“An expertly fleshed-out cast and a lushly described setting [that] thoughtfully examine questions of mortality and identity. This remarkable debut explores multi-generational trauma and how its effects leave severe wounds on the present while resonating into the future, making for a heartrending tale.”
– Publishers Weekly, starred review
On Saturday, Hammonds discusses her inspiration, writing process, and more.
Saturday, July 15 | 4 – 5 pm
HCLS Miller Branch
For ages 14 & up
Registration required.
Books available for purchase and signing.
Family secrets, a swoon-worthy romance, and a slow-burn mystery collide in We Deserve Monuments, a YA debut from Jas Hammonds that explores how racial violence can ripple down through generations.
From Macmillan Publishers: What’s more important: Knowing the truth or keeping the peace? Seventeen-year-old Avery Anderson is convinced her senior year is ruined when she’s uprooted from her life in DC and forced into the hostile home of her terminally ill grandmother, Mama Letty. The tension between Avery’s mom and Mama Letty makes for a frosty arrival and unearths past drama they refuse to talk about. Every time Avery tries to look deeper, she’s turned away, leaving her desperate to learn the secrets that split her family in two. While tempers flare in her avoidant family, Avery finds friendship in unexpected places: in Simone Cole, her captivating next-door neighbor, and Jade Oliver, daughter of the town’s most prominent family—whose mother’s murder remains unsolved.
Official Author Bio
Jas Hammonds (they/she) was raised in many cities and between the pages of many books. They have received support for their writing from the Highlights Foundation, Baldwin for the Arts and more. They are also a grateful recipient of the MacDowell James Baldwin Fellowship. Their debut novel, We Deserve Monuments, won the 2023 Coretta Scott King – John Steptoe Award for New Talent. She lives in New Jersey.
Unofficially…
Hi! I’m Jas (pronounced like Jazz).
I like writing about messy families and queer characters and finding magic in the mundane. When I’m not writing, I enjoy reading, working on jigsaw puzzles, riding my bicycle, and making my surroundings as cozy as possible. I’m a flight attendant by day (and early morning…and late night…) and I love exploring bookstores and coffee shops in every city I visit. I’m a sucker for autumn and rainy days and fuzzy socks.
We Deserve Monuments is on Howard County Library System’s Summer Reading booklist, and it is available in print, as an e-book and e-audiobook.
CHAPTER CHATS 