What readers think of Moonrise Over New Jessup, plus links to write your own review.

When Alice landed in New Jessup, Alabama, early in the civil rights movement, it was the result of circumstance, rather than intention. In New Jessup, Alice found an all black community, which separated itself from white Jessup. This was a view of segregation I was not familiar with and didn't know existed. However, after falling in love with Raymond Campbell, she came to understand the undercurrent of segregation that existed in white/black New Jessup. The book describes the personal struggles involved in choosing a future for the black community. Was "separate but equal" a possibility or was it best to demand change and equality? I found Alice's quest for her missing sister a rather awkward distraction from the story. I kept expecting something terrible or a happy ending for her sister. But perhaps that is another story? I think this book would make a great book club discussion as this aspect of segregation has not been widely discussed.

A historical fiction set in 1950s and 1960s Alabama, where women, men, and their families are making decisions daily regarding desegregation, voting rights, community safety and the municipality of their town, New Jessup. Each person asks themselves who can they trust, how much to share and what is the best future for this all-Black community. As couples, friends, family members and the community struggle with these challenges they find themselves in the words of Alice, who is the voice of the story, "telling half-truths, some-truths and nontruths". This book is both enjoyable and educational.

Lately, I’ve had the pleasure of reading several debut novels that really grabbed my attention. My most recent entry into debut novels is Moonrise Over New Jessup by Jamila Minnicks. It begins in 1957. I found the first few lines of the story appealing: "The moon rises and sets, stitching eternity together, night by night. Love-spun thread binds family when even years, or blue skies, stand between one and another's touch. Generations travel the same footprints, reach hands to the same climbing branches, and warm the same crown skin under the Alabama sun."

The story continues from that opening to keep me reading. I discover Alice Young who is alone after her father’s recent death. Her sister Rosie has fled to Chicago, and Alice decides she will go there. Unfortunately, Alice does not have enough money to get out of AL, but less to get to Chicago. She buys a ticket to Birmingham, the furthest she can go on her tiny bit of money. Along the way, another passenger suggests that Alice should get off the bus at a stop to use the restroom and buy herself a Coke because the next stop is a long way off. He even gives her ten cents.

When she gets off the bus, Alice looks for the colored entrance to the bus station. She asks the shoeshine man where she should enter. He tells her to use the front door, but she is taken aback. Then he tells her she is in New Jessup, an all-Black town. Alice decides to stay there and finds help from Mr. and Mrs. Brown, a kind minister and his wife.

Alice can already sew by hand, but Mrs. Brown teaches her how to use a sewing machine. Soon, Mrs. Brown introduces Alice to Ms. Vivian Taylor Laramie, owner of the town’s dress shop. Ms. Laramie is impressed with Alice’s sewing skills and hires her. Alice starts a new life in New Jessup, but she still hopes to hear from her sister Rosie.
As mentioned earlier, it is 1957, the Civil Rights Movement is moving forward. Alice has no intention of becoming involved in politics, but life has a way of throwing the right people into situations at the right time. Alice’s involvement becomes almost necessary when she falls in love with and marries Raymond. He is an activist in the National Negro Advancement Society.

Not everyone in New Jessup agrees that integration is the way to go. The story heats up as the Civil Rights Movement continues to create change. The story provides historical background and gives readers a portrait of people fighting for rights.

For book clubs, Moonrise Over New Jessup is a goldmine of topics. Jamila Minnicks, educated as a lawyer, has turned her talents to writing. She is an author to watch.

Moonrise Over New Jessup is about a young woman, Alice, who flees her hometown in Rensler, Alabama after her her father dies. She has an older sister, Rose, who left suddenly a few years ago bound for Chicago, hoping for a better life. The story takes place during the fifties and early sixties during racial segregation in the South. Alice hasn't heard from her sister in a while but boards a bus for Chicago with very little money. The bus makes a rest stop in New Jessup, Alabama where she is encouraged to stay and seek refuse with the local pastor and his wife.

I found the story to be believable. It is told with good dosages of appropriate dialect, and "old sayings" from black southern culture. It is told mostly from Alice's point of view. At times when she was reflecting on past events, I found the transitions a bit confusing. Other times when she was lost in thought, it was hard to tell if she was describing her imagination vs a real event.

There is enough suspense to keep the reader engaged. The historical events mentioned help the main plot's credibility. At the conclusion of the book, you will be more informed about the dilemmas Blacks faced during this time period and why all did not see solutions for improving their lives the same way. I feel that some of the issues described are still relevant today. I highly recommend this book.

This book was a beautifully written piece of historical fiction. Taking place during the period of integration in the South, we follow a woman who moves to an all-black town in Alabama. While most in the town are content to live in their own bubble, some have an eye toward the equality for blacks being spoken about up north. Alice finds herself caught in the middle. My one quibble would be that I thought the day to day descriptions of Alice's life did drag the storyline down a bit, and I didn't really understand the inclusion of her sister in the plotting of the book. Putting those minor issues aside, it was a great exploration into integration from a different viewpoint.

This engaging novel draws readers in with compelling plot twists, interesting characters, and an unusual perspective on the Civil Rights era. Set in 1957, Alice has fled a dangerous situation when she happens upon New Jessup, Alabama; an all-black community which offers her a haven and eventually, a home. In this seemingly idyllic place, the residents resist integration in favor of a self-built, small town where they can live and raise families away from the hateful injustice that is present elsewhere in the Jim Crow South. Alice finds love but also uncovers threats and weaknesses to her new home, both from within and outside. With its nuanced approach to history, this is a great book to share and an excellent choice for book groups. It offers a timely reminder that social change often comes with a cost; though the darker messages are leavened with an appreciative nod to Black resourcefulness and community.

Eye-catching cover-- colorful flowers, gold seal literary award, positive blurb from an accomplished, well-known author—what's not to like? Reading Moonrise Over New Jessup caused me to question why I choose to read what I do. Are choices made based on entertainment value, to escape from the ordinary, to savor well-constructed phrases and different vocabulary, to learn about other times or cultures or emotions?
I would not call Moonrise Over New Jessup an enjoyable book. Many times, because of a slow-moving plot, I set it aside and reached for something more "enjoyable." Yet, I kept returning to it, drawn in by author Jamila Minnicks' evocative writing, e.g., "…when summer whispered into fall…" or "I had never owned anything looking like somebody poured liquid emeralds all over me." I learned new phrases, like "grits o'clock" , "sunrise home", "Thursday tired", and "This cake's already baked."
Some things I questioned because they seemed indicative of a writer describing an era she herself had not lived through. Pantyhose in 1957, the use of the phrase/idea "…students and teachers who look like them", feminine angst over balancing marriage, motherhood and career all seemed to be later developments that distracted from the narrative's authenticity.
Still, although Moonrise was neither an easy nor a pleasant read, it was a valuable one that did enrich my life, and for that reason ,I will be recommending it to my book club—the Fort Wayne Rowdy Readers—as we select our books for next year's readings and discussions.

New Jessup was an African American town in Alabama that resisted integration. There were no "whites only" signs; there were no "colored entrance" signs. In addition to fully developed characters, the love story narration, and opposing viewpoints of the civil rights movement, the book is beautifully written. "Cool morning air thick with a low autumn fog," "paper with my dried tears and defenses … went up in smoke," and "exhale to release the inside noise" are examples of imagery that fill the pages of this book. I found joy in the imagery and could see and feel and smell and hear as if I were there. Everyone who loves beautiful writing will enjoy this book.