Untethered

by Angela Jackson-Brown Narrated by Karen Murray

Overview

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.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

09/30/2024

Jackson-Brown (The Light Always Breaks) delivers a touching story of a middle-aged Black woman and the burdens she shoulders during the Vietnam War. It’s 1967 in Troy, Ala., where Katia Daniels serves as executive director at a group home for boys, doing her best to embody the nurturing mother figure the children need and have come to expect from her. When a medical emergency prompts her to have a hysterectomy, Katia is crushed that she won’t be able to have children of her own. She suppresses her anguish, however, because she knows the people she loves depend on her and she does not want to let them down, especially her widowed mother. Katia’s world begins to unravel when one of her younger twin brothers returns home from Vietnam and the other is reported missing in action. The news collides with tensions at the group home, as Katia runs afoul of the misogynistic board of directors. There are a few plot holes on the way to a rushed conclusion, but Jackson-Brown ably captures Katia’s indomitable spirit and devotion to her family. This is worth a look. Agent: Alice Speilburg, Speilburg Agency. (Dec.)

Poet Laureate of Alabama Ashley M. Jones

'There is no shortage of pain in this world, and certainly not for a Black woman trying to do good work against all odds. Katia Daniels, the protagonist of Angela Jackson-Brown's dynamic new novel, UNTETHERED, spoke directly to my soul with her servant's heart, her hidden sorrows, and her resolve to be strong for everyone around her. This character gave me such a powerful mirror in which I could gaze and feel seen, and this novel showed me the ways that faith can waver but always win, love can delay but not be lost, and grief can sometimes give us pause so we can breathe into joy. Angela Jackson-Brown has once again proven that Black characters are fully human and that we, Black girls from Alabama who strive daily to make this world sing, are worthy of celebration and immortality in the pages of great literature. This is a remarkable book.'

author of THE PROMISE OF THE PELICAN Roy Hoffman

'UNTETHERED tells a dramatic and beautiful American story stretching far beyond city limits.'

Product Details

BN ID:	2940191729886
Publisher:	Harper Muse
Publication date:	12/03/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged