Yonder Come Day - by Jasmine L Holmes

About the Book

Weaving together compelling first-person accounts of formerly enslaved men and women, writer and historian shines light on the struggles, sorrows, triumphs, and hopes of real families who survived one of the darkest periods of American history.

Book Synopsis

As our nation has experienced a renewal of reckoning with the reality of slavery in our past and the continued struggle for equality and liberation in the present, many previously untold stories have come to light. But not every story. Some histories remain shrouded, waiting for someone to uncover them and make them known. Incredibly, some of them have been hiding in plain sight for decades.

Yonder Come Day brings these hidden histories into the light in an unconventional yet powerful way. Drawing from the recorded interviews of more than 3,000 formerly enslaved people from across the South collected in the 1930s, Jasmine L. Holmes creates a compelling "collective memoir" unlike anything you've read. The story follows Little One, a composite character who guides the modern-day reader through the experience of slavery. As she grows from Little Bit to Lonely One to Lovely One to Grandmama, she exposes both harsh truths and an irrepressible spirit, helping us better understand the love, resilience, and faithfulness necessary to survive the evils of our nation's original sin.

Teachers, historians, and anyone doing the work of reconciliation will find that Yonder Come Day is the vital resource they didn't even know they were missing.

From the Back Cover

Experience the struggles, sorrows, triumphs, and hopes of real people who survived one of the darkest periods of American history

As our nation has experienced a renewal of reckoning with the reality of slavery in our past and the continued struggle for equality and liberation in the present, many previously untold stories have come to light. But not every story. Some histories remain shrouded, waiting for someone to uncover them and make them known. Incredibly, other stories have been hiding in plain sight for decades.

Yonder Come Day brings many of these hidden histories into the light in an unconventional and powerful way. Drawing from the recorded interviews of more than three thousand formerly enslaved people from across the South, collected in the 1930s, Jasmine L. Holmes creates a compelling "collective memoir" unlike anything you've read.

The story follows Little One, a composite character who guides the modern-day reader through the experience of slavery. As she grows from Little Bit to Lonely One to Lovely One to Grandmama, she exposes both harsh truths and an irrepressible spirit, helping us better understand the love, resilience, and faithfulness necessary to survive the evils of our nation's original sin.

About the Author

Jasmine L. Holmes is a passionate writer and educator who celebrates Black stories through her books, including Carved in Ebony, Mother to Son, and Crowned with Glory. As a historian and teacher, Jasmine shares her expertise with lifelong learners and educators alike, inspiring them to expand their understanding of history and its impact on our society. Alongside her husband and three sons, Jasmine calls Jackson, Mississippi, home. Learn more at JasmineLHolmes.com and connect with her on Instagram @JasmineLHolmes.