Where Wild Peaches Grow

A Novel

By: Cade Bentley

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

In a deeply emotional novel of family, cultural heritage, and forgiveness, estranged sisters wrestle with the choices they’ve made and confront circumstances beyond their control.

Nona “Peaches” Davenport, abandoned by the man she loved and betrayed by family, left her Natchez, Mississippi, home fifteen years ago and never looked back. She’s forged a promising future in Chicago as a professor of African American Studies. Nona even finds her once-closed heart persuaded by a new love. But that’s all shaken when her father’s death forces her to return to everything she’s tried to forget.

Julia Curtis hasn’t forgiven her sister for deserting the family. Just like their mother, Nona walked away from Julia when she needed her most. And Julia doesn’t feel guilty for turning to Nona’s old flame, Marcus, for comfort. He helped Julia build a new life. She has a child, a career, and a determination to move on from old family wounds.

Upon Nona’s return to Natchez, a cautious reunion unfolds, and everything Nona and Julia thought they knew—about themselves, each other, and those they loved—will be tested. Unpacking the truth about why Nona left may finally heal their frayed bond—or tear it apart again, forever.

©2022 Shondra C. Longino. (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Narrator Bahni Turpin gives a stunning performance as both Nona and Julia, two women who follow different paths but are, ultimately, alike. Turpin brings out the emotion in the story as both women work together to learn the truth about the past and work toward reconciliation. This novel is perfect for fans of The Vanishing Half or books by Edward Kelsey Moore and Kimberly Lawson Roby.”—Library Journal

“Bentley…has written a captivating story of miscommunication, secrets, lies, and forgiveness, beautifully told with rich descriptions of Black culture and history.”—Booklist (starred review)

It wanted to be good, but it wasn’t.

The ending left a lot to be desired. So disappointing that I wasted so many hours listening to this one.

I looked the idea better than the actual book

I really wanted to love this book. The premise is solid. A father dies, and his two estranged daughters reunite for his funeral. The themes were good- family is important, and it’s important to go to the source to find our histories (both personal and collective).

But the actual writing was just ok. The characters weren’t well developed. Their actions and reactions to things didn’t make sense. I found myself not rooting for them the way you usually do in a novel.

The best part of this audio book was the narrator performance. Bahni Turpin is an amazing audio actress whose talents added a lot to an otherwise unimpressive book.

Finding Herself

Good book. Nona had to leave and return to find herself and appreciate the family.

History mixed with family and feelings

It was interesting book , the characters were relatable , and easy to imagine. While there were ups and downs and exciting moments in the book I kept waiting for something more- I also was a bit lost at the end of the book.

Anticlimactic

I will agree and say I had high hopes for this book. The narration did have occasional odd pauses. The narrator was easy to follow. I was hoping for more in regards to the plot and wish that the outcome of the relationships had been elaborated on- definitely finished the book desiring more.