A deeply felt, big hearted exploration of family, sisterhood and gentrification, this is the kind of expansive, lush novel that envelops with charm while provoking with its fierce intelligence. On the Rooftop is a quiet page turner that can serve as a beacon of hope in any trying time. On the Rooftop further cements Margaret Wilkerson Sexton as a deft chronicler of Blackness in America. She has carefully imagined a compelling social world built on the very real cultural dynamics of the legendary Fillmore neighborhood, known as the “Harlem of the West” for the vibrant Black community within its borders. MARGARET WILKERSON SEXTON studied creative writing at Dartmouth College and law at UC Berkeley.
While the specters of racism are present in the story, Sexton chooses to center themes of motherhood, memory, music and hope. Loosely inspired by Fiddler on the Roof, On the Rooftop is a refreshing work of historical fiction that provides a window into Black life outside of the direct prism of racist oppression. Amid all this, their Fillmore neighborhood is being threatened by an urban renewal program that would dismantle the physical and symbolic community. Chloe, the overlooked youngest, is grasping for recognition in both her professional life and personal relationships. Middle daughter Esther is searching for her own voice while grappling with past traumas. Their mother believes the eldest, Ruth, has the most star potential, but Ruth’s hopes are a bit more modest. Vivian’s daughters have their own dreams, however.
Read more: Our September issue’s cover feature on Margaret Wilkerson Sexton, author of ‘On the Rooftop.’
0 kommentar(er)
