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Let Us Descend

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Let Us Descend

By: Jesmyn Ward
Narrated by: Jesmyn Ward
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About this listen

Bloomsbury presents Let Us Descend written and read by Jesmyn Ward.

* AN OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK *

‘A spectacular achievement’ ANTHONY DOERR
‘Extravagantly beautiful’ DAILY MAIL
‘One of the greatest writers of all time’ JACQUELINE WOODSON
‘Extraordinary’ GUARDIAN
‘The best book I’ve read in years’ LOUISE KENNEDY

———————————-

The first weapon I ever held was my mother's hand.

On a slave plantation in the Carolinas, Annis has survived in the light of her mother’s resilience, comforted by stories of her African warrior grandmother. Everything she knows, she learned from her mother – how to fight, how to be strong, how to grow up in a world shrouded in darkness.

When she is sold south by the white enslaver who fathered her, Annis must venture onward through the rich but unforgiving landscapes of the American South alone: from the rice fields of the Carolinas to the slave markets of New Orleans, and into the fearsome heart of a Louisiana sugar plantation. Searching for relief in memories of her mother, she opens herself to a world beyond her own, teeming with spirits of earth, water, history and myth.

A reimagining of American slavery as beautifully rendered as it is heart-wrenching, Let Us Descend offers a magnificent portrait of the strength of the human spirit and its ability to emerge from darkness into light. This is a story of beauty, love, rebirth and reclamation – a masterwork for the ages.

©2023 Jesmyn Ward (P)2023 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
African American Historical Fiction Magical Realism

What listeners say about Let Us Descend

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Powerful storytelling

Loved this book - so very sad, but powerful at the same time. Incredible storytelling and great use of truth & imagery.

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Wonderful

Great story, beautifully written and absorbing from page one. I couldn’t put this down. Highly recommended.

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Powerful hypnotic and magical

I enjoyed every word of this beautifully crafted story that wraps the reader (listener) in a world that is more than physical. Full of powerful contradictions- dark and light, hope and fear, tangible vs spirit, captivity vs freedom - giving the reader a visceral taste of the dark underbelly of slavery. Most of all it is about love, in all its many forms. 👏💜

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1 person found this helpful

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