Anywhere You Run

By: Wanda M. Morris

ISBN: 9780063082502

Publisher: William Morrow

Publication Date: 10/25/2022

Format: Other

My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)

OCT 2022 MUST-READ BOOKS

From the award-winning author of All Her Little Secrets comes yet another gripping, suspenseful novel where, after the murder of a white man in Jim Crow Mississippi, two Black sisters run away to different parts of the country . . . but can they escape the secrets they left behind?

It’s the summer of 1964 and three innocent men are brutally murdered for trying to help Black Mississippians secure the right to vote.

Against this backdrop, twenty-two-year-old Violet Richards finds herself in more trouble than she’s ever been in her life. Suffering a brutal attack of her own, she kills the man responsible. But with the color of Violet’s skin, there is no way she can escape Jim Crow justice in Jackson, Mississippi. Before anyone can find the body or finger her as the killer, she decides to run. With the help of her white beau, Violet escapes. But desperation and fear lead her to hide out in the small rural town of Chillicothe, Georgia, unaware that danger may be closer than she thinks.

Back in Jackson, Marigold, Violet’s older sister has dreams of attending law school. Working for the Mississippi Summer Project, she has been trying to use her smarts to further the cause of the Black vote. But Marigold is in a different kind of trouble: she’s pregnant and unmarried. After news of the murder brings the police to her door, Marigold sees no choice but to flee Jackson too. She heads North seeking the promise of a better life and no more segregation. But has she made a terrible choice that threatens her life and that of her unborn child?

Two sisters on the run—one from the law, the other from social shame. What they don’t realize is that there’s a man hot on their trail. This man has his own brand of dark secrets and a disturbing motive for finding the sisters that is unknown to everyone but him.

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My Review

Bestselling and talented Atlanta author Wanda M. Morris returns following her smashing debut All Her Little Secrets (5 Stars, as well) with a gripping, powerful, emotional sophomore novel, ANYWHERE YOU RUN.

The 1964 murder of three civil rights activists in Mississippi provides the backdrop for the novel. Part family drama; women, southern, historical, literary fiction; and part mystery/suspense thriller. You will be on the edge of your seat until the conclusion.

Beautifully rendered and meticulously researched, Morris takes us back to 1964 in the Deep South, where we meet two African American sisters, Violet and Marigold Richards, trying desperately to survive.

The novel explores racism, evil, rural small southern injustices, and family/sisterhood. Sadly, not a lot has changed over the years, which is heartbreaking and relevant today.

Both sisters are the only ones left in the family and are desperate to leave Jackson. However, they are forced to stay by the fear of wandering out in the world without their parents.

Set in the Jim Crow South in Jackson, Mississippi, Violet kills a white man, Huxley, who was trying to defend herself due to being raped.

She had gone to the police regarding the attack days earlier, and they did nothing. She knows that as a Black woman, she will not be treated fairly during this time. She must escape with her wealthy white boyfriend, Dewey Leonard.

However, after she abandons him in Birmingham, Alabama, to catch a bus to Chillicothe, GA. He wanted to marry her like that was going to happen.

Dewy later hires Mercer to find her. She has no clue about the danger ahead and the person following her.

Marigold had dreams of going to college and law school. She was the smart one.

Violet was the pretty one who made fast decisions. She had no dreams. She left without her sister but would call and explain when she got settled and send for her.

Marigold works for the Mississippi Summer Project to help Blacks register to vote. After news of the murder brings the police to her door, Marigold sees no choice but to flee Jackson too. She heads North seeking the promise of a better life and no more segregation.

She winds up in Ohio after quickly marrying her crazy boyfriend, having become pregnant by another man. But has she made a terrible choice that threatens her life and her unborn child?

Two sisters are on the run, one from the law, the other from social shame. Will they make it back together again reunited, and if so, what will happen next?

Oh, the strength of sisters and the power of redemption. From tragedy to triumph. A novel of love, loss, and survival.

Rich in detail, these parallel stories of hiding and pursuit lead to a satisfying conclusion. Told from alternating Violet and Marigold's POVs equally compelling, with a chapter from Dewey Leonard and about thirteen chapters from Mercer Buggs.

These sisters experienced so much loss, fear, and pain when all they want is the freedom to live their lives.

Raw, intense, and heartbreaking! Heart-pounding emotion, well-developed characters, and a gripping plot make ANYWHERE YOU RUN an exceptional must-read! The author is a gifted master storyteller, writing with passion and wisdom. I cannot wait to see what comes next.

Move this to the top of your TBR list, now.

"God will not let you falter when He has set you up to soar."

—Violet Richards Anywhere You Run

A special thank you to #WilliamandMorrow and #NetGalley for a gifted e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I also pre-ordered the audiobook (HarperAudio), narrated by Janina Edwards, Shayna Small, and Adam Lazarre-White.

@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

Pub Date: Oct 25, 2022

Oct 2022 Must-Read Books

Praise

"Meticulous research about the era informs the gripping plot, which alternates between each sister’s point of view. Finely sculpted characters and crisp dialogue help make this a standout. Morris is a writer to watch." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Morris follows the highly acclaimed All Her Little Secrets (2021) with a stunning novel about two Black sisters on the run, one victimized by an egregious crime and both guilty of simply wanting better lives for themselves…These parallel stories of hiding and pursuit, which lead to an amazing conclusion, are told in the different but equally compelling voices of Violet and Marigold, each filled with its own fear and pain. This riveting and moving novel, with echoes of Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, is highly recommended for fans of suspense and women’s fiction.”

— Booklist (starred review)

"Beautifully rendered prose written in the vernacular of a small Mississippi town will immerse readers in the lives of two sisters trying to survive. In this viscerally frightening novel of the Jim Crow era, Morris writes a stunning, heartbreaking portrayal of being Black in the 1960s U.S. South." — Library Journal (starred review)

"Wise, riveting, and full of surprises, Anywhere You Run will keep you up past your bedtime and stay with you long after the book is closed.”

—Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six

"A stunning thriller and a stunning work of historical fiction. Anywhere You Run is riveting, touching and terrifying. Wanda M. Morris is a ferociously talented writer."

— Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of The Long Weekend

"Anywhere You Run had me hooked from the first page. Wanda Morris brings 1964 to vivid, richly-textured life and populates it with unforgettable characters. It’s a novel both tender and ferocious – an absolute stunner."

— Lou Berney, Edgar Award-winning author of November Road

"Evocative, heartbreaking, and utterly life-changing. With the ground-breaking Anywhere You Run, Wanda Morris blooms into literary fiction, bringing readers a chillingly knowing and brilliantly upsetting novel of the 60s. With no holds barred and no emotion unplumbed, the talented Morris writes a tale of two sisters that's unflinchingly raw and passionately authentic. We cannot turn away from the story, or from the immersive settings, or from Morris's skilled depiction of tragedy, triumph, and the struggle to love and survive." — Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author

"So powerful! Though she's writing about the past, Wanda Morris tells a story that feels incredibly relevant today. With its menacing characters and emotionally wrenching situations, Anywhere You Run made me hold my breath for two wonderfully well-drawn heroines."

— Rachel Howzell Hall, bestselling author of These Toxic Things

“Anywhere You Run is a gripping crime novel centered around a cat-and-mouse chase featuring characters I came to love. It’s also a riveting, moving, and deeply American story about the strength of sisters and the power of redemption. I couldn’t put this one down."

— Jess Lourey, bestselling author of The Quarry Girls

"A propulsive and immersive journey among the treacherous landscape of America in the early 1960s told through the eyes of black women. With unflinching prose, Wanda M. Morris weaves a story of love, loss, and unimaginable strength."

— Catherine Adel West, author of The Two Lives of Sara and Saving Ruby King

"From the acclaimed author of All Her Little Secrets comes a novel packed with intrigue and suspense."

— Oprah Daily

"A southern setting where voting and abortion are both increasingly restricted feels…rather like today, if I’m honest. Wanda Morris, too, has noted the parallels, and there is a sense of political urgency that helps speed this thriller along."

— CrimeReads

About the Author

Photo credit: Chatman Studios Atlanta

Wanda M. Morris is the acclaimed author of All Her Little Secrets, which has been praised by Karin Slaughter as "brilliantly nuanced" and reviewed by The Boston Globe, LA Times, New York Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Seattle Times, and South Florida Sun Sentinel among others. It was named as one of the "Best Books of 2021" by Hudson Booksellers and selected as the #1 Top Pick for Library Reads by librarians across the country. It was serialized in Entertainment Weekly and selected as a Marie Claire book club pick.

Wanda is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Crime Writers of Color. A corporate attorney, Wanda has worked in the legal departments of some of America's top Fortune 100 companies. She is an accomplished presenter and leader. As a former President of the Georgia Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, she established a signature female empowerment program known as the Women's Initiative. She is married, the mother of three and lives in Atlanta, Georgia. WEBSITE