“Who I am now and who I’ve wanted to become are meeting each other for the first time.”

Towards the end of the novel, “Returning the Bones” by Gin Hammond, this sentence encapsulates the journey of the protagonist, Carolyn “Bebe” Hammond, as a young light-skinned black woman in the post-World War II era.

The story takes place in Texas during the late 1940s, a time when the Jim Crow laws cast a shadow over every aspect of life. Bebe recounts her personal journey, sharing her experiences of navigating life as someone who could pass as a white woman. She takes us through her college years at Howard University in Washington, DC, and the transformative trip to Europe that would alter her life forever.

With a passion for books, Bebe yearns to break free from her parents’ realm, especially her highly accomplished father, and envisions a future in Paris. Bebe’s father has the aspiration for her to continue his legacy as a doctor and eventually assume his role. She desires to escape the life that is expected of her, defying everyone’s expectations.

When she receives an invitation to Europe as part of a medical student program, she discovers the atrocities committed by the Nazis across the continent. The visit to Auschwitz leaves her with a profound understanding of the atrocities committed by humankind against one another.

In the prologue, the author reveals this story is inspired by Carolyn Beatrice (Bebe) Hammond, a remarkable relative who shattered barriers throughout her life. The authenticity of the protagonist was palpable, and it was evident that the author had thoroughly researched Jim Crow Texas and late 1940s Europe. Returning the Bones is a solid historical fiction novel that deserves more exposure. My only criticism of the novel is that felt like the story’s pacing was uneven. Some chapters ended earlier than I wanted and others went longer than I thought it needed to be. Otherwise, I had an enjoyable reading experience and connected with the protagonist. Returning the Bones would make a fantastic book club pick, sparking lively discussions about the story.