1964, history professor Cecily Bridge-Davis begins to search for the sixty-five acres of land she inherited from her father’s family. The quest leads her to uncover a dark secret: In every generation, one offspring from each Bridge family unit vanishes—and is mysteriously whisked back in time. Rules have been established that must be followed to prevent dire consequences:

Never interfere with past events.

Always carry your free Negro papers.

Search for the survival family packs in the orchard and surrounding forest. The ribbon on the pack designates the decade the pack was made to orient you in time.

Do not speak to strangers unless absolutely necessary.

With only a family Bible and a map marked with the locations of mysterious containers to aid her, Cecily heads to the library, hoping to discover the truth of how this curse began, and how it might be ended. As she moves through time, she encounters a circle of ancestors, including Sabrina Humbles, a free Black woman who must find the courage to seize an opportunity—or lose her heart; Luke Bridge, who traverses battlefields, slavery, and time itself to reunite with his family; Rebecca Bridge, a mother tested by an ominous threat; and Amelia Bridge, a young woman burdened with survivor’s guilt who will face the challenge of a lifetime—and change Cecily’s life forever. It is a race through time and against the clock to find the answers that will free her family forever.

Shawntelle Madison’s historical fiction debut is an enthralling, page-turning family saga about the inevitability of fate, the invincibility of love, and the indelible bonds of family.

Synopsis source: Goodreads

For details about Books, WIPs, + Sips Book Club, click here.
To join the discussion for this title, scroll down for details.

Review

HB&W Rating: 4 stars
Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, BIPOC
View on Goodreads
Buy on Barnes & Noble, Amazon

The Fallen Fruit is a sweeping epic that transcends time and nature to bring you a tale for the ages. Chronicling over 200 years worth of history, we follow several women of the Bridge family as they are spontaneously dropped backwards in time, which not only means that they might face the dangers of the wilderness but also the dangers of the slave trade.

Time travel is one of my favorite plot devices in historical fiction. I always find it interesting seeing how people from more modern times interact and differ from earlier generations of people. That said, there is a family tree at the beginning of this book that I tabbed and referred back to OFTEN. In fact, there were many many things I referred back to often as I tried to solve the mystery of the time-travel curse with the characters. For this reason alone, if you like to try to figure it out as you go like I do, I recommend eye-ball reading instead of listening to it, but if you are set to just let the story take you where it will and prefer to listen, my friend who listened to this on audio said the audiobook narration is amazing.

Christianity is a pervasive theme throughout the book as it relates to God’s Will and things happening exactly when they are meant to. I thought the way the author addressed this aptly illustrated the confounding, age-old question of free will versus God’s Will, or leaving religion out of it, the ability to change one’s future versus fate. It’s a bit of philosophy in this historical fiction that was an unexpected treat.

Courtesy of the multiple main characters from different timelines, we are able to see snippets of history through their eyes. Much of the history is skimmed over, not going into too much detail about any specific events or experiences, just enough to color the story and give the setting some dimension. Where this story shines is in the characters. This book is a stunning portrayal of the grief that comes with loss, both for those who travel backwards in time and for those they leave behind. From the perspective of mothers, sisters, and lovers, we get a multi-faceted look at what it means to leave and to be left behind without closure.

I’m looking forward to discussing these things more with the author during our live book club discussion! Read on for details!

Book Club Details!

I am happy to announce this book as our Quarter 4 book pick for Books, WIPs, + Sips, our virtual book club. I’m even more excited that, in a special edition of our book club, we will be joined by none other than the author of the book herself, Shawntelle Madison! Set your alarm for Thursday, October 17th at 7pm CST and join in on Instagram Stories Live. We’ll be chatting with the author, getting to know her, her inspiration for The Fallen Fruit, and more! We hope to see you there!

Update: I’m sorry you’ve missed the live event, but don’t worry, the replay is just below!

Replay!

Couldn’t make the live discussion, no worries! Grab your WIP and something to sip and listen to the replay! Because of some brief profanity, YouTube will not allow me to embed it here in the post like I normally do. Instead, please click the button below to take you directly to YouTube to view.

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