At 13, Sydney Singleton stumbled upon an old photograph tucked away in a drawer of her grandmother’s guest room. It depicted a black girl stepping into her teenage years—a girl who bore a striking resemblance to Sydney.
The following morning, Sydney inquired about the photo. Her grandmother’s voice was as steady as “an oak tree standing tall in the grass before her,” and she replied, “We don’t discuss Carol.”
Fast forward twenty years: Sydney, now a married woman in her mid-30s, travels from Los Angeles to Raleigh, North Carolina, to assist in preparing her late grandmother’s house for sale. There, she and her sister, Sasha, discover the photo once more, along with Carol’s diary hidden above the ceiling panels in the guest room closet.
Thus begins Kristen L. Berry’s remarkable debut novel, “We Don’t Talk About Carol,” a tale centered on family secrets, a cold case investigation from six decades past, and a haunting critique of neglect. No black girls receive attention from either law enforcement or the media.
It becomes clear that Carol was Sydney’s late father’s sister. Her diary, penned at age 16, reveals her dreams of becoming a singer and an older boyfriend, as well as her aspirations to escape to Detroit to join Motown. Carol’s family didn’t file a missing person report, believing she had simply run away.
As a former investigative reporter, Sydney feels compelled to uncover the truth about her absent aunt. She eventually learns that Carol vanished from the very same Raleigh neighborhood 60 years ago and is one of six black teenage girls who were brushed aside by the police.
Thus, Sydney’s investigation transforms into a mission to uncover the fate of all six girls. Along the way, she enlists the help of the family of a missing girl, a cold case podcast enthusiast, and a detective involved in the Laurie murder case.
The result is a beautifully composed, emotionally charged narrative about the generational impacts of trauma, the significance of family, and what one determined woman can achieve.
The pacing occasionally slows as the author delves into Sydney’s struggles with her deceased father, a distant mother, and her beloved husband, Malik. While some readers may find the tempo discouraging, perseverance pays off as the story accelerates, leading to a series of compelling revelations.
___
Bruce Desilva, recipient of the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award and author of the Mulligan crime novels, including “The Dread Line.”
___
AP Book Review: https://apnews.com/hub/book-reviews
Source: apnews.com