Long After We Are Gone by Terah Sheldon Harris

Terah Shelton Harris’ novel about racial injustice and family dynamics is absorbing. Long After We Are Gone explores the complexity of family bonds and the agility required to meet family expectations without losing oneself.

When King Solomon passes, his four adult siblings gather to bury him and settle his estate. His death forces the siblings to confront their own demons and the injustice of discrimination and bigotry.  Set in present-day North Carolina, the four Solomon siblings seek to honor their father’s last words: “Don’t let the white man take the house.” The house to which he refers was built by Solomon in 1782. But with Solomon’s passing, development companies want to buy the house and the two hundred acres of land using a legal loophole called “heir property.” Because Black families didn’t trust the white court system, many families didn’t write wills. So, “heir property” is the mechanism by which descendants inherit an interest in the land, but their ownership does not constitute a clear title. If one “heir property” owner is willing to sell, the entire property becomes vulnerable to purchase. Their father’s brother wants to sell.

After receiving an eviction notice, the four Solomon siblings, Junior, Mance, Cecily, and Tokey, must wrestle with their need for money and loyalty to their father’s dying wish. The siblings can’t unite and plan until they are truthful with one another. The secrets and lies they have told themselves and each other emerge. After years of superficiality and silence, King’s children communicate honestly and begin to fight for their ancestral home.

The emotional baggage they each carry is heavy and unique. In addition, the siblings are haunted by their mother’s absence, whose name their father never uttered. But after King’s death, they learn about her life and become more open to speaking their truths. Hovering over this crisis is the trauma and injustice their ancestors experienced living on this land during slavery, Civil War and the cruel Jim Crow laws.

 Some stereotypes and caricatures distract from the narrative. And yet, Long After We Are Gone is a story about balancing familial expectations with the need to be true to oneself. The surprising ending might be too simple and fast. Nonetheless Terah Shelton Harris’ novel is a compelling story of reconciliation and redemption. 4/5