RaveThe New York Times Book Review\"The chapters alternate between the points of view of each character, an approach that simultaneously offers a wide view of plantation life and an intimate look at the daily realities of each of the Stolen. Asim shows the constant state of being under siege — the menacing tactics of an enslaved foreman, a Thief’s pickling of a man as punishment, the torment of a woman because of her Thief’s sexual advances. Yet he tempers the storytelling with coveted moments of tenderness ... sits within a rich oeuvre of historical fiction that centers the lives of enslaved people, situating their experience in the context of American history. The novel’s explorations of love and survival, blended with its examination of violence and servitude, call to mind Alex Haley’s Roots and, more recently, Robert Jones Jr.’s The Prophets ... What sets Asim’s book apart is the way Yonder portrays the spiritual resilience of enslaved people ... Though I was at times unsure of the sexually aggressive stance many of the Stolen women in the novel exhibit while selecting their partners, initiating or demanding satisfaction, Asim never strays to the horrid trope of the hypersexualized Black woman. I believe his portrayal offers agency to these enslaved women, giving them the often-denied ability to choose when and with whom to be intimate. With his handling of Black love, showing how it existed amid the worst circumstances, tender and memorable, Asim delivers a fresh, sweeping, must-read tale ... shows that dreams and Black love have always been tools of survival in the quest to reach that better place just out of reach.
\" Members of the Stolen take turns driving the plot; rich and vivid stories are their only saving grace ... Asim vividly captures the daily rhythms of the Stolen’s lives, in which harshness is punctuated by brief spells of joy. As the enslaved embark on a soaring adventure in pursuit of freedom, a gripping and satisfying crescendo caps this lyrical story.
