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    Carolina Built
    Carolina Built
    Carolina Built
    Audiobook10 hours

    Carolina Built

    Written by Kianna Alexander

    Narrated by Shayna Small and Leon Nixon

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    This “exuberant celebration of Black women’s joy as well as their achievements” (Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author) novelizes the life of real estate magnate Josephine N. Leary in a previously untold story of passion, perseverance, and building a legacy after emancipation in North Carolina.

    Josephine N. Leary is determined to build a life of her own and a future for her family. When she moves to Edenton, North Carolina, from the plantation where she was born, she is free, newly married, and ready to follow her dreams.

    As the demands of life pull Josephine’s attention away, it becomes increasingly difficult for her to pursue her real estate aspirations. She finds herself immersed in deepening her marriage, mothering her daughters, and being a dutiful daughter and granddaughter. Still, she manages to teach herself to be a businesswoman, to manage her finances, and to make smart investments in the local real estate market. But with each passing year, it grows more and more difficult to focus on building her legacy from the ground up.

    “Filled with passion and perseverance, Josephine Leary is frankly a woman that everyone should know” (Sadeqa Johnson, author of Yellow Wife) and her story speaks to the part of us that dares to dream bigger, tear down whatever stands in our way, and build something better for the loved ones we leave behind.

    Editor's Note

    Incredibly realistic…

    “Carolina Built” is a fictional biography of Josephine Leary, a woman born into slavery who became one of North Carolina’s first Black real estate entrepreneurs. This story of grit and determination puts strong female characters in the spotlight and despite being historical fiction, feels incredibly realistic.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateFeb 22, 2022
    ISBN9781797137698
    Carolina Built
    Author

    Kianna Alexander

    Like any good Southern belle, Kianna Alexander wears many hats: loving wife, doting mama, advice-dispensing sister, and gabbing girlfriend. She's a voracious reader, an amateur seamstress and occasional painter in oils. Chocolate, American history, sweet tea, and Idris Elba are a few of her favorite things.  A native of the TarHeel state, Kianna still lives there with her husband, two kids, and a collection of well-loved vintage 80's Barbie dolls.

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    Reviews for Carolina Built

    4.5/5

    89 ratings6 reviews

    What our readers think

    Readers find this title to be a page turner that weaves them into each character. They appreciate the historical perspective and the resilience of the women in the community. However, some reviewers felt that the book lacked a cohesive story and ended abruptly. Overall, the book is enjoyed for its portrayal of the struggles faced by black and brown people in the US and the determination to thrive in the face of adversity.

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      This book came across my email and as person who enjoys historical fiction and history in general, I thought I would give it a go. 2 days later and I am finished. I love the way that Alexander weaved me into each character. How she displayed what many black and brown people in the US see everyday, the resilience of the women in our community. How we are blessed with generations of women who push, thrive, and survive in the face of insurmountable odds. From Archer’s passing and the copious struggles as a black man walking the tightrope of his life. To the determination of Josephine having to deal with racism outside the house to juvenile behavior in the house from one so close to her.

      This is a page turner of a book that whisked me away to a time not many years passed. I enjoyed it throughly and would highly recommend it.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 2/5
      I really wanted to like this book because I've listened to others by this author, but this is just a rundown of events.
      There was no story. I kept waiting for the elements of a story to present themselves, and it fell short by a lot. If you're okay with listening to a series of events, go ahead! If you want a story with a beginning, middle, and end, this isn't the one. You've been warned!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      A beautiful story of Josephine Leary, born a slave and married free to Archer ‘Sweety’ Leary. A mother to Clara and Florence and a self-made property- mogul.
    • 3/5
      I couldn't stop listening to this book because I was invested in the characters however nothing really happened. It was a nice story to listen to at bedtime and good because it was happening to a black woman at a time when life was so unfair for the culturally diverse.
    • 5/5
      An excellent read. It was so wonderful to read and how this women during the time of 1800’s was about to achieve what she did during this time period when a lot of black peoples didn’t owe anything, and she did on her owe. Yes she was married but there relationship had its ups and downs but they was able to stay other and continue to make money on their owe. Today’s the build that she owed is still standing.
    • 2/5
      Historical perspective was kind of interesting, but the book ends abruptly.