THREE WOMEN. THREE SECRETS. ONE FAMILY TORN APART.
‘A charged emotional epic!’ – Marissa Stapley
‘Page-turning and propulsive’ – Shelby Van Pelt
‘A remarkable story from a remarkable storyteller’ – Amanda Peters
‘A haunting story about racism, identity, and the choice between safety and raising your voice’ – Nigar Alam
MOTHER
When Evelyn fled to Canada with her young family during the politically charged Jamaican Exodus of the 1980s, she thought they were finally safe. But, years later, her worst fears come true when her son is killed by the police.
GRANDMOTHER
In the wake of her grandson’s violent murder, Violet moves in, but despite her efforts to help the family through their grief, a growing web of secrets threatens the relationships they all hold so dear.
DAUGHTER
Kareela has lived with silences surrounding the loss of her brother since she was a child. Now, 24 and pregnant with a baby she isn’t sure she wants, she feels the need to understand her place in the world as a woman who is half Black and half white – yet feels neither.
As the traumas the three women carry continue to pull them apart, Kareela must uncover the mysteries of her family’s past to make sense of her identity and her future . . .
A sweeping multi-generational story about motherhood, race and secrets, We Rip the World Apart reveals the ways that simple choices, made in the heat of the moment, can have devastating repercussions across the years, especially when people remain silent.
PRAISE FOR HOLD MY GIRL:
‘[A] tense, emotional story about racial identity, loss and betrayal’ Daily Mail
‘Carr gracefully explores the moral dilemma and custody battle . . . Fans of The Herd will love it!’ Grazia
‘Compelling and thought-provoking . . . A page-turner’ Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake
‘A charged emotional epic!’ – Marissa Stapley
‘Page-turning and propulsive’ – Shelby Van Pelt
‘A remarkable story from a remarkable storyteller’ – Amanda Peters
‘A haunting story about racism, identity, and the choice between safety and raising your voice’ – Nigar Alam
MOTHER
When Evelyn fled to Canada with her young family during the politically charged Jamaican Exodus of the 1980s, she thought they were finally safe. But, years later, her worst fears come true when her son is killed by the police.
GRANDMOTHER
In the wake of her grandson’s violent murder, Violet moves in, but despite her efforts to help the family through their grief, a growing web of secrets threatens the relationships they all hold so dear.
DAUGHTER
Kareela has lived with silences surrounding the loss of her brother since she was a child. Now, 24 and pregnant with a baby she isn’t sure she wants, she feels the need to understand her place in the world as a woman who is half Black and half white – yet feels neither.
As the traumas the three women carry continue to pull them apart, Kareela must uncover the mysteries of her family’s past to make sense of her identity and her future . . .
A sweeping multi-generational story about motherhood, race and secrets, We Rip the World Apart reveals the ways that simple choices, made in the heat of the moment, can have devastating repercussions across the years, especially when people remain silent.
PRAISE FOR HOLD MY GIRL:
‘[A] tense, emotional story about racial identity, loss and betrayal’ Daily Mail
‘Carr gracefully explores the moral dilemma and custody battle . . . Fans of The Herd will love it!’ Grazia
‘Compelling and thought-provoking . . . A page-turner’ Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake
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Reviews
A gripping family saga about race, motherhood and police brutality
Charlene Carr's deep dive into the complexities of race and belonging force, in the gentlest of ways, all of us to confront our own role in making the world a safer place. Carr's exploration of unresolved grief and the impact on family is one we need to hear; one we need to understand. A story of family and the decisions we make, We Rip the World Apart is a truly human exploration full of doubt, regret and most importantly, love. A remarkable story from a remarkable storyteller.
Spanning generations and brimming with family secrets, We Rip the World Apart is page-turning and propulsive, heartbreaking and hopeful in turn. An important and necessary book that will stay with me for a long time.
For fans of Britt Bennet's The Vanishing Half and Charmaine Wilkerson's Black Cake, Charlene Carr's latest is both a charged emotional epic and a gentle exploration of the nuances of love. Motherhood, autonomy, race, politics, grief-every brushstroke works to paint a complex and important picture of the world as it is, and as it could be. This novel is sure to inspire book club discussion and personal reflection, and to stay on your mind long after the final page is turned. Truly a can't-miss read!