Daughters of Jubilation

Starred review from August 1, 2020

Gr 9 Up-Evalene has magical powers. Sometimes she can make things move with her mind. Her family calls it the Jublilation. Evalene is descended from powerful Black women who used these powers to survive. One spring in the Jim Crow South, right before Juneteenth, Evalene saves a white family from a falling oak tree after inadvertently causing an earthquake with her powers. Evalene is praised as a hero, when just moments before, she was being threatened by these same people for riding her bike into the "wrong neighborhood." That summer, as Evalene juggles work, family, and her growing relationship with her longtime crush Clay, her growing powers manifest in a big, scary, and life-changing way. Evalene's compelling first-person narrative brings readers effortlessly into her life. This historical fantasy contains elements of romance and sex, some violence, as well as strong language. VERDICT This book by author, TV writer, and playwright Corthron is a well-told, fast-paced story about a teenage girl coming of age, while coming to terms with her family's legacy. A perfect addition to any library's collection.-Ariel Birdoff, New York P.L.

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 15, 2020
A Black teen learns more about her family's magical abilities in the Jim Crow South. When Evalene hit puberty, Mama revealed that menstruation brought an additional type of power. Since before the time of slavery, the Deschamps women have been gifted with magical abilities, called Jubilation. Although Evvie doesn't know why they have this magic or what her mind will do, she can usually tell when something is coming by the onset of a painful headache. During the summer of 1962, Evvie spends her days babysitting a White child and the evenings taking care of her twin sisters. When Evvie begins a relationship with her longtime crush, she starts to lose command of her powers more frequently, and she seeks out her Grammie Atti to learn to control the jubin'. Evvie learns that the women in her family--and many other Black families--have been gifted with Jubilation as a tool for survival against predators. The magic feeds off intense emotions, including love and anger. When a dangerous White man from Evvie's past returns to town, she must use the power within her to fight for her loved ones. The story is well paced and suspenseful, and the magic that is Jubilation is wonderfully creative. The exploration of home, and the reflection on how a place where you can't be safe can nevertheless be called home, is powerful. A compelling story of first love and battling racism with a magical twist. (Historical fantasy. 14-18)

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September 28, 2020
Corthron (The Truth of Right Now) brings ancestral magic to Jim Crow South Carolina in this historical YA fantasy. Sixteen-year-old Evalene “Evvie” Deschamps has always known that she, like the generations of Black women in her family, possess magical abilities they call “Jubilation.” Following puberty, it becomes more difficult for Evvie to control her magic, which begins with a bad headache and causes accidents when her temper flares. Nervous about hurting her loved ones, Evvie trains with her formerly estranged grandmother while managing her responsibilities as an older sister, her job as a babysitter for a white family, and a new relationship with her childhood crush. The purpose of her training shifts from general control to protection when she is stalked by a strange and sinister white man who claims to know everything about her, including her Jubilation. While the first-person narrative, told in a 1960s Southern dialect, aids in characterization and setting, the novel’s harrowing plot is in places
disturbing. Emotional, magical worldbuilding, however, redeems the distressing narrative by weaving it with grounding bonds of familial love and protection. Ages 14–up. Agent: Laurie Liss, Sterling Lord Literistic.

October 1, 2020
Grades 9-12 Corthron brings her writing talent to the realm of YA with a powerful story about a magic-wielding Black teen in the Jim Crow South. Evaline Deschamps possesses the gift of jubilation, ancestral magic for protection passed down from one Black woman to another. In the time of Jim Crow, Evaline and her family realize they need their powers to survive as much as their ancestors did during slavery. As Evie's powers grow stronger and she struggles to master them, a darkness awakens that threatens to eviscerate Evie. Against a backdrop of rampant white supremacy inflicting great suffering and injustices upon Black families, Evie must conquer the evil of her past if she hopes to fully harness her power and protect herself and her family. Corthron inventively explores America's heinous racist history while telling the story of a Black teen grappling with a hostile culture on top of ordinary teenage growing pains, like a first crush. Readers swept up by Justina Ireland's Dread Nation series will gravitate to this historical fantasy, almost as if by magic.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)