Let us Descend

Locations
Call Number: Fiction / Ward, Jesmyn, Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Ward, Jesmyn
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Malletts Creek Branch, Pittsfield Branch, Traverwood Branch, Westgate Branch

"Let Us Descend is a reimagining of American slavery, as beautifully rendered as it is heart-wrenching. Searching, harrowing, replete with transcendent love, the novel is a journey from the rice fields of the Carolinas to the slave markets of New Orleans and into the fearsome heart of a Louisiana sugar plantation. Annis, sold south by the white enslaver who fathered her, is the reader’s guide through this hellscape. As she struggles through the miles-long march, Annis turns inward, seeking comfort from memories of her mother and stories of her African warrior grandmother. Throughout, she opens herself to a world beyond this world, one teeming with spirits: of earth and water, of myth and history; spirits who nurture and give, and those who manipulate and take. While Ward leads readers through the descent, this, her fourth novel, is ultimately a story of rebirth and reclamation." -- provided by publisher.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Complex subjects submitted by lindsaynicolesmith on June 15, 2024, 10:41pm This book weaved between a fantastical world of spirits and the very real, complex, sorrowful world of a young enslaved girl. It was an interesting read and worth the time.

Hauntingly beautiful submitted by chleland on July 11, 2024, 10:11pm I've heard Jesmyn Ward called the next Toni Morrison, and I agree with that assessment. She's an incredibly powerful writer, capturing her characters' emotions perfectly by showing rather than trying to describe or explain. Let Us Descend is sad, as are all of Ward's novels, but ultimately uplifting because of the main character's unbreakable spirit and determination. Highly recommend!