Remembrance - a review

Miriam Lein

29 Sep 2025 — 1 min read

Remembrance by Rita Woods

Part historical fiction and part magical realism, this book is full of the stories of black women and the sacrifices they made for freedom for themselves and others. There’s a lot of beauty in the book, but also a lot of ugliness, which is not surprising considering the topic. It left me with a reasonable amount of uneasiness though, because as a pacifist, it was hard to accept that sometimes the path to peace is filled with violence. But I’ve sat with that discomfort for awhile and all the subsequent questions. What does justice look like in the face of unspeakable evil? Is strength the opposite of weakness, or the result? Is power gained through sacrifice worth having? I may not have many answers, but I can appreciate a book that encourages me to ask the questions.

Author: Rita Woods

Published: 2020

Other Books by author: The Last Dreamwalker, 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction + Magical Realism

Setting: 1790s Saint Domingue & Louisiana / 1850s Louisiana and beyond / present day Cleveland, Ohio

Themes: Racism; Slavery; Justice

How I found this book: NPR recommendation by Denny S. Bryce

My recommendation: Maybe

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