Although there are some overly long descriptions, On Sunday, She Picked Flowers is a tantalizing, untamed tale that feels complete in its incompleteness.
On Sunday, She Picked Flowers merges familial, generational trauma, the battle to heal, and romance with the supernatural. It’s a Southern Gothic tale that weaves a mesmerizing world for readers. Balancing the dual worlds of fantasy and reality to such a degree that there feels to be no separation, it creates a curiosity about what lurks within people’s homes and within people. Although there are some overly long descriptions, On Sunday, She Picked Flowers is a tantalizing, untamed tale that feels complete in its incompleteness.
Written by Yah Yah Scholfield, the story follows Judith Rice, a Black woman who leaves her childhood home after suffering years of abuse from her cold mother. Adrift, she eventually lands in a rundown house in the woods of southern Georgia, but soon finds her hard-fought peace threatened by an unknown woman’s arrival. The story unpacks a lot, demonstrating how what shapes us haunts us. Plus, fantasy elements abound, but their introduction feels natural, not necessarily magical.
On Sunday, She Picked Flowers Grips You at the Start
A story needs a strong beginning to pull readers in, and this novel does that with ease. It automatically crafts an emotional connection with Judith while setting up the characters around her with one violent encounter. In addition, it sets up an understanding for what’s coming that grows as other characters, aside from Judith, recall how her mother abused her. With that connection established early on, readers are eager to see a change in Judith’s life.
Women-Centered Story With LGBTQ+ Romance
On Sunday, She Picked Flowers shows how you center a demographic in storytelling. The focus is on women, in particular, a look at the women in one family. Yah Yah Schoelfield does it so seamlessly that it takes a reread to realize that few men appear in the story. The addition of one woman outside the family adds a mysterious quality as both the heroine and readers attempt to uncover who she is and what she wants.
On Sunday, She Picked Flowers Presents a Tragic Cycle
Yet, the story does not paint Judith’s mom as entirely evil. With what abuse she suffered, it’s unsurprising how she treats Judith. Yet the story shows her sisters see her in a different light, one of caring and affection. It’s also not only her mom. An abuser gets away with it because of those who say nothing. Between Judith’s aunts, Vivian and Phyllis, only one finally acknowledges the abuse Judith suffered and how they watched and ignored it. The physical abuse is only one layer. The other teaches victims to normalize it.
Supernatural Ties With The Trauma
The haints and spirits trapped in Judith’s home and in the surrounding woods connect with Judith because of her pain. They sense a kinship and something primal. Plus, there is something unfinished. A trauma, and the question of why, which Judith needs to reconcile to understand. Through storytelling, the tale emphasize that forgiveness is not always a necessity to healing. But understanding allows one to let go of what never was.
On Sunday, She Picked Flowers demonstrates through its tale how women can be any character. So, they can be sympathetic, monstrous, sexy, and violent. It’s a beautiful, sorrowful, and hopeful tale. The descriptions immerse you in the rickety home with Judith, enticing you to traipse through nature and commune with spirits. On Sunday, She Picked Flowers is stunning Southern Gothic storytelling with luscious details and an enriching journey. It’s a wondrous debut and makes Southern Gothic my new favorite genre of literature.
