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What You Leave Behind by Wanda M. Morris
Published by William Morrow, William Morrow Paperbacks on June 18, 2024
Genres: Black & African American Women’s Fiction, Cultural Heritage Fiction, Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
Pages: 384
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Deena Wood’s life has fallen apart in the aftermath of losing her beloved mother, her marriage, and her prestigious job at an Atlanta law firm. She needs what the Geechee people of coastal Georgia call a “dayclean,” a fresh start.
She returns to her childhood home in Brunswick, Georgia, to heal. But her return is anything but the respite she thought it might be. To make peace with all her loss, she often drives through the city. One day, she unwittingly finds herself on the oceanfront property of a loner widower who is fighting to keep land that has been in his family since the end of the Civil War. He threatens her and warns her to never return. But shortly after, he disappears, and his very expensive property is quickly put up for sale. Curious about what has happened to the man, Deena digs into his disappearance and finds a family legacy at risk. What starts out as a bit of curious snooping, turns into a deadly game of illegal land grabs and property redevelopment in poor and rural communities with dark and powerful forces at work.
Without realizing it, Deena finds herself caught up in a nightmarish scheme that threatens her community and her family. She’ll need help and finds it in a close but unlikely source because she knows she must do whatever it takes to stop the sinister forces at play before she becomes their next target.
What You Leave Behind by Wanda Morris is a captivating melange of enigma and social perception. The story revolves around Deena Wood, who returns to her hometown in Georgia, hoping to start afresh after losing her job, marriage, and mother. Instead, she gets entangled in a dangerous probe into local land theft and corruption that unearths some deep-seated community issues.
Author Morris’s skill is displayed through her creation of believable characters and locations, which she meshes seamlessly into a suspenseful narrative. What You Leave Behind is more than just a mystery. It delves into the issues of economic inequality and the struggles of less privileged groups. This thought-provoking read is highly recommended for those who enjoy engaging and meaningful stories.
Reviewed by: Orsayor
