You know those books that you think, “wait that went by so fast”? That’s how I felt with Mourning Glory because I just devoured it. I listened to this Spotify audiobook in a few days. It feels cinematic and I could easily listen to it again! Keep reading this book review of Mourning Glory for my full thoughts.
Summary
The formerly close-knit Cauley sisters—Nicole, Lynn, and Charlie—have drifted apart in their adult lives. But they are unexpectedly brought together by sudden passing of their mother.
Returning to their ancestral home, the last Black-owned funeral parlor in the city, the sisters are joined by their cousin, Rene, and their grandmother as they come to terms with their grief. However, they’re facing more than one loss: For generations, the Cauley women have possessed a family magic to keep a powerful demon named Legion at bay. After their mother’s death, the power appears to be lost. And without it, they’re sitting ducks.
Long-standing feuds and unspoken hostilities arise as the women struggle to work together and regain their magic. As tensions flare and Legion closes in, the family must overcome their differences and prove that blood is thicker than evil.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Mourning Glory makes an impact. This book flew by and understandably so. It combines the amazing writer forces of McKinney and Morrow – two of my favorite YA authors – and creates a story about generational trauma, family, and magic. The Spotify audiobook production with the music and sound effects makes this feel like you’re listening to a movie. It feels cinematic and means that when this ends, you’ll want to listen all over again. Bahni Turpin did an amazing job with this narration for the four sisters and multiple POVs.
You could hear the small differences in each of the family members and combined with the production this felt so deluxe! Mourning Glory is a story about power and grief. Beginning with loss, it’s about what happens in a moment of change. And, true to real life, just because we are united in loss and the world might be ending, we don’t check our years of family complexity at the door. Mourning Glory combines a story about family and sacrifice.
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About not only what we would do for power – and who we would sacrifice – but what we do once we know. Even if we can’t change the past, how we make sense of the present and what we do in the future can change. Mourning Glory explores family legacies and secrets. That the past will never rest unless we reckon with it. Find Mourning Glory on Goodreads, Storygraph, Libro.fm, and Google Play.