We’re back with our first episode of the new season and we’re starting off with a bang! Debut novel River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer is a deeply affecting work of historical fiction that will transport you to the slave plantations of Barbados in 1834.Mary Grace, Micah, Thomas Augustus, Cherry Jane and Mercy. These are the names of Rachel’s children sold to places across the Caribbean. Unable to wait for her freedom, she escapes the plantation and embarks on a mother's journey to find her lost kin.  Described by the Observer as ‘a tender exploration of one woman's courage in the face of unbelievable cruelty. The heart of the novel lies in its celebration of motherhood and female resilience.' If you loved Andrea Levy’s The Long Song or Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, then this book is for you. River Sing Me Home is published by Headline Review and available now. We recommend buying a copy from your local indie bookshop or you can visit our shop on bookshop.org.

Podcast produced and edited by Megan Bay DormanProgrammed by Matt CasbourneLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices