Summary
Sing, Unburied, Sing is a critically acclaimed novel by American author Jesmyn Ward, capturing the toll of family secrets, poverty, addiction, and racial injustice. Set in rural Mississippi in the 2010s, the story follows a Black family’s journey to pick up a white relative from a notorious prison. The novel incorporates elements of magical realism, with ghosts serving as narrators alongside the living characters. This supernatural aspect allows Ward to explore how the past continues to haunt the present, particularly in terms of the lingering impact of slavery in the American South.
Ward's lyrical prose and deft storytelling earned Sing, Unburied, Sing widespread praise from critics. Released in 2017, the novel won the National Book Award for Fiction and was named one of the 10 Best Books of 2017 by The New York Times.
Plot
Sing, Unburied, Sing follows 13-year-old Jojo and his family in rural Mississippi. As the novel opens, Jojo is trying to help his grandfather, Pop, slaughter a goat for his birthday. Meanwhile, Jojo's mother, Leonie, learns that her white boyfriend, Michael, is being released from prison. Despite Pop’s objections, she decides to take Jojo and his toddler sister Kayla on a road trip to pick up Michael from the notorious Mississippi State Penitentiary, commonly known as Parchman Farm.
During the journey, Kayla becomes ill and, wary of Leonie's attempts to help, Jojo cares for her. At Parchman, Jojo encounters the ghost of Richie, a young inmate Pop knew when he was imprisoned there decades ago. On the drive home, the family faces a tense encounter with a racist police officer. They also visit Michael's parents, leading to a violent confrontation between Michael and his bigoted father.
Back at home, Jojo's grandmother, Mam, is dying of cancer. Pop finally reveals to Jojo the full story of what happened at Parchman—Pop killed Richie to spare him from being tortured by a white mob. Meanwhile, Leonie attempts a spiritual ritual to ease Mam's passing but is ultimately unsuccessful. After Mam dies, Leonie leaves with Michael, consumed by their drug addiction.
In the final chapter, Jojo describes how he now cares for Kayla while living with Pop. He continues to see Richie's ghost, along with other spirits of those who died violently. The novel ends with Kayla singing to these restless ghosts, offering them a chance at peace.
Themes
Family bonds and dysfunction
Legacy of racism and injustice
Ghosts and the supernatural
Coming of age and loss of innocence
Drug addiction and its effects
Connection between past and present
Power of storytelling and oral tradition
Setting
Sing, Unburied, Sing is set in contemporary rural Mississippi, primarily taking place in the 2010s. The story unfolds against the backdrop of the American South's complex racial history and lingering inequalities. Ward vividly depicts the poverty, drug addiction, and mass incarceration that continue to plague many Southern communities, especially African American families.
The fictional town of Bois Sauvage, likely inspired by Jesmyn Ward's hometown of DeLisle on Mississippi's Gulf Coast, serves as the main setting. Key scenes occur on the family's small farm, where Jojo lives with his grandparents. The novel also features an extended road trip through Mississippi, culminating at the infamous Mississippi State Penitentiary, commonly known as Parchman Farm.
Parchman looms large in the narrative, both as a physical location and as a symbol of systemic racism. Once a plantation, Parchman became a prison that perpetuated slavery-like conditions for Black inmates well into the 20th century. Ward uses this notorious prison to connect the present-day story to Mississippi's painful past, with ghostly characters bridging different eras to explore intergenerational trauma.
Characters
Jojo: 13-year-old biracial protagonist and one of the narrators. Jojo acts as a parent to his younger sister Kayla due to their mother's neglect. He has a close relationship with his grandfather, Pop, and can see and communicate with ghosts. Jojo struggles to understand his identity and place in the world as he comes of age.
Leonie: Jojo and Kayla's mother and one of the narrators. Leonie is a drug addict who neglects her children. She can see visions of her dead brother Given when high. Leonie is consumed by her love for Michael and her grief over Given's death, at the expense of caring for her kids.
Pop (River): Jojo and Kayla's grandfather and Leonie's father. Pop is the main parental figure for Jojo and Kayla. He spent time in Parchman prison as a young man and is haunted by his experiences there, especially his relationship with a young inmate named Richie.
Mam (Philomène): Jojo and Kayla's grandmother and Leonie's mother. Mam is dying of cancer but uses her spiritual gifts to try to help her family. She comes from a line of women who can communicate with the dead.
Richie: The ghost of a 13-year-old boy who was imprisoned with Pop at Parchman. Richie is one of the narrators and follows Jojo, seeking answers about his own death. His presence connects the past and present.
Michael: Jojo and Kayla's white father who is being released from Parchman prison. He struggles with drug addiction and PTSD from surviving the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion.
Kayla: Jojo's three-year-old sister who can also see ghosts. She represents hope for the future.
Given: Leonie's brother who was murdered as a teenager. His ghost appears to Leonie when she is high.
Quick facts
Sing, Unburied, Sing won the 2017 National Book Award for Fiction.
It was Ward's second National Book Award, following her win for Salvage the Bones in 2011.
The novel incorporates elements of magical realism, with ghosts appearing as characters.
The story is set in the fictional town of Bois Sauvage, Mississippi, which Ward has used as a setting in previous works, based on her hometown of DeLisle.
The character of Pop was partially inspired by Ward's own grandfather.
Ward drew inspiration from William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying for her use of multiple narrators to tell the story.
Ward spent about four years writing and revising the novel.
Sing, Unburied, Sing explores themes of family, racial tensions, addiction, and the legacy of slavery in the American South.
Former President Barack Obama included it on his list of favorite books in 2017.
Sing, Unburied, Sing also won the 2018 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize and Andrew Carnegie Medal.
TIME magazine named Sing, Unburied, Sing as one of the top ten books of 2017.
In 2024, The New York Times placed Sing, Unburied, Sing at #30 on their list of the Best Books of the 21st century.
About the Author
Jesmyn Ward (1977-) is an acclaimed American novelist and professor of English at Tulane University. She grew up in DeLisle, Mississippi, which inspired the fictional setting of Bois Sauvage in her novels. Ward's powerful storytelling has earned her numerous accolades, including two National Book Awards for Fiction for Salvage the Bones (2011) and Sing, Unburied, Sing (2017), making her the first woman and first African American to win this prestigious award twice.
Ward's writing often explores themes of family, community, and racial identity in the American South. Her debut novel, Where the Line Bleeds (2008), introduced readers to her evocative prose and complex characters. In addition to fiction, Ward has published a memoir, Men We Reaped (2013), which delves into the lives of five young Black men, including her brother, who died in her hometown.
In 2017, Ward received a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, recognizing her exceptional creativity and potential. She has also been honored with the Strauss Living Prize and served as a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. Ward's work has appeared in prominent publications such as BOMB, A Public Space, and The Oxford American.
Ward's impact on contemporary American literature is significant. Her latest novel, Let Us Descend (2023), continues to showcase her talent for crafting powerful narratives that resonate with readers and critics alike. As an educator and writer, Ward contributes to shaping the literary landscape while giving voice to underrepresented experiences in American society.
