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My Monticello
My Monticello
Jul 8, 2025 8:32 AM

Author:Jocelyn Nicole Johnson

My Monticello

'Riveting' Guardian

'Electrifying' Colson Whitehead

When the world collapses, where will you run?

After rolling blackouts and epic storms engulf America, the neighbourhood of First Street, Charlottesville comes under attack by violent white supremacists. A small group of families, friends and strangers flee for their lives, taking refuge in Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's historic plantation home in the hills above the town.

Over nineteen heart-stopping days the group, led by Da'Naisha Love - a young Black descendant of Jefferson and Sally Hemings - find ways to survive as the world burns beneath them. But with the terror below coming closer, they must decide how far they're willing to go to protect what's theirs . . .

'Absolutely unforgettable' Roxane Gay

'Stunning' Mail on Sunday

Reviews

Riveting storytelling. This incandescent work speaks not just to the moment, but to history

—— Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A badass debut by any measure - nimble, knowing, and electrifying

—— Colson Whitehead, twice-Pulitzer Prize winning author of THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD and THE NICKEL BOYS

An electric new literary voice

—— Esquire

Absolutely unforgettable. Johnson's prose soars to remarkable heights

—— Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author of HUNGER and AYITI

Unputdownable... Extraordinarily powerful... One of the finest books of 2021 and a future classic

—— The Bookseller, Book of the Month

My Monticello is a magnificent debut that holds so much in its gaze. This breathtaking, artful book is a gift

—— Megha Majumdar, New York Times bestselling author of A BURNING

I was enthralled from the opening lines of this book. Stunning

—— Charles Yu, National Book Award-winning author of INTERIOR CHINATOWN

This is a stunning debut by a brilliant and original new voice

—— Danielle Evans, award-winning author of THE OFFICE OF HISTORICAL CORRECTIONS

Johnson's debut book is stellar

—— Kirkus (starred review)

A powerful and beautiful read

—— Nina Pottell , Prima

An extraordinary debut from a gifted writer with an unflinching view of history and what may come of it.

—— Washington Post

Johnson is a great observer. The novel is full of stunningly precise figurative language... [it's] utterly absorbing...a meditation of how the brutal past of slavery still has a potent legacy in contemporary America; it also portrays the redemptive powers of love and care

—— Tomiwa Owolade , Daily Telegraph

This powerful and memorable book is a must-read

—— Joanne Finney , Good Housekeeping

A powerful, thought-provoking novel

—— Sarra Manning , Red

[A] tenderly rendered apocalyptic novella... Johnson is an unusually sensitive writer, combining a mood of impending doom with language of soulful beauty

—— Claire Allfree , Daily Mail

This brief, brilliant gut-punch of a novel is frighteningly plausible... Lush, harrowing, and entirely believable - a marvel of economy

—— Paul Connolly , Metro

My Monticello is short, satisfying and punchy: more debuts should be like this

—— John Self , The Times

Stunning

—— Eithne Farry , Mail on Sunday

Chilling, affecting and intelligent

—— Stuart Kelly , Scotland on Sunday

This brief, brilliant gut-punch of a novel is frighteningly plausible

—— Paul Connolly , Metro, *Christmas Gift Guide 2021*

My Monticello is a bleak story but reading it elicits the same kind of sensation that comes from listening to a poignant blues song: there is pleasure in its creation without denying the pain of the subject

—— Colin Grant , Guardian

A history lesson, a fable, an inquiry into the nature of historic monuments, a heartfelt tale of community and above all a nail-biting story.

—— Guardian

Beautifully written with unforgettable characters... My Monticello is an unforgettable and thought-provoking novella that will unsettle you to your core.

—— Voice

A wild ride through Americana

—— BuzzFeed

History [and] adventure collide in The Lincoln Highway . . . The pace is fast and writing concise, making it a digestible read whether in bed or at a loud coffee shop

—— Associated Press

Magnificent . . . Towles is a supreme storyteller, and this one-of-a-kind kind of novel isn't to be missed

—— Publishers Weekly

[A] playfully thought-provoking novel . . . [Towles] juggles the pieces of his plot deftly, shifting from voice to voice, skirting sentimentality and quirkiness with a touch of wistful regret, and leading up to an ending that is bound to provoke discussion

—— Booklist

A new author to me- but I'll be reading Amor's A Gentlemen in Moscow, as I was blown away by this... A heartfelt read, one that makes me think of coming of age film Stand By Me

—— Prima

A natural storyteller, Towles keeps the plot ticking over nicely in a solid holiday listen destined for the big screen

—— Irish Examiner

A perfect paperback

—— The Herald

A book to lose yourself in

—— Muddy Stilettos

Flannery excels at working that counterpoint of dark and light, comedy in the face of tragedy . . . A brilliant debut

—— Anglo-Celt

Quietly beautiful . . . Flannery's characters are very well drawn, as is her understanding of small-town mores and idle gossip. It's a book that leaves and impression long after the final page

—— Irish Independent

An amazing story

—— Amie McAuley , Belfast Telegraph
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