Kin - a beautiful story of friendship and chosen family.

Set in the 1950s and 1960s, this emotional story begins in Honeysuckle, Louisiana. Vernice and Annie are the best of friends. As they are both motherless, it has created a unique bond between them. Vernice “Niecy” Davis lost her mother when she was six months old, murdered by her father. She was lovingly raised by her Aunt Irene. Annie Johnson was abandoned as a baby by her mother, Hattie Lee, and was raised by her grandmother. Though they are as close as sisters, their paths diverge as they grow older. Niecy heads off to Spelman College in Atlanta, a school for young Black women, while Annie leaves Honeysuckle in search of her mother, whom she believes is living in Memphis. Despite the distance, they remain devoted to one another, proving that "Blood alone can't give you kinship."

In Kin, Tayari Jones has created two captivating main characters and an excellent ensemble of secondary characters that enrich the story. Some provide support and guidance to Niecy and Annie, serving as mother figures. The absence of their mothers forms the foundation for both Niecy and Annie, yet they do not get the same opportunities, setting them off on different paths while both face racism and inequality. Told in alternating perspectives, this is the type of powerful, beautifully written story that stays with you.

Many thanks to Alfred A. Knopf for the advance.

Rated 4.25 out of 5 stars.

Historical Fiction | Literary Fiction.

Publication Date: February 24, 2026.

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