Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

My Monticello is a beautifully evoked, searing indictment of not just the tragic racial divides blighting the way we live now, but also how we ended up here. It is set in the very near future (some ten years after events in Charlotteville), in America, and follows the story of a group of neighbours who end up on the run for safety together when their street is attacked by white supremacists.

Their leader, and our narrator, is a young black woman called Da'Naisha. As well as being in fear of what might happen to her and her neighbours, Da'Naisha's own story is made still more harrowing because she is travelling with her grandmother, MaViolet. The pair have a brilliant twist to spring on the others - and one which arises impeccably from the dystopia itself.

In terms of language, there are lots of nods here to Jefferson, but also to operatic twists of fate, with a sentence meaning one thing in one context and yet dropping the bottom out of everything in the next. The twists here are as often about ideas and the ways characters grapple with them, as they are the physical threats they're up against.

I heartily recommend this novel and am grateful to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read an advance copy. I can't wait to see the Netflix version.

My Monticello was one of the most gripping books I’ve read this year. It was a few short stories and one long story, and each of them is about being black in America. The author’s voice is very original.
The stories and novella were well-written and focused on various subjects, including racism and displacement. My favorite was the novella My Monticello, about a group of people forced to flee their homes due to racial violence in a not-so-distant future. The author proves how important it is to keep reading stories like these, as it is not hard to imagine for this fictional plot to become real.

My Monticello is a novel of short stories to make up one bigger story. Jocelyn Nicole Johnson has a gift for writing. Each story has a different voice, is rich with meaning, and is done well. It is a near-future apocalypses tale that is all too easily imagined in the current era. White supremacists have hounded residents of Charlottesville out of their homes and the group seek refuge in Thomas Jefferson's plantation home as the supremacist hordes descend upon them.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5

It is rare that I am completely blown away by a book uttering “Wow” several times when I finished “My Monticello” by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson. This book will stay in my head for some time. What an incredibly powerful story, what an incredibly beautiful use of language, a chilling account put into narration what has been a nightmare of mine ever since the rise of Trump and his administration. Picture the US in a civil war like state with black neighborhoods burning, brown skinned people driven out and turned away at clinics hunted down by white supremacists, a world in chaos.
Da’Naisha, a young black woman manages to escape these violent attacks with some neighbors, her white boyfriend Knox, her frail grandmother MaViolet and her former lover Devin high jacking a bus through chaos to Monticello, the ancient home of Thomas Jefferson, a museum now outside Charlottesville / Virginia. Naisha worked there during her semester breaks and subconsciously chose this route. Ironically she is also the descendant of Sally Hemings, a black slave with whom Jefferson had several children. What follows is Naisha’s moving account of life during 19 days with a group of people randomly thrown together in survival mode escaping with nothing but the shirts on their backs trying to hold out on Monticello as long as possible. Highly recommend this incredible book!

My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson considers a future where white supremacist, with their bigoted racist mindset, descend on a mostly black neighbourhood driving our protagonist Da’Naisha and her neighbours from their homes. They escape on a city bus and drive towards the mountains where they find refuge at Monticello, a museum that was the former plantation of Thomas Jefferson.
Da’Naisha has a connection with Monticello as she’s a descendent of Sally Hemings who was one of Jefferson’s slaves. Sally bore a number of Jefferson’s children. The group includes her boyfriend Knox, her grandmother Ma Violet and her ex boyfriend. They are outnumbered and outgunned so it seems there chances of survival are slim.
My Monticello is a tense, intelligent and somewhat bleak novel.

This review refers only to the eponymous novella, My Monticello, rather than the full collection of short stories since the NetGalley advance copy I downloaded contained just this story.

In a dystopian future, but clearly a future not too far removed from present times, the state of Virginia is in turmoil. When vigilantes roam the streets and ancient papered-over schisms reappear, a group of neighbours, friends, students and others find themselves forming a ‘collective’ of sorts high up on a hill, their intent, survival.

The author manages to superbly portray the oppressive heat experienced and the action bristles with fear and uncertainty before climaxing in a defiant (unseen) stand-off.

The novella begins and ends on a high-adrenaline surge whereas parts of the main, middle section wane and stagnate - not unlike the weather. . It is an unsettling read, a reminder that today’s status quo in many parts of the world is a fragile entity which can so easily crack should unfavourable conditions prevail.

I really enjoyed this book, such an evocative story that I found gripping, he sense of fear and confusion was palpable. As was the way that the group of people came together and took care of each other, especially as they sheltered in Jefferson's historic house, whilst being guarded. A skilful exploration of current events in the US and totally believable. A book to take time over and to be savoured.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#MyMonticello #NetGalley

My Monticello intrigued me because of the crafting of the blurb. As a musing on American history, heritage and a supposedly stark commentary on the inheritance of slavery for the modern African American populous.
Where the book is set - the decaying and socially failing near-future USA - there is an unequivocal thread of anti-racism themes and a story which leans heavily into the concepts of inheritance and blame. But therein lies the problem - this message for me lost subtlety and elegance about ten pages in, as Johnson seems too focused on ensuring that readers knew of her plight or intention in writing this slim novella.

The writing itself along with the voice narrating it draws the reader in - there is an immediate enquiry from the reader about who the narrator is, why they are the one telling this story, and the trajectory by which this tale is going to unravel for us in the book.
My Monticello is a story of two halves - one of living in a dystopian world which is constantly tracked and recorded as the writer [in their omnipresence], explores and explains the counter-narrative to Jeffersons 'live, liberty and the pursuit of happiness' slogan. The other, about the journey of Da’Naisha Love. For her part, the book opens with her and many others fleeing from the Klan-like vigilantes. In a novel about inheritance and ancestry, it is significant that Knox takes with him a book Da’Naisha has given him by Toni Morrison - clearly a nod from Johnson to the significance of literature in understanding black narratives. It was a helpful signpost from author to reader, of the tone this book wanted to perpetuate.
The title earns its significance in what the 'my' really means. The journey to Monticello is there to also explore paternity of Da'Naisha's baby, and as the refugees take their place in Monticello, they begin to grapple with the questions of place and again return to the concept of inheritance. What is theirs? What can they take to be theirs? Their rules are shaped by the sign they first hang we states firmly - 'We are here'. Readers can take from that literal and metaphorical meaning - they are there in the building staking a claim. But in a cultural context, they are here in the American socio-political landscape defined by the annuls of the nation's history and will not be marginalised anymore. The secrets are all linked to name and inheritance and lineage, meaning that there is an elegance in Johnson's use of labels all through the storytelling - it humanises - makes relatable - the greater problem of inherent slavery for Americans.

Clearly created to discuss the politics of race in America, the typicalities of both disaster and dystopian genres are an important part of the novella's form,
There is a juxtaposing mix of contemporary writing, manifesto-like agenda and, what feels like, pseudo-dystopian fiction all mixed together.
Successful? Partially. As the book questions, the world it paints is itself “unclear whether we were under siege, or whether the world was toppling under its own needless weight.” This might also be said for the approach here. So many genre nods are attempted to be hybridised that the impact and power of what this book could have been is lost frequently. Standing up and voicing the notions of where current cultural climates are headed was brave, and in moments and pockets of the novel pack a punch,.
I was waiting for closure that never arrived. And not in the unsettling or powerful way books sometimes do leave you with questions.
On a fundamental level the structure couldn't resolve itself or find a link between the political and the personal. No - this is not a theme which should be comfortable to read about and experience personal stories of. Yet the characters remain distant and unavailable to connect with. The resonance of their plight and the investigation into being Jefferson's descendants is spotty at best, with the refugee narrative struggling to stand up on it's own. I was at a loss as to how this well drawn character and new world order, created with finesse thanks to Johnson's writing, and that was very admirable....left me unbothered by the end. It was like the threads hung loosely tethered together, but with no concrete connections.
My Monticello is a novel I can applaud for the platform it stands on and the outpouring of cold hard facts it hands it's reader without apology, Its events are chilling - intensely so. Yet, despite this the structure causes problems with distance and unresolved questions that just take the edge off what Johnson is clearly trying so deftly to portray to readers. A small book which packs a hefty punch - it just needed a little more structural polish...

What a fantastic beginning to my new resolution to mostly read literary fiction from now on! My Monticello is EXCELLENT – and it's a book I wasn't even sure I wanted to read. Sometime in the near future, amidst climate crisis and growing unrest, Charlottesville in Virginia has been taken over by white supremacists. DaNaisha, along with a jumble of neighbours – including her white boyfriend Knox, her grandma MaViolet and her first crush Devin – take to the hills, ending up in Monticello, the slave-built house owned by Thomas Jefferson. What follows is a tense, taut, wonderful depiction of people thrown together in crisis. I loved the writing – it is exactly to my taste – and I admired the way no detail or observation is superfluous, and the way each character – and there are a lot of them – are given just enough distinguishing features but no more. My Monticello is terrifying and hopeful and an absolute masterclass in how to write short, effective fiction. (A lesson I truly truly wish I could learn.) I have no criticisms. I know! From me, a first! 5 🌟

I'd never heard of the author, though subsequently discovered that she is from Virginia and has a background in the arts.
The title of the book refers to Jefferson's house in Virginia, which was a working plantation despite his famous quote that 'all men are equal'. When his wife died he had six children with a slave/ servant called Sarah, and the protagonist if the book is a descendant of them both. Thr house is near Charlottesville, scene of sexual racist riots in 2017, and the story is sty in the near future where a group of black locals flee the racist violence escalating around them. Once they arrive Da'Naishia tells the others of her hidden heritage, and they find their way to survive with what's available.
I thought that it was a clever choice of character and venue to analyse the hypocritical relationship with a house lived in and owned by a white powerful president who claimed to not discriminate whilst closely doing so, even in his relationship with Sarah, mother to six of his children where thr power dynamics begin her and her (let's be honest) master and the outnet slaves must have been confusing and uncomfortable at best. I thought that thr sorry...i was well executed on the whole, though did feel a bit like a YA novel in places. I think that is an excellent first novel and would be interested in reading more if hewett work (beyond this and the short stories)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

It's hard to know where to start with this book, only that I'm still thinking about it two days after I finished it. Johnson engages with the current conversations about the legacies of enslavement effectively by exploring Thomas Jefferson's notorious past, and imagining a future where one of his Black descendants finds her way to his family home under circumstances that highlight America's inherent white supremacy and racism. The plot is terrifyingly believable, as is the found community and kindness that is shown through the actions of the inhabitants of Monticello. One that will stay with you.

'My Monticello' is a collection of five short stories and a novella. The stand out to me is definitely the title story, Beautifully written along with being nuanced and with the stark ability to make the reader really think. This collection vividly explores race and identity with such skill.

A thoughtful, insightful and thoroughly engaging exploration of racism – past, present and future – in the US, and a powerful indictment of it. It’s set in the near future when society seems to have broken down and there is a dystopian sense that life as we know it is crumbling. It begins with an all too recognisable scene of a far-right mob of white men descending on a black community. A group of neighbours flee and take refuge at Monticello, the historic plantation home of Thomas Jefferson. Ironically, two of those seeking refuge are direct descendants of Jefferson through his slave mistress Sally Hemings, so in a way they are coming home and taking possession of their inheritance. And yet what can the future possibly hold for them? As the supremacist threat gains momentum, the group has to navigate their new reality. I found it a gripping read, well-paced, well-written, tense and compelling. Racism, climate change, white supremacy – all are depicted with horrifying vividness. An excellent debut novel.

My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson takes place in the near future with people struggling to survive through racial attacks and climate change.

Virginia, perhaps the whole of the south-eastern US, has been overwhelmed by a series of dreadful storms, made worse by blackouts. Da'Naisha Love and her grandmother are trying to weather it out as best they can, till the day armed white supremacists come driving their Charlotteville road, terrorising the neighbourhood. Along with friends and neighbours, Da'Naisha and her grandmother flee to the hills surrounding the city, specifically to the hilltop plantation house once home to Thomas Jefferson, now a tourist attraction. There, living on snacks from the gift shop, making a rough and ready home among the antiquated rooms, they settle down to hopefully wait out the violence rampaging in the city below.

But the tranquil-seeming house holds memories of a troubled past, for alongside the Jefferson family lived slaves to run the house and cultivate the plantation, and among them was Sally Hemings, mistress of Thomas Jefferson and mother to several of his children, from one of whom Da'Naisha and her grandmother are descended.



Set in a near-future of worsening climate and racial tension, the story begins as a flight by Da.Naisha and her neighbours to somewhere, anywhere, that might offer safety but becomes a determination to make a stand and claim what is rightfully theirs - both the heritage erased by white men, and their position as equals in society. It seems unthinkable to me that, firstly, white supremacists think they are the legitimate inhabitants of the US, and, secondly, any man would think it appropriate to have an affair with a woman he 'owned' and who could not refuse his advances - so it was a book that made me angry in several ways, but the taking over of Monticello, the reclaiming of its luxurious rooms echoes the feelings of many that history should reflect the stories of everyone, not just the ruling class.

A compelling read, mixing present day fears with historical insights. I'd heard before of Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemings but this left me wanting to know more about it and the family dynamics of the Jefferson household, and Jefferson's attitude to the wider issue of slavery.

I've seen a number of reviews mention that this is a collection of short stories, however my ARC only included the titular story which was more novella in length; as such my review is only of this story.

My Monticello is a near-future apocalypse-esque tale which is all too easily imagined in the current era. White supremacists have hounded residents of Charlottesville out of their homes and the group seek refuge in Thomas Jefferson's plantation home as the supremacist hordes descend upon them.

This was unfortunately another example of a fantastic premise not being fulfilled to the extent that it perhaps could have been (in my opinion). The main character, Da'Naisha is a descend of Jefferson and Sally Hemmings, creating an obvious link between their surroundings and her own personal history. She is also hunkering down amidst all this violence with her current boyfriend, grandmother and her ex, which gives rise to multiple issues during the story. I felt that the author focused too much on the wide cast of supporting characters which left less time than I liked spent with Da'Naisha and developing her character and story.

A striking novella, I found the style really engaging and felt I had a clear vision of the characters and the turmoil the found themselves in. It reminded me of The End We Start From or Leave the World Behind - a powerful story told through human experiences of the ordinary during extraordinary times.

My Monticello is a short novel ( less than 200 pages) but it packs a punch.
Set in a fictional near future Da’Naisha and her community are driven out of their Carolina neighbourhood by white supremacist gangs after the American economy has gone into free fall. They take refuge in Monticello, the former plantation of President Jefferson, terrified about what will happen next.
Da’Naisha is a descendent of Jefferson from his relationship with Sally Hemings, who was one of his slaves, so she has a particularly complex relationship with the house. As they use the finery the house has to offer, they are constantly reminded of the slaves that sustained Jefferson’s life there. They soon realise that their safety is a mirage and they will have to prepare to fight for their lives.
Jocelyn Nicole Johnson is a fine writer, she handles the story with gravitas and rigour, never allowing the terror and hysteria of the characters’ situation to overwhelm the novel. She interweaves a love triangle between Da’Naisha, her white college boyfriend and her ex cleverly into the story and uses it to highlight the complexity of relationships when colour, education and ambition are involved. Da’Naisha’s relationship with her dying grandmother, MaVoilet is movingly portrayed, who is depending on who?
The book ends suddenly with no resolution but it leaves you with much to consider and fear for our future, but also with hope that there are strong activists in our world who will continue to make a difference.
Thank you to #penguinbooks for inviting me to read this ARC
#netgalley

My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson is harrowing, brilliant, apocalyptic.

Her world is turned upside down by white supremacists in the night with flaming torches and threats to kill. University student Da'Naisha Love is forced to flee from her home in darkness with her aging grandmother, her boyfriend and neighbours including her former boyfriend.

They find refuge in Monticello, the estate of former founding father Thoms Jefferson. Da'Naisha knows her heritage well from her late mother but has never spoken about it publicly until she shares it with her refugee group in this auspicious location.

Jocelyn Nicole Johnson's My Monticello is harrowing but very brilliantly told. It is a history lesson for those of us unfamiliar with Thomas Jefferson's story but also it foretells a very dark future that we must all ensure does not become true!