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Untethered by Angela Jackson-Brown
Published by Harper Muse on 12/03/2024
Pages: 368
Sometimes family is found in the most unlikely of places . . .
In the small college town of Troy, Alabama, amidst the backdrop of 1967, Katia Daniels lives a life steeped in responsibility. At the Pike County Group Home for Negro Boys, she pours her heart into nurturing the young lives under her care, harboring a longing for children of her own. Katia's romantic entanglement with an older man brings comfort but also stirs questions about the path she's chosen.
The weight of her family's history bears down on her; a twin brother is missing in action in the heart of the Vietnam War. Having lost her father to cancer, Katia took up the mantle of caretaker, ensuring her mother and brothers were looked after. Her sense of duty extends to the boys at the group home, creating a web of obligations that stretches her emotional bandwidth thin.
Amidst a power struggle at work with the board, Katia finds solace in the pages of romance novels and the soothing melodies of Nina Simone. When Seth Taylor, a familiar face from her high school days, reenters Katia's life, he brings with him a breeze of nostalgia and a reminder of a time when her dreams felt less tethered. As their friendship rekindles, Katia grapples with the idea of making choices for herself, even as the realization that she can no longer have children weighs heavily on her.
This novel is a poignant tale of a woman torn between the demands of her heart and the responsibilities she's shouldered for so long. Set against the backdrop of a changing South, this novel delves into the complexities of love, family, and self-discovery in a time of transformation and upheaval.
Today, Book Referees is excited to be a stop on the Hear Our Voices blog tour for Untethered by Angela Jackson-Brown! Along with celebrating her earlier novel, Homeward, we’re diving into Untethered, a moving story about love, responsibility, and self-discovery set in 1967 Alabama.
To make this tour stop even more special, I’ve created a playlist inspired by Untethered—a soundtrack that captures the spirit of resilience, culture, and the heartfelt journeys reflected in the story.
Angela Jackson-Brown’s Untethered highlights her talent for writing that is both beautiful and deeply emotional. She creates vivid pictures with her words, bringing 1967 Alabama to life in a way that feels real and personal. Through her writing, you can feel the weight of Katia Daniels’ responsibilities and the small joys she finds in books and music.
Jackson-Brown’s characters are so real and layered that you feel like you know them. Katia, in particular, is written with such care that her struggles and hopes stay with you. The author also does an amazing job weaving together Katia’s personal story with the bigger changes happening in the world around her.
This is more than a story about love and duty—it’s a great example of Angela Jackson-Brown’s ability to write with heart and honesty. Her writing makes this book a moving and memorable journey about finding yourself and making hard choices. It’s a story that will stay with you long after you finish reading.
Reviewed by: Orsayor
