2025 Book Review 3: Family by J. California Cooper

By Dr. Lois Jeremy-Greene 3/15/2025

I first read Family by J. California Cooper over 20 years ago, and I still remember how deeply it gripped me. The moment I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. Reading it again after so many years brought back that same feeling—it was as if I was discovering it for the first time all over again. The power of this story lies not only in its compelling narrative but in the emotional truths it reveals, especially about the enduring bonds of love, loss, and family.

This novel resonates with me on a personal level because my own family is everything to me. I strive every day to be the kind of mother who watches over her children, not only in the physical sense but emotionally and spiritually, even when I cannot always shield them from life’s difficulties. That’s the heart of Family—a mother’s love that transcends life itself.

Set during the harrowing era of American slavery and the Civil War, the novel begins with a mother's tragic death, leaving her four children behind to survive a brutal world without her. But death does not sever her connection to them. Instead, she becomes a spiritual presence, silently watching over her children as they are sold off and scattered. Although she is powerless to intervene, her spirit follows them through the pain, hardships, and small triumphs of their lives. Her helplessness is heartbreaking, yet there is peace in her witnessing her children grow and find their own way in a world designed to strip them of humanity and hope.

This portrayal touched me deeply. As parents, we often worry endlessly about our children, fearing the dangers of the world, wishing we could walk beside them through every trial. But Family reminds us that there is strength in letting go and trusting that the values, love, and resilience we’ve instilled will guide them through. Watching from the sidelines, whether in spirit or in life, is one of the hardest roles of a parent—but it is also one of the most sacred.

J. California Cooper’s writing is both poetic and straightforward, with a voice that is unmistakably wise and real. She weaves history, spirituality, and human emotion with such grace that the story lingers in your mind long after the last page. Family is not just a novel; it’s a meditation on the generational trauma of slavery, the unbreakable bonds between loved ones, and the undying hope that sustains us through the worst of times.

I love all of J. California Cooper’s work, but Family holds a special place in my heart. It is, without a doubt, my number one book of all time. No matter how many times I read it, it continues to move me, teach me, and remind me of the quiet strength of a mother’s love. Family is essential to who we are and what we become in life. Every member and experience help to shape our journey.