Description

‘ELECTRIFYING’ Colson Whitehead
‘ABSOLUTELY UNFORGETTABLE’ Roxane Gay

At a time of rolling blackouts and terrible storms battering America, the neighbourhood of First Street, Charlottesville comes under attack by violent white supremacists. A group of friends, families and strangers flee together in an abandoned bus and head for the hills above town.

Led by Da’Naisha Love, they arrive at Monticello, the historic plantation-home of Thomas Jefferson, deserted but for its ghosts. As a young Black descendant of Jefferson and Sally Hemings, Da’Naisha has a complex relationship with the house. Tentative at first, the group explores rooms, forages on the grounds, and finds a kind of shelter. But the terror from their town is coming closer, and soon they have an impossible decision to make.

My Monticello is the story of nineteen heart-stopping days of refuge and reclamation, told by Da’Naisha with courage and with grace. This deeply moving novel is a searing indictment of racism past and present, and a powerful vision of resistance, community and hope.

‘ONE OF THE FINEST NOVELS OF 2021 and A FUTURE CLASSIC’ The Bookseller

Early readers love My Monticello (reviews from NetGalley):
‘So much to love… A truly astonishing debut’ *****
‘What an incredible voice she has’ *****
‘Deserves the praise heaped upon it’ *****
‘Johnson’s writing is vivid and bold’ ****
‘The end is terrific, terrifying and mind blowing’ ****
‘Raw, powerful and a great contemporary voice’ ****
‘Definitely deserves a spot on your reading list’ ****

Publisher Review

Riveting storytelling. This incandescent work speaks not just to the moment, but to history * Publishers Weekly (starred review) * A badass debut by any measure - nimble, knowing, and electrifying * Colson Whitehead, twice-Pulitzer Prize winning author of THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD and THE NICKEL BOYS * An electric new literary voice * Esquire * Absolutely unforgettable. Johnson's prose soars to remarkable heights * Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author of HUNGER and AYITI * Unputdownable... Extraordinarily powerful... One of the finest books of 2021 and a future classic * The Bookseller, Book of the Month * My Monticello is a magnificent debut that holds so much in its gaze. This breathtaking, artful book is a gift * Megha Majumdar, New York Times bestselling author of A BURNING * I was enthralled from the opening lines of this book. Stunning * Charles Yu, National Book Award-winning author of INTERIOR CHINATOWN * This is a stunning debut by a brilliant and original new voice * Danielle Evans, award-winning author of THE OFFICE OF HISTORICAL CORRECTIONS * Johnson's debut book is stellar * Kirkus (starred review) * A powerful and beautiful read -- Nina Pottell * Prima * An extraordinary debut from a gifted writer with an unflinching view of history and what may come of it. * Washington Post * Johnson is a great observer. The novel is full of stunningly precise figurative language... [it's] utterly absorbing...a meditation of how the brutal past of slavery still has a potent legacy in contemporary America; it also portrays the redemptive powers of love and care -- Tomiwa Owolade * Daily Telegraph * This powerful and memorable book is a must-read -- Joanne Finney * Good Housekeeping *