Jam on the Vine

“So many historical novels read like connect-the-dots puzzles or costume dramas, so one that is fresh, original and time-travels to an undiscovered past is a real discovery...Jam On The Vine stands on its own as a powerful coming-of-age novel, and it is also a sharp reminder of the critically important role played by the African-American newspaper in American history.” —Chicago Tribune

“A captivating saga...The verdict: ‘unforgettable’; ‘gripping’; ‘instant classic.’” —Elle

“As addictive as your mom’s fresh-baked buttermilk biscuits, and just as delicious.” —Essence

“A vivid depiction of the black experience during one of the ugliest periods in American race relations.” —Knoxville News Sentinel

A dynamic and compulsive debut, Jam on the Vine chronicles the life of trailblazing African American woman journalist, Ivoe Williams, through the start of the twentieth century. In unflinching prose, we follow Ivoe and her family from the Deep South to the Midwest. Jam on the Vine is both an epic vision of the injustices that defined an era and a compelling story of a complicated history we only thought we knew.

“Ivoe is a splendid character, mouthy, determined, crusading and irrepressibly cheerful.” —Wall Street Journal“A major work of fiction that entertains and edifies us, while it rescues a little-known story from the back pages of history.” —Dallas Morning News“[A] big, bold bildungsroman of a debut.” —The Guardian.com“If a historical fiction author’s purpose is to give a reader a better understanding and empathy for the people of the time and place, then Barnett hit the mark.” —The Missourian