I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
On Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield Published by Saga Press on January 27 2026
Genres: Adult, Horror
Pages: 240
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: A beautifully written story of survival and redemption, Yah Yah Scholfield’s weird, devastating and brutal Southern Gothic debut is a rollercoaster of emotions, both monstrous and beautiful.
“It happened in the kitchen. Very germane—butchery in the cooking place, the cleaver and carving knife bearing witness. The tile, slick, grouted, was receptive to the killing: it expected bloodiness.”
On Sundays She Picked Flowers wrecked me, but in a good way. This is an absolutely stunning debut. Yah Yah Scholfield digs deep into some heavy topics, like generational trauma and abuse, matricide, incest and racism and segregation, but they have also written one of the most unusual romantic relationships I’ve ever seen. There is a lot of pain between these pages, but there is also joy, forgiveness and love. Do be aware of the above triggers going in, but I think this is an important book, and I think it’s going to be one of the best debut horror releases of 2026.
The story begins in 1965, and Ernestine Rice and her forty-one year old daughter Judith live together in the Rice family home. Ernestine is a hard woman, and she takes out her anger on her daughter. Jude’s aunts Vivian and Phyllis have always looked the other way, never interfering with Ernestine’s abuse. But one day, Jude decides she’s had enough. When she tries to leave, though, Ernestine attacks and nearly chokes her to death. Jude does the only thing she can to survive—she kills her mother with a butcher knife.
Fleeing her childhood home, Jude winds up in a small town called Whitnee, where a kind hotel clerk directs her to an old abandoned farmhouse in the nearby woods. The house is full of ghosts (“haints”) and is falling apart, but Jude settles in and begins to carve out a new life for herself. She sets up an altar to the house, offering it coins and food (to appease the ghosts), and she forages for herbs and medicinal plants in the woods. She senses a presence nearby, a lurking beast who never shows itself but leaves Jude offerings of fresh meat.
Until one day, a strange woman shows up on Jude’s doorstep calling herself Nemoira. Jude doesn’t want company, but she invites Nemoira in anyway. Nemoira forces Jude out of her self imposed seclusion, and little by little, she becomes enamored with the odd woman. But Nemoira is not what she seems. Has Jude left one dangerous household for another?
The story captured me from the first page and I could barely put the book down. Not only is Scholfield’s writing evocative and masterful, but their plotting is perfectly paced. Tension and emotion leap from the page, and the author is brilliant at slowly revealing each mystery. At first we don’t understand why Ernestine is such a horrible mother, but later the author explains her similarly horrific childhood, growing up alongside her sisters under the shadow of violence and abuse. It doesn’t excuse what Ernestine has done, but it makes her a little bit more sympathetic. The fact that Jude’s mother locked her in her bedroom and beat her when she tried to leave—for forty-one years!—is shocking, but it’s not even the most shocking thing in this story.
Once Jude settles into Candle (the name she gives the old farmhouse), the story takes a new turn. Her life becomes peaceful for the first time ever and she begins to heal. She still has to deal with the trauma of killing her mother—that’s never going away—but now she has the space and time to do so. I loved the haunted house, which has a life of its own—doors and cupboards rattle in their frames, wallpaper peels off the wall by itself and windows shatter—but Jude learns how to calm the house and it always repairs itself eventually. I also loved that Jude’s mother taught her how to sew and make quilts (the only nice thing in that relationship), and I loved how she makes a special quilt for each year she lives in Candle.
When Nemoira enters the picture, we get yet another bizarre twist in the story. Nemoira is a mystery until her true nature is revealed, but her relationship with Jude was surprisingly tender and uplifting—even with some extremely horrific elements added to the mix. I don’t want to spoil anything, but things take a very dark turn—very very dark!—and I’ll admit I loved this part of the story.
In alternating chapters, Scholfield adds another layer to her story, describing what happens when Vivian and Phyllis discover the slain body of their sister. This is where the author delves into the women’s past and reveals a terrible family secret that’s been buried for decades. The pain in these chapters is palpable. It’s hard to read about the treatment of Black people during this time, and Scholfield uses unflinching language to paint a heartbreaking picture of the past. I hated both aunts and the way they treated Jude, but I also came to understand them a bit.
The final act was even more emotional that what came before, and here’s where I started crying and couldn’t stop. Scholfield ties up all their loose ends, bringing everything full circle in some astonishing ways. Even the very last paragraph felt perfectly executed, and I finished the story feeling both relief and regret that it was over. If you’ve read anything by Tiffany McDaniel (Betty, On the Savage Side), you’ll probably have a similar emotional reading experience with this book. I can’t recommend On Sundays She Picked Flowers highly enough.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
This sounds amazing! Not in my comfort zone, but… maybe worth giving it a try anyway.
It will be out of a lot of readers’ comfort zones, but for those who like intense stories, it’s amazing:-)
This is an amazing review! And it sounds like you really found a lot between these pages!! Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks Susy, it really was amazing:-)
Amazing review, as always. I’m sold!
Thanks Destiny! You need to read it!
Wow, this sounds intense but also amazing. Great review!
Thanks Lisa! Yes, very intense…
Glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks Stormi:-)
Wow, this sounds so intense! While I don’t know that I’d get around to it, I can definitely see how good it is and from your review, it does sound like it could be an award winner this year. Great review!
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2026/01/26/e-galley-review-love-and-other-brain-experiments-by-hannah-brohm/
I fully expect it to win awards, it’s so good:-)
Another book on my TBR that I’m hoping to read soon!
I hope you love it too!
I love to see the rating but horror is not for me.
I know, this wouldn’t work for you at all, but I’m glad i read it.
Gothic horror done right??? Count me in! This sounds pretty good and I’m glad you had such a good time with it, Tammy! 😀
Thanks Lashaan!
This sounds amazing, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I love a good haunted house setting and I like the quilt idea.
There were so many great elements, and the quilting lightened up the story a bit.
Sounds like it’s very well written. I’m curious.
Their writing is beautiful. It was a nice contrast to all the horror.
Sounds like I may have to put this one on my TBR for this year’s Summer Of Horror. I love anything described as gothic anyway but all the layers here sound wonderfully well done. It definitely sounds like the author managed to fit a lot into one book.
There is a lot going on, but the author did a seamless job of making the story flow. I highly recommend it!
Family members knowing about abuse of minors and not reporting it is exactly why Indiana changed to law to basically make EVERYONE a mandatory reporter. A man was beating his son in the basement, and the man’s mother (the grandma) knew and didn’t say anything. The boy died. It’s, like, the only thing Indiana has gotten right.
I’m wondering what year those laws went into effect. This story takes place in the 1960s so probably before anything like that. I’m glad that law was passed!
Great review, Tammy! This sounds like a really incredible story. I’m also very curious about the dark turn that the story takes since it was your favorite part of the story. Thanks for sharing!
Sold! I had my eye on this one and your review sealed the deal. Sounds like an important book to read!
This sounds intense. I must read it!
Why on earth did I not request a copy of this ! It sounds perfect for me. One for the wishlist.
Lynn 😀
This certainly sounds like a powerful read, and to think it’s a debut!
Wow, sounds like an impressive read to kick off 2026’s horror releases! I better go see if I can put it on hold now.
Well! This was on my TBR but now it needs to be on my MUST read list! Sounds amazing, and I love when a book can really make me feel something!