DéLana R.A. Dameron's keenly observed debut novel-in-stories, Redwood Court, paints a vivid portrait of a Southern Black family as seen by its youngest member, Mika Tabor. Growing up in 1990s Columbia, S.C., shuttling between her parents' house and her grandparents' home on the titular street, Mika watches her family's interactions with each other and the outside world. Dameron, who shifts between Mika's first-person observations and her family members' voices, gives readers a kaleidoscopic glimpse into one family's history, rituals, and struggles.
Although Mika is her primary narrator, Dameron (Weary Kingdom) gives other family members the floor from time to time. Mika's grandparents, Louise and James (known as "Weesie" and "Teeta"); her father, Major; and her mother, Rhina, all share their perspectives. The novel's arc roughly follows Mia's childhood up to her early teenage years but, as with all families, Dameron's characters share asides and anecdotes and flashbacks to long-ago memories. These narrative bits, along with descriptions of fishing trips, competitive card games, and intricately knotted friendship bracelets, add richness and depth to Mika's depiction of her family. Through her accounts of quiet ordinary days and bigger life events, Dameron explores the realities of work, love, success, and community for this tightly knit, complicated family.
Dameron's deep compassion and sharp eye for detail will leave readers wishing they could step through the screen door into Weesie's kitchen. Dameron deftly considers the life of a family both shaped by and shaping their beloved neighborhood. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams