Tangleroot

Gr 9 Up–Noni is devastated when her mother suddenly informs her that they are moving to rural Virginia, where her mother grew up, upending Noni’s college plans and forcing her to leave her friends and an internship she worked hard to earn. Noni has always felt overshadowed and unseen by her mother, a renowned researcher of African American history, whom Noni feels dismisses her love of art and fashion design. Her mother hopes being surrounded by her family history will help Noni learn about who she is. At first, Noni is angry and resentful. Still, as she adjusts to her new life on the Tangleroot plantation, she develops friendships and becomes fascinated by the interwoven history of the slaveholding families and the enslaved, and how that history shapes her own family’s ancestry. She agrees to make a dress for Lana Jean, the granddaughter of a powerful senator whose family profited from slavery in the past and currently supports maintaining Confederate Southern history, in exchange for historical documents she hopes will be about her family’s legacy. Noni’s research includes many twists and turns that keep readers engaged as she and her mother’s family secrets are revealed. Readers will relate to the loving yet complex relationship that Noni and her mother have and will root for them to resolve their differences. Williams brings the historical aspects of the story to life, and realistic, thoughtful passages about race relations, confederate statues, and Southern life will interest and resonate with readers who relish complicated conversations.