The Monsters We Defy. Leslye Penelope. 2022. Redhook. 384 pages. [Source: ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
The Monsters We Defy starts with a birth at crossroads; this is an apt foreshadowing of what’s to come for the baby born at the turn of the twentieth century. Clara Johnson was born in a caul and yet, her life comes with none of the fabled luck of being born in her “veil.” Instead, she’s had a life filled with heartbreak and strife. Where she’s unlucky, she is equally headstrong and can be a fierce advocate or enemy. Despite this strength, she’s often at odds with her gift of connecting with the spirit realm. This ends up being the key challenge in the story — Clara’s interactions with the spirits drop a burden in her lap that she can’t afford to ignore but can’t resolve on her own.
In her attempt to free herself from a bad deal she made with a particularly powerful spirit, she finds other wayward souls who carry their own burdens and seek their own versions of freedom. There’s her roommate Zelda, an albino pickpocket; Aristotle, an actor whose skill overshadows his true self; and Israel, a beloved local jazz musician; and others. They all bring unique skills to the table, but it’s not always clear if the whole is greater than the sum — or in this case power — of its parts.
One of the central themes in this book is that of classism. Clara and others she connects with come from impoverished backgrounds, many of whom migrated north seeking better and safer economic and social opportunities. There is a constant lens on the interactions between the Black elite of the area and the working class, particularly those who migrated into the city. This is more acute when considering Clara’s interactions as a typist at an academic journal where she is working closely with intellectual celebrities of her day while still being snubbed by the some because she’s not one of them. That they’re all still coexisting in a small community provides an “us versus them” undercurrent that is interesting to see evolve.
The prominence of the “other world” and spirits is obvious in The Monsters We Defy, so it’s impossible to have a conversation about this book without considering the folklore around “crossroads.” There is certainly the connection of Clara being able to enter the spirit world at the crossroads of her world and theirs, but you can’t ignore the myths around “making a deal with the devil,” which took place at a crossroads for the person in need. The deals aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be and countless characters in this book learn that the hard way. Some of the fun, if it can be considered such, was in understanding how the “charms” and “tricks” worked to counterbalance each other. While reading, I found myself frequently questioning when is a price too high to pay, but when is a cost too much not to do so. That’s a tension that Clara struggles with when she is burdened by a task she doesn’t want, and I found how she reconciled her actions to be powerful.
I most enjoyed the author’s use of setting in The Monsters We Defy. Much of the story takes place along the famed U Street corridor of Washington, D.C. which for decades was a cultural hub for African Americans. Here, Penelope prominently features well-known landmarks, residents, and neighborhoods that highlight how vibrant a community U Street was in the 1920s. She didn’t just name-drop, though. When she referenced places like the Lincoln and Howard Theaters, the True Reformer Building, Republic Gardens, and the Whitelaw Hotel, they are central to the plot and simultaneously demonstrate why the area was known as the Black Broadway. As someone who has spent time in this area in recent years, there is a sense of nostalgia and historical appreciation that Penelope brings — many of the places still exist today, but she provides clarity to understand their historical significance.
It’s also clear that Penelope did her research for this book. I don’t often find a great deal of attention paid to alley communities anywhere, despite how large a population they housed in various cities. Washington, D.C. was no exception and she does a solid job of juxtaposing the wealth that literally hides these alleys with the impoverished communities nestled in their shadows. In the afterword, she references some key literature on these communities and it’s clear that this effort influenced her portrayal of the neighborhoods and those who live within them. I think it is very telling how critical these citizens are to the central plot of the story — it serves to turn their perceived insignificance on its head.
On its surface, The Monsters We Defy is a captivating story with elements of the supernatural, crime, and even romance. But it also offers social commentary about social stratification and who is considered invisible or expendable. It also has its share of history that highlights not just the well-known but also the too-long ignored. Tlhis book t like a treat for someone familiar with the D.C. area, and for newcomers, it gives a great overview of what made Black Broadway special. I didn’t even wait to finish reading this book before I recommended it, and it held up well from start to finish.
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