Book cover of We Deserve Monuments

Book description

Seventeen year old Avery Anderson is convinced her senior year is ruined when she's uprooted from her life in DC and forced into the hostile home of her terminally ill grandmother, Mama Letty. The tension between Avery's mum and Mama Letty makes for a frosty arrival and unearths past drama…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked We Deserve Monuments as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

We Were Monuments is a beautiful depiction of moving to a small town but not fitting in.

I felt similar growing up, that I didn’t fit the mold of the community I lived in, and could sympathize with the main character. I lost count of the number of times I cried reading this book. I would rate it more than five stars if I could. I loved every single aspect of it, especially the curmudgeon grandmother, Mama Letty, who you learn to love.

I would recommend this book for everyone to read. Not only is the message important but the…

This story delves into family secrets and the legacy of racial violence—two elements that rise to the surface in the main character’s life and take a central role in the narrative.

There is also Avery’s romance with her neighbor Simone, but, in my opinion, the heart of the book is the relationship that Avery forges with her grandmother, Mama Letty.

It grows and takes a few twists and turns, and just when you think you have a handle on the situation, there is a surprising revelation at the very end of this book that still has me thinking.

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