The Cherokee Rose: A Novel of Gardens and Ghosts

The Cherokee Rose follows three women whose lives intersect at a historic plantation site in Georgia. Through parallel narratives set in different time periods, their stories connect to the complex history of Creek and Cherokee people, African Americans, and white settlers in the antebellum South. Ruth, an African American reporter from Miami, arrives to research the Chief Vann House historic site. She meets Jinx, a Cherokee-Creek woman exploring her roots, and Mary, a white woman who recently inherited a house nearby. Their individual quests lead them to investigate the site's past and its links to Native American removal and slavery. The women discover documents, artifacts and stories about Cherokee plantation owner James Vann, his African American slaves, and his Creek wife. Their research reveals both collaboration and conflict between Native Americans and African Americans in the plantation South. This novel explores themes of identity, belonging, and the ways historical trauma echoes through generations. The story raises questions about how different communities remember and memorialize difficult histories.

Readers praise the novel's complex handling of difficult historical topics like plantation slavery and its connections to Cherokee slaveholding. Many note the strength of the three female protagonists and how their stories interweave past and present. Several reviews highlight Miles' detailed research and her ability to bring historical locations to life. Common criticisms focus on pacing issues, particularly in the early chapters. Some readers found the transitions between time periods jarring. A few reviews mention that certain plot threads feel unresolved. Review ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (146 ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (25 ratings) Sample reader comments: "The historical details make the past feel immediate and real" - Goodreads reviewer "Takes time to get into but rewards patient readers" - Amazon reviewer "Strong on research but sometimes at the expense of narrative flow" - Amazon reviewer "The three women's stories come together in surprising ways" - Goodreads reviewer

Beloved by Toni Morrison A ghost story intertwined with the legacy of slavery follows a family's confrontation with supernatural forces and historical trauma at their Cincinnati home.

Property by Valerie Martin The wife of a plantation owner in the antebellum South chronicles her observations of slavery and her complex relationship with an enslaved woman.

The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende Three generations of women navigate political upheaval, family secrets, and supernatural occurrences on a Chilean estate.

Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez Four enslaved women form bonds at a summer resort in Ohio where their enslavers take them as mistresses.

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom An Irish orphan works alongside enslaved people in a plantation's kitchen house, revealing the intersections of race, class, and power in antebellum Virginia.

🌹 Author Tiya Miles is a MacArthur "Genius Grant" recipient and Harvard University professor who specializes in African American and Native American history. 🏛️ The novel is set at a fictional antebellum plantation site called Chief Glass House, inspired by the real-life James Vann House Historic Site in Georgia. 🔗 The story weaves together three women's lives across different time periods, exploring the little-known historical connections between Cherokee slaveholders and their African American slaves. 📚 The Cherokee Rose draws from actual historical documents, including slave narratives and plantation records, to illuminate the complex relationships between Cherokee Indians, African Americans, and white settlers. 🏆 The book earned the 2016 Gold Medal for Best Regional Fiction from the Independent Publisher Book Awards and was named a "Best Book of 2015" by Booklist.