Embers on the Wind

A Novel

By: Lisa Williamson Rosenberg

Narrated by: Karole Foreman

Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

The past and the present converge in this enthralling, serpentine tale of women connected by motherhood, slavery’s legacy, and histories that span centuries.

In 1850 in Massachusetts, Whittaker House stood as a stop on the Underground Railroad. It’s where two freedom seekers, Little Annie and Clementine, hid and perished. Whittaker House still stands, and Little Annie and Clementine still linger, their dreams of freedom unfulfilled.

Now a fashionably distressed vacation rental in the Berkshires, Whittaker House draws seekers of another kind: Black women who only appear to be free. Among them are Dominique, a single mother following her grand-mère’s stories to Whittaker House in search of an ancestor; Michelle, Dominique’s lover, who has journeyed to the Berkshire Mountains to heal her own traumas; and Kaye, Michelle’s sister, a seer whose visions reveal the past and future secrets of the former safehouse—along with her own.

For each of them, true liberation can come only from uncovering their connection to history—and to the spirits awaiting peace and redemption within the walls of Whittaker House.

©2022 Lisa Williamson Rosenberg. (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Inspired by the tale of a real-life haunted stop on the Underground Railroad in Massachusetts, Lisa Williamson Rosenberg’s Embers on the Wind casts the safe house as the fiery final resting place of two formerly enslaved women—and a modern-day beacon for Black women seeking their own brand of freedom. But liberation in the present is elusive until they find their connection to the home’s lingering souls.”—Essence Magazine

“Lisa Williamson Rosenberg’s Embers on the Wind is a delight that will keep you turning pages to the very end. Her lyrical writing transports us from the nineteenth-century Underground Railroad to the Brooklyn of today, and in Rosenberg’s hands, the history is as vibrant as present-day life. The women in this book are searching for freedom, and luckily for us readers, they bring us along for the magical ride.”—Cary Barbor, host of NPR’s Gulf Coast Life Book Club

“Embers is a story that pulls you in with richly drawn characters and a skillfully intertwined plot twist that you’ll never see coming. It’s a perfect and delightful read, entertaining from beginning to shocking end.”—Dawn Porter, award-winning film producer and director of John Lewis: Good Trouble

Too Confusing by far!

This story moved back and forth from the present to mid 19th C. Many, many characters came and went, including an array of restive spirits who interacted with 21st C visitors. I believe in believing in ghosts but this stretched credibility too far for my true-seeking preferences. The narration was superlative!

My Musings

This one started out well, but about half way, it made a turn for the worst. There were so many characters, it became hard to keep them straight, too many sub plots going on too. By the time the book ended, I had become completely disconnected and just wanted it to end. Also when I am reading/listening to current day fiction, I want to escape and don’t expect to read about woke and Trump. This took me out of the story and and kept me from identifying with some of the characters. I also had trouble with the narrator since she gave southern accents to all the characters including Bostonians. I’m being generous with my rating because this is a debut novel and had a lot of potential. Happy reading and listening!

Read it twice

Read it twice to get flow of the story. Keeping track of characters can be challenging if too long a break is made between listening.

Greatly enhanced with amazing narraration!

This book moved me, I would read it again. The characters/their stories are interconnected, as they weave from past to present. I listened while reading. Karole Foreman's wonderful voice and characterization greatly enhanced the book. I recommend either book with Audible, or Audible alone to really experience this book.

review

I had a hard time following the story for the 1st half of the book.