Dispossession by Tayari Jones


Dispossession
Title : Dispossession
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : -
Language : English
Format Type : Audible Audio
Number of Pages : -

From Tayari Jones, author of the New York Times best selling An American Marriage, and performed by Gabrielle Union, one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020, comes an unflinching story about mothers and sons that will leave listeners reeling for days.Motherhood isn’t easy, especially when you’re a mother of a black son. Ten years ago, Cheryl jumped at the chance to send her son, Javonte, to an exclusive boarding school in New England — far away from Atlanta and the violence of the city streets. It was the American dream, or was it? Now settled in Vermont, Javonte is married and well employed, but Cheryl hardly ever sees him, and when she does, her own son seems like someone she only used to know. So, when Javonte announces he’s coming home to Atlanta for MLK weekend, Cheryl calls off work, thinking this could be their chance to reconnect.But a few days before the visit, Javonte cancels his trip.After begging for the hours back at the white glove moving company where she works, Cheryl accepts a last minute gig in her own neighborhood, cheered by the idea of a black family moving on to bigger and better. But on her way to the job site, Cheryl learns the home’s occupants aren’t moving by choice — they’re being evicted. Over the next several hours, Cheryl must reckon with her own unresolved past, in this searing story about family, race and the lasting consequences of a choice that can’t be taken back.

Dispossession Reviews

  • Elyse Walters

    While walking today not feeling zippy perky (my nephew is pretty sick with Covid and another cousin is in the hospital from a stroke after getting hit on the head while he was surfing)This happy news arrived this morning. I kinda went inward from the news.knew I wasn’t up for social connecting. ( be it phone, or online exchanges)So.I made myself ‘walk’..and stayed on the trail for almost 3 hours.The weather here in the Bay Area is gorgeous today like a blue sky summer day ( in January ).I also knew I didn’t want to invest into a long juicy novel no matter how good it might be ( I’m working up to ‘go for it LONG — novelperhaps the 800 1000 page kind a story to get lost into). But.today wasn’t that day. I’m happy about yesterday’s impeachment news.(that’s my best ‘review’ of this year)..But.still low.My choices for walking.were either silence, music, or try out the Audible freebies.( like podcasts or short stories) I did all three: The silence thingThe music thing, AndTHREE — short AUDIBLE ORIGINALS.( short sweet)So.this ONE REVIEW.is for all 3 books:1 Dispossession by Tayari Jones read by Gabrielle Union. 57 minutes GREAT THOUGHT PROVOKING SHORT STORY. If you like Tayari Jones.and short stories.then this is a great 57 minute choice.A mother sends her black son to an exclusive boarding school in Vermont to remove him from the city violence in Atlantic.I’ll say no .. BUT I FOUND SAD!!! Really Good..but, I went into a little mother sadness. ( 5 stars)2 Frankencrayon by Michael Hall..read by Robin Miles 8 minutes longIt’s cute.even adorable with wisdom to boot.but any longer than 8 minutes would have been too long ( 3 stars)3 Childhood, Interrupted by Sanjay Gupta MD..read by Sanjay 46 minutesTHIS WAS REALLY GOOD!!!!.personal, valuable, thought provoking, ( like.parents could have long discussions together about this book), informative, great tips, loving..And Shhhhh..I enjoyed this short 46 minutes with Sanjay than I did his new book about brain health, “Keep Sharp”..In fact I learned NEW INFORMATION ABOUT BRAIN health development—(practical and tangible daily life positives), ‘for’ children and their families— that really inspired me. Sanjay is a beautiful mandoctor, husband, father, and humanitarianIT SHOWS IN THIS SHORTY FREEBIE. Well, time spent. ( 5 stars)Hmmm? How to post this.for three separate booksI guess post them individually.( reprise, reprise, reprise)Happy News of the day: “Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical”, has raised over 1 million for struggling actors

  • Misha (Heartsfullofreads)

    Gabrielle Union did a beautiful job narrating this story. I could see her facial expressions as I was listening to her. During this short story we met a Mother who is grappling with her relationship (or lack of) with her only child. They do not seem to understand each other the way they used to. Some of Cheryl's background is shared with us and that pieces together why she felt the need to do the things she did for her son.This short was a great listen. It fell a bit short though because there was no real plot. Nothing was ever really resolved.

  • Lorraine

    Dispossession, Tayari Jones narrated by Gabrielle Union.Audible. Under an hour. A fantastic listen while waiting for bread to bake.Sometimes what we think our children need is not the best for them in the long run. The decisions we make for them on their behalfsuch a gambleParenting is a hard job and mothers are judged the harshest. Black.kids in schools in a sea of whitenesseishPerfect narration from Gabrielle. Impactful diction. Paced just right.A punchy and impactful story. Will leave you with questions than answers.

  • Nima Morgan

    Too short.

  • K

    I must’ve missed something.this was a very lack luster short story. The narration was absolutely wonderful.but, the story missed something or perhaps I did.

  • Nia Forrester

    So this was some depressing stuff. A mother makes choices to better the life of her son, only to find that those choices "dispossess" her of him so that now he is grown, they are virtual strangers. The other dispossession in this short refers to the displacement of Black people from the urban spaces that used to be their homes; and to the literal dispossession from a home (eviction) that the main character Cheryl finds herself participating in as part of her weekend gig at a moving company. This is the best kind of short story telling volumes than the word count would suggest. This is the kind of material from this author that I most enjoy. Recommended.

  • &

    That was incredible, gutting, and I need to sit with it a bit before I put some thoughts together.Okay, thoughts:I'm not capable of isolating my own life as a kid who was kicked to the curb while reading this, so while I absolutely fell right into the voice of the story (the mother) there was a part of me holding back the way it always is when I read or listen to stories about parents and estranged kids: I default to distrust of the parent character. That Tayari Jones made her so completely engrossing and got my emotional investment regardless of those very personal (and I'm totally willing to say irrational) issues of my own? Huge. I was on board for this woman, I wanted her to have a glimmer of love and respect from her kid. That I got there as a reader? It felt astounding.Ultimately, this story is a character piece of the strongest kind, with a framework light on narrative but every tiny shred of forward motion is just so entangled with the past, relationships, and emotionality of the main character I was in awe. So freaking well done. And the last few moments of the story, the very last lines? Wow. So, yeah. I loved this. I didn't expect to, I went into it almost unwilling given my history, in fact, but it was incredible.

  • Queen

    This book left me wanting

  • Dawn

    It didn’t seem to go anywhere substantial. Her writing style is a hit or miss for me, and unfortunately it wasn’t as much of a hit as I’d hoped. I think having time to tell the background story would’ve helped to enrich it, but all but the main character seemed one dimensional. I would’ve liked it for a prologue but I struggled with this story being a standalone. 3 stars.

  • Adrian

    3.5 starsI suppose I am really getting to like Tayari Jones's books. This was another Audible short story, so it went super fast. I guess I did not enjoy this story as much as the other ones I have listened to, but it was still good. The timeline wasn’t very linear, and I may have gotten a little confused on who Big P was. I also feel like some of the story wasn’t resolved (what I am saying is that I wanted ). But she did a great job of detailing and explaining the poor life in SW Atlanta and what it is like to be evicted.Audiobook narrator Gabrielle Union rating: 4 starsI was surprised at how good Gabrielle Union was at reading this book and I really enjoyed it. There maybe could have been a little voice variation but otherwise, I think if she keeps doing this, she will be great at it!