Showstopper ... Explored with compassion, clear-eyed perception and been-around-the-block delivery. And when placed within the context of racial segregation and prejudice in midcentury America, the results are soul-shaking ... Expertly paced ... Sexton makes the smart choice to tell the story from multiple perspectives, each with its own history-proven lesson to impart ... On the Rooftop is a powerhouse novel that reflects both how high we can fly and how quickly we can be knocked down.
Another rich, complex novel that tells deeply personal stories against a national and historical backdrop. Narrating duties rotate among Vivian and each of her daughters, illuminating the stressors and conflicting values that the women must navigate as they try to find themselves within their singing family, their Black community, and their unjust country. Once again, Sexton delivers.
A creative exploration of family, community and resilience set in San Francisco’s historically Black Fillmore neighborhood in the 1950s ... A refreshing work of historical fiction that provides a window into Black life outside of the direct prism of racist oppression. While the specters of racism are present in the story, Sexton chooses to center themes of motherhood, memory, music and hope. She has carefully imagined a compelling social world built on the very real cultural dynamics of the legendary Fillmore neighborhood ... On the Rooftop is a quiet page turner that can serve as a beacon of hope in any trying time.
As the novel’s perspective jumps between Vivian and her daughters Ruth, Esther, and Chloe, each character gets treated to a fully developed and satisfying arc, while the minor characters breathe life into the story of this neighborhood. Sexton’s writing is expressive and lyrical, sometimes verbose and sometimes soaring, like her standout descriptions of nightclub scenes. There’s a somewhat unbelievable moment when one music producer states that it’s hard to find a girl group, but Sexton’s third novel is, overall, a solid and realistic tale with hopeful undertones.
Touching ... Sexton does a wonderful job of capturing the complicated love that binds Vivian and her daughters. She also beautifully depicts the jealousies and rivalries that can tear once-close sisters apart ... While the female protagonists are vividly drawn, male characters, especially James, Chloe’s White love interest, feel rather flat. Good historical fiction relies on authentic, precise details, but Sexton substitutes celebrity name-dropping...for research. Other details are unclear and confusing ... A heartfelt tale of family and community.
