We Deserve Monuments

Written by Jas Hammonds

Narrated by Tamika Katon-Donegal

What's more important: knowing the truth or keeping the peace?
When her family moves to Bardell, Georgia, on the cusp of her senior year, Avery
Anderson is uprooted from DC and thrust into the hostile home of her terminally
ill grandmother, Mama Letty. The tension between Avery’s mom and Mama Letty
makes for a frosty arrival and reveals a decades-old conflict they refuse to talk
about. Every time Avery tries to look deeper, she’s turned away, leaving her
desperate to unearth the secrets that divide her family.
While tempers flare at home, Avery finds friendship in unexpected places: with
Simone Cole, her captivating next-door neighbor, and Jade Oliver, a member of
the town’s most prominent family, whose mother’s murder remains unsolved.
As the three girls grow closer—and Avery and Simone’s friendship blossoms into
romance—the sharp-edged opinions of their small Southern town begin to hint at
something insidious underneath. Avery soon discovers her family’s roots are
deeply entwined with Bardell’s racist past. With Mama Letty’s health dwindling
every day, Avery must decide if digging for the truth is worth toppling the delicate
relationships she’s built—or if some things are better left buried.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 29, 2022
• ISBN: 9781705069547

Jas Hammonds

Jas Hammonds was raised in many cities and between the pages of many books. They have received support for their writing from Lambda Literary, Baldwin for the Arts, and the Highlights Foundation. They are also a grateful recipient of the MacDowell James Baldwin Fellowship. Their debut novel, We Deserve Monuments, won the 2023 Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award for New Talent, among many other accolades.

Reviews for We Deserve Monuments

[Katherine Garcia-Quesnel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a great listen. The secrets a family keeps can haunt the family for generations

[Tomorrow Flemming Hobbs · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a good book that truly expressed the feelings of the characters.

[Fralinda Zazay · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I laughed, I cried, I gasped! All around great book

[Msebele · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My heart! Fell in love with the characters 4 stars because I felt it could be better. It lacked something

[Njahira · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant book that perfectly and gentle explores racism, family trauma and grief. I’d gladly recommend this for readers of all ages!

[V Shep · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The revelation at the end had me shook. This book was phenomenal.

[sleahey_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In her senior year of high school, Avery must leave her DC home and friends to move to Georgia with her parents to care for her terminally ill and estranged grandmother. It's an unhappy situation, because not only does Avery dislike the idea of small town living, but her mother and grandmother have a toxic relationship with constant fighting. Told mostly from Avery's point of view, we are with her as she makes two good friends, one of whom becomes a serious romance, and as she persists in establishing a relationship with her curmudgeonly dying grandmother. Painful family secrets from the past are at the heart of the family discord as well as the stressors on Avery's relationship with Simone, but Avery persists in uncovering them. This novel reminds us of the tragedies of racism and violence, and the impact that they carry into the future. The narrative moves along quickly without being heavy-handed about issues, and the few post-pandemic references will not relegate this story to being dated.

[Christine · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So much more than a "high school" novel.

Seventeen-year-old Avery moves with her parents from Washington, D.C., to small-town Georgia. Instead of beginning her senior year set on getting into Georgetown - and spending time with "friends" who aren't all that supportive - she's starting at a new school and getting to know her terminally ill grandmother, Mama Letty.

I thought Avery was a great main character, and really enjoyed rooting for her. This was a fast read because I was entirely swept up -- I think it's more character- than plot-driven, but I was so taken by the characters that the pages kept turning. Queer love, generational trauma, a small town's racist history -- this book pretty seamlessly covers a lot of ground (but I'm not giving specifics because I want you to read it for yourself!).

Tamika Katon-Donegal's narration of the audiobook is excellent.

[bookczuk · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Yes, monuments are deserved, and kudos for the author. The characters, the setting, the issues, the love, the uncertainty, the humor, the dancing under the stars, and a lazy river witnessing life... pretty good way to send out a year.2022 read.

[BWRT · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved the audio ! The voice was great. The book was a 7.5/10. It was really good. But just had some information I wish could have been deeper. The voice reading was really nice.

[jamie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book tackled so many major issues. It really rugged at my heart. It made me think. It made me consider things I hadn’t before.

[sennebec · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. I wasn't planning on reading a second book yesterday, but this one refused to let me put it down. Mix southern small town racism, friendship, very painful family history, and some fragile romance together and mix well. This is the result. Mama Letty is prickly and foul mouthed, but still sympathetic and oddly likable. Avery, Simone, and Jude grow on you as their friendship and convoluted histories reveal themselves. The horrible aspects behind everything are revealed in an understated way that is extremely effective and the surprise at the end is done perfectly.

[acargile-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this novel--it's a nice, modern introduction to southern themes in literature. Until the south deals with its past, they can't move forward.Avery moves to Bardell, Georgia, because Avery's mother wants to be with her mother (Mama Letty) as she dies. Avery's mom and Mama Letty have never gotten along, and they argue most of the time. Mama Letty feels betrayed that anyone told her daughter that she was dying. Avery has a vague memory of visiting when she was small--and leaving very quickly after a fight. She also has snippets of other scenes, but they don't make sense. She finds a very angry grandma--Mama Letty but wants to have a good relationship despite being immediately nicknamed Fish for her nose ring. Avery also wants to achieve--she makes good grades and wants to attend a college, working on early admission essays and applications. Until Bardell. Avery meets the next door neighbor, Simone, who is the daughter of her mother's old best friend. Simone introduces Avery to her best friend Jade and the three become inseparable. Avery finds Bardell nice, as she discovers what friendship really is. She learns her friends back home aren't really friends--this, here in Bardell, is friendship. She's also attracted to Simone. What would two of them dating do to the threesome? Is Simone even a lesbian? The other relationship Avery is here to develop is with Mama Letty. Avery tries really hard, but Mama Letty is a tough woman; Avery breaks the ice. Mama Letty starts to tell Avery her story. It's a story of the south--racism, death, and revenge. These truths encroach upon the present, as Avery needs to discover who she is and how to "be" in this South that she feels at home in. How does her relationship and the secrets her mom have also contribute to her relationship with her? In the end, Avery is finding herself as she learns about the past. After all, the past shapes us. Our families matter in who we are.As the secrets unfold, truths come to light. As the reader, you feel so sad for the injustices and surprised by the truths discovered. It's a well done novel where Avery finds her path and can face the future knowing all of the truths.

[Ekene Ogbue · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

2 words: absolute MINDBLOWN. Absolutely mind blowing

This book definitely hit me harder than expected

[oldandnewbooksmell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Trigger Warnings: Generational trauma, racism, mentions of alcoholism and verbal abuse, homophobia, character deathAvery Anderson’s life is uprooted when her family moves from Washington DC to Bardell, Georgia her senior year of high school to look after her maternal grandmother, Mama Letty, who’s in her final stages of cancer. Avery only remembers one visit with her grandmother, cut short by an argument, when she was very young. Bardell is a small town with only two high schools - one public, and one private, the latter being founded by one of the town’s many racist forefathers. Avery quickly gets adopted into the friendship of two girls: Simone Cole, Mama Letty’s next door neighbor, and Jade Oliver, a descendent of one of Bardell’s oldest families.Avery’s relationship with her grandmother is far from easy. Mama Letty isn’t easy to get to know, especially when she only answers questions in grunts and gruffs. It also doesn’t help that the tension between her mother and grandmother is so thick you can cut it with a knife, but both of them are refusing to address it.Avery sets out on trying to mend the broken and split relationship but there are events many are refusing to talk about. It isn’t until Mama Letty begins to open up to Avery about her past, that Avery is able to piece together her family history that was shaped by the town’s racist history. As more events come out of the shadows, Avery must decide if finding out the truth is worth damaging the relationships she’s built in Bardell, or if some things are better left buried.I absolutely loved and adored this book very much. Jas Hammonds masterfully tells this layered story of a young woman finding out about her family’s past within a novel that’s about generational trauma and racism. The amount of trauma the three generations of women must peel back is constantly met with tension. The story is hard to read at times, especially when you’re reading about Mama Letty’s past and the town’s racism, but this book wrapped its arms around me and refused to let go until the Harding family’s story is told.Alongside Avery finding out about her family’s past, the relationship between Simone and Avery grows deeper and the way the two of them find their footing to their sexuality was well written. I wish I had grown up with a place like The Renaissance where you were accepted no matter what.Overall, this novel is going to be one I’m going to talk about for months to come. It was beautiful, heartbreaking, hopeful, and captivating. Any readers who love reading about family and their dynamics, relationships, and hope will really enjoy this book.*Thank you Roaring Brook Press and NetGalley for an electronic version of this book in exchange for an honest review