Zeal

A Novel

De: Morgan Jerkins

Narrado por: January LaVoy, Shayna Small

Named a Most Anticipated Book by Washington Post, People, Time

“A beautiful tale.” —Jason Reynolds, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Twenty-four Seconds from Now

The New York Times bestselling author of This Will Be My Undoing and Caul Baby returns with an epic, multi-generational novel that illuminates the legacy of slavery and the power of romantic love.

Harlem, 2019. Ardelia and Oliver are hosting their engagement party. As the guests get ready to leave, he hands her a love letter on a yellowing, crumbling piece of paper . . .

Natchez, 1865. Discharged from the Union Army as a free man after the war’s end, Harrison returns to Mississippi to reunite with the woman he loves, Tirzah. Upon his arrival at the Freedmen’s Bureau, though, he catches the eye of a woman working there, who’s determined to thwart his efforts to find his beloved. After tragedy strikes, Harrison resigns himself to a life with her.

Meanwhile in Louisiana, the newly free Tirzah is teaching at a freedmen’s school, and discovers an advertisement in the local paper looking for her. Though she knows Harrison must have placed it, and longs to find him, the risks of fleeing are too great, and Tirzah chooses the life of seeming security right in front of her.

Spanning over a hundred and fifty years, Morgan Jerkins’s extraordinary novel intertwines the stories of these star-crossed lovers and their descendants. As Tirzah's family moves across the country during the Great Migration, they challenge authority with devastating consequences, while the legacy of heartbreak and loss continues on in the lives of Harrison's progeny.

When Ardelia meets Oliver, she finds his family’s history is as full of secrets and omissions as her own. Could their connection be a cosmic reconciliation satisfying the unfulfilled desires of their ancestors, or will the weight of the past, present and future tear them apart?

Sweeping, textured, and meticulously researched, Zeal is both a story of how one generation’s choices reverberate through the years and an indelible portrait of an enduring love.

©2025 Morgan Jerkins (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers

Speechless

I just couldn’t stop listening!! It is now 5am and my alarm clock has just gone off and tears are streaming down my face and my hubby is begging me to please silence the alarm clock and stop listening to my book. The flow of the narrators is perfect. As always Ms LaVoy exceeds expectations. Would recommend

Couldn't Stop

I blew through this book! It was authentically written and carefully and lovingly narrated.

Extremely extraordinary

I loved this book one of the best I’ve ever listened to, the historical writing is invaluable. I recommend everyone of all ages to listen

This is GREAT listen!

This is so worth the credit. The story spans generations while still being well told. Be prepared to cry even just a little. Love can conquer everything. You won't regret it.

Absolutely beautiful!

This is a book you’ll start and fall in love with instantly! So beautifully put together and a love story for the ages!!!

Beautiful

In the spirit of Homecoming, a beautifully woven story of love, family and our connection through generations. 5 stars, please listen.

Love of a Lifetime

Zeal — Whoa! I can barely catch mybreath.
A sweeping love story that stretches across a lifetime, moving through the brutal realities of slavery, the weight of hardship, and the tangled ties of family, including enemies who, against all odds, became family. Powerful, moving, and unforgettable.

it pulled me in and keentwined twined

I had never really liked historical novels nor ones with a multitude of characters but i found this book pulling me in!. First at the beginning, This book shook me with descriptions of life in the late 1800's and before this reality became too much, the book kept my attention by shifted in time or perspective. I was vested in all the main characters.

It's been awhile since I felt i was teading something that was well written. my many thanks to the author and editors to add this to the body of literature .

Amazing Stories!!!

10:10 This book has you believe in love and epiphanies with relationships in life. I recommend everyone to read this book, it’s Excellent!!!

Breath taking Story

It pulls at all the right emotions while fortifying you with the truths of love, the strength of a people and the courage never spoken before. This book was a true treasure to read.