Inharmonious by Tammye Huf | Historical Fiction Audiobook Review
We lost him. Just as surely as he had never come home. – Inharmonious
When the book ended, I couldn’t believe it was over. I wanted more so desperately. More of the characters, more of their lives, more of their future, more everything. Inharmonious by Tammye Huf is historical fiction at it’s very best.
This book had me everywhere emotionally. I felt anger, confusion, joy, total heartbreak. That range of emotion is what makes this such a strong example of historical fiction. It doesn’t just tell you what happened in history, it truly makes you feel it. It educates you and moves you all at the same time.
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What Inharmonious by Tammye Huf Is About
Set before, during, and after World War II, Inharmonious by Tammye Huf is a powerful, emotional, and educational look at racial injustice. The novel follows Cora, Benny, Lee, and Roscoe as war reshapes their lives in ways they never could have imagined.
The three men loved their country enough to enlist, enough to risk literally everything. And when they returned home, that same country did not love them back. Zero appreciation and support, denied the benefits they were promised. Their sacrifice and courage were only met with pure discrimination and hate.
But what makes Inharmonious especially powerful in showcasing the injustices is through the character Benny.
Benny is light-skinned and white passing. When he enlists and is accidentally labeled as white, he is able to move through the world in a way he could never before. Because of his perspective, we are able to live both realities. First we see what it means to grow up Black in the Jim Crow South. Then we see how differently people respond when they believe he is white.
That dual experience made everything even more painful.
Inharmonious by Tammye Huf Audiobook Review
I listened to this story on audiobook, which features dual narration, and both narrators (male and female) were absolutely phenomenal. The weight of the story came through so clearly. Their performances deepened this already powerful writing.
It was truly one of those audiobooks where you feel like you’re there, experiencing it along side them.
Inharmonious Final Thoughts
Inharmonious is so emotional and powerful, and certainly a story I won’t forget anytime soon.
I’ve always loved the song I’ll Be Seeing You by Billie Holiday, and I’ve always associated it with the movie The Notebook. I couldn’t help but have those lyrics playing as a backtrack to this story.
When Benny’s mom tells him “I’ll be seeing you, son” and Benny replies back with “I’ll be seeing you” that was it for me. That song and this book. became an inseparable pair in my mind. I’ll always think of them that way.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I’ll Be Seeing You carries such an ache for waiting, a feeling that Inharmonious understands all day through.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this beautiful ARC!
