Kin by Tayari Jones
Tayari Jones’ 2018 novel An American Marriage was a bestseller, an award-winner and an Oprah Book Club Pick, and readers have been eagerly awaiting her next book ever since. Happily Jones returns in 2026 with Kin, another richly crafted story that blends themes of fate and the power of individual choice. Annie and Niecy are “cradle friends” from small-town Louisiana. The girls have each been raised by family since infancy; Niecy was orphaned, and Annie’s mother abandoned her. The mother-shaped hole in their hearts led them to find strength in one another. As the girls grow, their lives diverge. Niecy heads to university and a life in society, while Annie’s search for her mother leads her down a harder path. Through the years, however, their childhood bond remains their north star. Jones is unsparing in her depiction of heartache and misfortune but tempers the trials with humor and tenderness. Resonant and deeply layered, this is a story that shines.
Reviewed by Mary Kinser, collection development librarian, Whatcom County Library System
(Originally published in Bellingham Alive March 2026 issue.)