Sing, Unburied, Sing

A Novel

De: Jesmyn Ward

Narrado por: Kelvin Harrison Jr., Chris Chalk, Rutina Wesley

*Selected as One of the Best Books of the 21st Century by The New York Times * WINNER of the NATIONAL BOOK AWARD and A NEW YORK TIMES TOP 10 BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

A finalist for the Kirkus Prize, Andrew Carnegie Medal, Aspen Words Literary Prize, and a New York Times bestseller, this majestic, stirring, and widely praised novel from two-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward, the story of a family on a journey through rural Mississippi, is a “tour de force” (O, The Oprah Magazine) and a timeless work of fiction that is destined to become a classic.

Jesmyn Ward’s historic second National Book Award–winner is “perfectly poised for the moment” (The New York Times), an intimate portrait of three generations of a family and an epic tale of hope and struggle. “Ward’s writing throbs with life, grief, and love… this book is the kind that makes you ache to return to it” (Buzzfeed).

Jojo is thirteen years old and trying to understand what it means to be a man. He doesn’t lack in fathers to study, chief among them his Black grandfather, Pop. But there are other men who complicate his understanding: his absent White father, Michael, who is being released from prison; his absent White grandfather, Big Joseph, who won’t acknowledge his existence; and the memories of his dead uncle, Given, who died as a teenager.

His mother, Leonie, is an inconsistent presence in his and his toddler sister’s lives. She is an imperfect mother in constant conflict with herself and those around her. She is Black and her children’s father is White. She wants to be a better mother but can’t put her children above her own needs, especially her drug use. Simultaneously tormented and comforted by visions of her dead brother, which only come to her when she’s high, Leonie is embattled in ways that reflect the brutal reality of her circumstances.

When the children’s father is released from prison, Leonie packs her kids and a friend into her car and drives north to the heart of Mississippi and Parchman Farm, the State Penitentiary. At Parchman, there is another thirteen-year-old boy, the ghost of a dead inmate who carries all of the ugly history of the South with him in his wandering. He too has something to teach Jojo about fathers and sons, about legacies, about violence, about love.

Rich with Ward’s distinctive, lyrical language, Sing, Unburied, Sing is a majestic and unforgettable family story and “an odyssey through rural Mississippi’s past and present” (The Philadelphia Inquirer).

Lyric & sensual writing, devastating story

I would not have appreciated spoilers for this novel, and I've seen plenty in other reviews of Ward's book. So I'll keep it short. This has the lyric power and the historic and literary importance of Toni Morrison's Beloved, but unlike in Beloved, the reader knows what the hell is going on. The setting and themes are contemporary, but you will never look at rural drug abuse or the racist injustices of the Old South in the same way after living life in JoJo's skin. Ward is particularly powerful when describing sensory perceptions. She's won one National Book Award; with Sing, Unburied, Sing, she deserves a second.

Wonderful story; subpar performance by Wesley

Riveting story by my favorite author. Rutina Wesley’s performance was terrible, however. During her portions of the story, it was all I could do to continue listening. I eventually opted to skip her chapters on audio and read them from the copy of the book that I purchased instead. Awful! Fortunately, the other performances offset hers.

Poetic

Overall I enjoyed the book, but I can see how some may really dislike it or it be their favorite. It touches on a number of topics that make people uncomfortable - racism, child neglect, prison life, spirits that are unable to cross to the other side...
By far the best part of the book is Jesmyn Ward's writing style. It's very poetic, flows beautifully, and is the type of book you should listen to with few distractions and let your mind flow with the book. She captures the characters inner train of thought and subconscious in a way, that for most people, would be difficult to put into writing. I finished the book in three sittings, I didn't want to turn it off.
A few nit-picky things - two of the male characters are young (13-ish) but they are read by obviously grown men with big grown-man voices. It was confusing at first. Rutina Wesley reads for Leonie beautifully, but she reads the entire thing as performance poetry and it seems a little over-the-top at times. But maybe that is how the author intended.
Overall, I recommend this book, even if it may be outside of your comfort zone a little.

Unbearable Beauty

A heartbreaking story told with exquisite artistry, truth and love. I would imagine the narrators felt privileged to read these words, to create characters so fully known.

Fantastic

Absolutely loved this book and it’s the narrators. Don’t miss! Can’t wait to read or listen to more of Jesmyn Ward’s outstanding work.