e-ALC, 10:17:17
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
Release Date: January 27, 2026
Published by: Simon & Schuster Audio
Read from: January 22-25, 2026
Stand-alone
Source: Libro FM (I received this ALC free from the publisher and Libro FM. This did nothing to influence my review!)
Content Warning: Slavery, Rape, Torture, Racial slurs, Death, Infidelity, Vomit, Death of Parent, Toxic Friendship
For Readers Interested In: Audio, Adult, Strong Families, Historical Fiction, Literary, Racial/Ethnic Diversity, Realistic Fiction, Stand-aloneFrom the two-time Emmy Award–winning producer and host of the Black and Published podcast comes a sweeping multi-generational epic following seven generations of Dupree women as they navigate love, loss, and the unyielding ties of family in the tradition of Homegoing and The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois.
It’s 1995, and fourteen-year-old Tati is determined to uncover the identity of her father. But her mother, Nadia, keeps her secrets close, while her grandmother Gladys remains silent about the family’s past, including why she left Land’s End, Alabama, in 1953. As Tati digs deeper, she uncovers a legacy of family secrets, where every generation of Dupree women has posed more questions than answers.
From Jubi in 1917, whose attempt to pass for white ends when she gives birth to Ruby; to Ruby’s fiery lust for Sampson in 1934 that leads to a baby of her own; to the night in 1980 that changed Nadia’s future forever, the Dupree women carry the weight of their heritage. Bound by a mysterious malediction that means they will only give birth to daughters, the Dupree women confront a legacy of pain, resilience, and survival that began with an enslaved ancestor who risked everything for freedom.
The Seven Daughters of Dupree masterfully weaves together themes of generational trauma, Black women’s resilience, and unbreakable familial bonds. Echoing the literary power of The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis, Nikesha Elise Williams delivers a feminist literary fiction that explores the ripple effects of actions, secrets, and love through seven generations of Black women.
*MY THOUGHTS*
Ok so first things first… When you’re reading this you’ll need a few supplies. One of those things is some arts and crafts supplies because you’ll need to make a family tree lol Because I was all kinds of confused at some points. But I was still so immersed in their world, and I’m sure you will be too.
With the amount of characters there’s a ton of drama in this book. You got a grandma who is telling their grandchild all her mom’s business without talking to the mom, you got the grandchild who is doing everything that her mom doesn’t want her to do, and you got a mom who had to learn to grow up early so that she could make him grow up and raise her siblings. This book is a whole vibe. I did spend a lot of time waiting and wanting a “plot twist” but while what came was crazy, but it wasn’t exactly that. It was a little more background on the family members and it made me realize that I haven’t read a literary fiction in a long time to be looking for a plot twist lol
I don’t read a lot of historical fiction because hearing the racism always pisses me off. I get so mad and have no where to place that anger. For the most part this book was ok about that, but there was still some scenes that made me upset. I got a bit teary in some spots. I hated that this was happening to them and I couldn’t do anything about it. Clearly I get way too attached lol Another thing this genre has taught me is, the dudes in this genre really ain’t ish. It’s literally all of them in every book. Why are they all like this? From this book with the deadbeat dads to the ones that were actually IRL people. They’re all terrible smh
But this was so good. I had a really good time. The writing style was so good. I got sucked into this book even though this isn’t my usual genre of choice. And it pulled a lot of different emotions out of me and as I’ve said before that’s how I know it’s a good book. If for no other reason, I hope y’all pick it up to find out exactly what I mean.
Overall, I give this
