

House of Rougeaux
A Novel
Author: Jenny Jaeckel
Narrator: Bahni Turpin
Unabridged: 9 hr 28 min
Format: Digital Audiobook Download
Publisher: The Lookout
Published: 04/24/2018
Author: Jenny Jaeckel
Narrator: Bahni Turpin
Unabridged: 9 hr 28 min
Format: Digital Audiobook Download
Publisher: The Lookout
Published: 04/24/2018
Jenny Jaeckel’s previous titles include For the Love of Meat: Nine Illustrated Stories, Siberiak: My Cold War Adventure on the River Ob, and the graphic memoir Spot 12: Five Months in the Neonatal ICU, which was the winner of the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Originally from California, Jenny Jaeckel lives in Victoria, British Columbia, with her husband and child.
Bahni Turpin has guest starred in many television series, including NYPD Blue, Law & Order, Six Feet Under, and Cold Case. Her film credits include Brokedown Palace and Crossroads. She has won numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and three prestigious Audie Awards.
3.5 stars rounded up. I love family sagas, spanning years, even centuries, following characters and their descendants. In this novel, I followed this family from their roots as slaves from the island of Martinique in 1785, to Philadelphia in the 1940’s and 1960’s to Montreal in the 1880’s and 1920’s......more
4 family saga stars to House of Rougeaux! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ When I read the synopsis of House of Rougeaux, I knew I had to put it on my shelf. A multigenerational family saga beginning in Martinique up through present-day Canada? I was all in! Abeje and Adunbi, sister and brother, open the story living an......more
"House of Rougeaux" is a terrific family saga by the award-winning author and illustrator Jenny Jaeckel. Unlikely many family sagas, this one jumps back and forth through various generations and will come full circle in the final chapter. This charming written historical novel begins in the 1700s on......more
3.5 The House of Rougeaux by Jenny Jaeckel is the story of a family from it's enslaved African ancestor to mid-century America, touching on the African-American experience over time, including slavery, cannon fodder in wartime, and the victim of hate crimes, but also traces the inherent skills, intel......more
This multi-generational saga about a black family in the Americas is a thoughtful, incisive, touching and dramatic story. It starts with a brother and sister, slaves on a sugar plantation in Martinique, in the early 19th century. Abeje, the girl, utilizes her natural gifts and those of the natural w......more
“With its intimate portraits of generations of family members, this layered novel proves a splendid showcase for Turpin’s many talents. Accents—Caribbean, French, and more—flow easily. However, her greatest strength is her ability to reveal characters through her nuanced portrayals…Turpin’s expressive reading grounds listeners in this richly detailed family saga." Booklist (audio review)
“Narrator Bahni Turpin conveys place and time quickly while establishing the characters of Abeje and Adunbi…Turpin conveys the protectiveness of their mother, the brutality of her death, and, afterwards, the tenderness of their protection of each other. Turpin also gives a strong sense of the culture of mysticism, viewed largely through Abeje’s development as a healer…Turpin’s facility with accents and characterizations gives listeners a sense of these shifting time periods and the continuity that comes from generations of treasured family stories.” AudioFile
“The language of each narrator feels authentic, whether slave or business owner, illiterate or educated. A wonderful read.” Historical Novels Review
“Graceful prose and clear purpose make this an excellent addition to historical novels about the French Caribbean.” Literary Hub
“An intergenerational novel that uses different characters to travel through decades of turmoil and triumphs.” Bitch Media
“Turpin’s cool, clear voice fluidly takes the listener from place to place, and her accent switches seamlessly from Caribbean to French to English to American Southern, giving each character a distinct and authentic voice. Turpin’s multifaceted performance enhances this rich tapestry of a novel.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Fine brushstrokes bring the writing to life, capturing the scent of wood smoke and sun-dried grass, or a box of rose candies that symbolizes choice…The book achieves a resonance that lingers long after its plot points are forgotten. Perhaps the greatest achievement of the book is that in spite of the inescapable presence of slavery and prejudice, it isn’t really about either of these. Jenny Jaeckel’s House of Rougeaux is about people—varied and fully realized individuals who make a flawed world of their own.” Foreword Reviews