I Am Ayah: The Way Home

Five stars.

I loved this book! Donna Hill wove several distinct timelines between ancestors and descendants who are separated by generations, but their struggles were intermingled. The amidst the book, there are passages from what we learn are our MC Alessandra's ancestors. Here are the tragedies and oppressions that Alessandra's maternal ancestors experienced throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.

After developing a strained relationship after her mother's death, Alessandra was estranged from her father for the last few years. She is an aspiring photographer on the cusp of her first gallery show, and she is surprised by a call that her father has been hospitalized. She comes back home to Sag Harbor to deal with her father's condition, and to her surprise, her father is glad to see her. Before her return home, she begins to have vivid dreams and realistic visions that she can not comprehend. She also finds out that her father wanted her to know the history of her ancestors, which her mother did not like to share with her.

When she returns to Sag Harbor, she meets Zach, one of her father's neighbors who has a close relationship with him, making her a bit jealous. We also get chapters with Zach's perspective which gave us a soul-moving story about soulmates, accepting and honoring the past, and forgiveness. Alessandra and Zach's connection was powerful, and they were drawn to each other their band intensified as they explored the segments of her family's history. Zach also finds out that Alessandra's family is integral to the research he has been doing on the maroon community in Sag Harbor.

The book was very enthralling because there were so many facets to the plot, and at first, I wondered how the historical accounts fit into the book's main narrative. Overall I loved how everything came together, and this is yet another amazing book by Donna Hill.

Thanks to Hear Our Voices Tours for providing me with a copy for my honest review.