Status
Available
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
New York : Scribner, 2017.
Description
Jojo and his toddler sister, Kayla, live with their grandparents, Mam and Pop, and the occasional presence of their drug-addicted mother, Leonie, on a farm on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Leonie is simultaneously tormented and comforted by visions of her dead brother, which only come to her when she's high; Mam is dying of cancer; and quiet, steady Pop tries to run the household and teach Jojo how to be a man. When the white father of Leonie's children is released from prison, she packs her kids and a friend into her car and sets out across the state for Parchman farm, the Mississippi State Penitentiary, on a journey rife with danger and promise.
Media reviews
At just 304 pages long, “Sing, Unburied, Sing” is a road novel, a ghost story, a family epic, and damning testimony bearing witness to terrible crimes. It is also unforgettable.
...Ward is seeking something more from (or perhaps for) her characters. And so the road trip, and the drug drama, and the struggle for wholeness unfold against a series of more mysterious events.... For each of these characters, living or dead, what lies unasked or unspoken becomes an impediment
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not just to happiness or social mobility but to literal deliverance — and each must decide whether to rise to the occasion, whether to let what he or she harbors sound out. Maybe that’s the miracle here: that ordinary people whose lives have become so easy to classify into categories like rural poor, drug-dependent, products of the criminal justice system, possess the weight and the value of the mythic — and not only after death; that 13-year-olds like Jojo might be worthy of our rapt attention while their lives are just beginning.... Such feats of empathy are difficult, all too often impossible to muster in real life. But they feel genuinely inevitable when offered by a writer of such lyric imagination as Ward. “Sing, Unburied, Sing” is many things: a road novel, a slender epic of three generations and the ghosts that haunt them, and a portrait of what ordinary folk in dire circumstances cleave to as well as what they — and perhaps we all — are trying to outrun. Show Less
The Dallas Morning News
This is a lyrical howl of a book that knows exactly when to go quiet and when to make its cries almost unbearable. It's a story of unfinished business, for both a country still struggling to live up to its ideals and for the ghosts that walk through these pages ... The past is its own character in
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Sing, Unburied, Sing, ready to burst in without a moment's notice and remind everyone it never really went away. If William Faulkner mined the South for gothic, stream-of-consciousness tragedy, and Toni Morrison conjured magical realism from the corroding power of the region's race hatred, then Ward is a worthy heir to both. This is not praise to be taken lightly. Ward has the command of language and the sense of place, the empathy and the imagination, to carve out her own place among the literary giants. Show Less
The title Sing, Unburied, Sing seems to echo the opening of the Iliad, when Homer asks the muse to sing of unburied bodies left on the battlefield of Troy "a feast for dogs and birds," while the dead men's souls descend to Hades. Homer's poems were meant to act as immortal grave markers for the war
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dead, even as the physical graves and bodies would rot away. We're still singing for those Greek corpses; why not, Jesmyn Ward asks, sing for the generations of black Southerners undone by racism and history, lynched, raped, enslaved, shot, and imprisoned? In this lush and lonely novel, Ward lets the dead sing. It's a kind of burial. Show Less
However eternal its concerns, “Sing, Unburied, Sing,” Ward’s new book, is perfectly poised for the moment. It combines aspects of the American road novel and the ghost story with a timely treatment of the long aftershocks of a hurricane and the opioid epidemic devouring rural America....With
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the supernatural cast to the story, everything feels heightened. The clearest influence is Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” — the child returning from the dead, bitter and wronged and full of questions. The echoes in the language feel like deliberate homage.... The ghosts — most of them, at any rate — want to rest, but they need restitution first. They need to know what happened to them, and why. It’s the unfinished business of a nation, playing out today in the calls for the removal of statues of Confederate soldiers and in the resurgence of the Klan. Show Less
Ward employs several strangely tethered narrators and allows herself to reach back in time while keeping this family chained to the rusty stake of American racism ... These are people 'pulling all the weight of history,' and Ward represents those necrotic claims with a pair of restless ghosts, the
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unburied singers of the title. ... If “Sing, Unburied, Sing” lacks the singular hypnotic power of “Salvage the Bones,” that’s only because its ambition is broader, its style more complex and, one might say, more mature. The simile-drenched lines that sometimes overwhelmed Ward’s previous novel have been brought under the control here of more plausible voices. And the plight of this one family is now tied to intersecting crimes and failings that stretch over decades. Looking out to the yard, Jojo thinks, “The branches are full. They are full with ghosts, two or three, all the way up to the top, to the feathered leaves.” Such is the tree of liberty in this haunted nation. Show Less
The terrible beauty of life along the nation’s lower margins is summoned in this bold, bright, and sharp-eyed road novel.... any qualms are overpowered by the book’s intensely evocative imagery, musical rhetoric, and bountiful sympathy toward even the most exasperating of its characters.
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Remorse stalks the grown-ups like a search party, but grace in whatever form seems ready to salve their wounds, even the ones that don’t easily show. As with the best and most meaningful American fiction these days, old truths are recast here in new realities rife with both peril and promise. Show Less
Leonie wants to be a better mother, and when Jojo’s and Kayla’s father is released from prison, Leonie takes the kids with her, hoping for a loving reunion, but what she gets instead is a harrowing drive across a muggy landscape haunted by hatred. Throughout the novel, though, are beautifully
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crafted moments of tenderness. When the dead, including Leonie’s murdered brother, make their appearances and their demands, no one in the family’s surprised. But their stories are deeply affecting, in no small part because of Ward’s brilliant writing and compassionate eye. Show Less
Ward’s prose counterpoints the inhumanity. She’s always reaching for a simile, something to pin the moment and find redemption in it..Jojo, Leona and Richie tell the story in turn. The fecund delta draws out the baroque. You’re never far from growth. You’re never far from decay. Ward brings
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story to the edge of allegory and keeps it there without tipping over...Ward has to deal with the festering cache of Black American history, to look at historic and present hurt, and to look past it at the same time. She does it brilliantly... Ward’s writing is laced with compassion. The wonder is that she can find room for it. Show Less
Sing, Unburied, Sing won the National Book award for fiction in the US. In many ways, though, it’s not as strong as Ward’s previous work, including her 2011 novel Salvage the Bones and her 2013 memoir Men We Reaped. Its dense lyricism is often heavy handed. In drawing on William Faulkner’s As
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I Lay Dying – both in its multiple first-person narratives and its story of a poor rural family that embarks on a wagon trek to Mississippi – it comes across as self-consciously literary...Jojo, fierce and tender, is the endearing heart of the novel; other characters, including Leonie, are fitfully ventriloquised and remain rather distant. The ramshackle journey at its spine and Ward’s rendering of the region’s dark geologies and histories are more potent than her awkward stage-managing of spirits and apparitions in the second half. Still, for all its occasional mis- and oversteps, Sing, Unburied, Sing is a brooding, pained meditation on the proposition, spelled out by Colson Whitehead in The Underground Railroad, that “America is a ghost in the darkness Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member laytonwoman3rd
A wrenchingly difficult read, brilliant but brutal. Told in three voices, two living and one dead, the narrative explores the lives of three living generations of a fractured family in rural Mississippi. Leonie, the middle generation, is a black woman whose white husband is currently serving time
Nothing about the story generates hope that things will ever be better. The realism is hard to face, and I needed breaks to get through it. The grinding poverty, a mother's disregard for her children's welfare, the inhumane treatment of prisoners (both past and present), beleaguered ghosts and the protracted suffering of an old woman. When I push through that kind of difficult reading, I hope for some illumination of why people behave that way, what makes it possible for victims and survivors to endure such a life...maybe even a clue as to how changes in attitude and behavior might come about. I got very little of that from this book, and yet I am better for having read it, somehow. No one gets a pass from the author here...not her characters and not her readers, but it is impossible to miss the message that there IS love in this family. JoJo would endure almost anything to comfort and protect Kayla; Pop is attentive to his wife and a decent father figure for JoJo; Leonie rouses herself to fulfill her mother’s last wish for help in contacting the voodoo gods she believes will open the door to the next world for her; Michael defies his own uncompromising family in allegiance to Leonie and his children. This is not an uplifting tale of overcoming obstacles; rather it is an unsparing look at how insurmountable the obstacles can be.
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at Parchman. She is often strung out on drugs, unable to be any kind of mother, while her 14-year-old son JoJo tends to his little sister Kayla. JoJo’s is the first voice we hear-- he is the heart and soul of this novel. We soon learn that he hears and sees things that others do not, a genetic gift or curse. It is apparent that Leonie’s parents, Pop and Mam, have been JoJo’s main caregivers for some time when the story begins. Now Mam is dying, Leonie is obsessed with the imminent release of her husband Michael from the prison farm, and JoJo is shouldering more and more responsibility. In addition, he is communicating with the shade of a dead boy his grandfather knew long ago during his own stretch at Parchman. Pop has told parts of Richie’s story to JoJo over and over...but he has never finished it. Richie is in limbo because he doesn’t know his own ending, and he begs JoJo to get Pop to fill in the final details.Nothing about the story generates hope that things will ever be better. The realism is hard to face, and I needed breaks to get through it. The grinding poverty, a mother's disregard for her children's welfare, the inhumane treatment of prisoners (both past and present), beleaguered ghosts and the protracted suffering of an old woman. When I push through that kind of difficult reading, I hope for some illumination of why people behave that way, what makes it possible for victims and survivors to endure such a life...maybe even a clue as to how changes in attitude and behavior might come about. I got very little of that from this book, and yet I am better for having read it, somehow. No one gets a pass from the author here...not her characters and not her readers, but it is impossible to miss the message that there IS love in this family. JoJo would endure almost anything to comfort and protect Kayla; Pop is attentive to his wife and a decent father figure for JoJo; Leonie rouses herself to fulfill her mother’s last wish for help in contacting the voodoo gods she believes will open the door to the next world for her; Michael defies his own uncompromising family in allegiance to Leonie and his children. This is not an uplifting tale of overcoming obstacles; rather it is an unsparing look at how insurmountable the obstacles can be.
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LibraryThing member m.belljackson
Yes, the writing is high quality and is an evocative tale of a family gifted with second sight.
It is also torturously depressing to read,
with a book-long agonizing death from cancer,
with hideous murders recounted by the undead and unburied,
with endless, unredemptive drug addition and domestic
with racist and homosexual prison horror upon horror,
contrived POV and conversations with the still unburied,
with a hideous graphic goat slaughter...
...it simply goes on for too long with no hope for change and the tiresome image of Kayla wrapped around JoJo or puking all over him and the car.
It feels like the author wants readers to suffer as much as sensitive young Jojo does with his selfish, pathetic mother and dim father.
It is also torturously depressing to read,
with a book-long agonizing death from cancer,
with hideous murders recounted by the undead and unburied,
with endless, unredemptive drug addition and domestic
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abuse, with racist and homosexual prison horror upon horror,
contrived POV and conversations with the still unburied,
with a hideous graphic goat slaughter...
...it simply goes on for too long with no hope for change and the tiresome image of Kayla wrapped around JoJo or puking all over him and the car.
It feels like the author wants readers to suffer as much as sensitive young Jojo does with his selfish, pathetic mother and dim father.
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LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
Sing Unburied Sing, Jesmyn Ward. Author, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Chris Chalk, Rutina Wesley, narrators
This book is very hard to read; aside from the fact that the subject matter is current, as well as historic, it is also about the horrific brutality, that was and still is, often inflicted upon a
This book is an intense examination of the racial situation and the victimization they experience in their ordinary daily lives. Avoiding the injustice perpetrated upon them is almost impossible since it is rained down upon them according to the whims of the angry mob mentality of their abusers. It is not, however, I believe, because of white supremacy, a catch term that has taken hold as a rallying cry. Rather, to me, it is because there are simply hateful people with evil in their hearts who will justify their despicable behavior with any excuse they can muster up that will gain the support of other likeminded despicable creatures. This behavior is often obvious on both sides of any conflict, none is defensible.
Each chapter of this book presents the voice of one of the three major characters, Leonie, Jojo and Richie. Most of the dialogue takes place as Leonie drives her friend Misty and her two children, to pick up Michael, their father, from Parchman prison, as he has served out his sentence. On that ride, black life is very fully presented in view of their behavior and approach to life, and the behavior of others in the world toward them. Each of them, in their own way, is a victim of society’s injustice and the injustice of their own cultural environment. Each has to fight a system that overpowers them, that does not provide them with the tools they need to achieve parity.
As the book explores the history and lifestyle of its characters, it uses the dialogue between them, coupled with their individual thoughts and memories, to highlight the injustices that they have had to suffer, and even ignore, to avoid further retaliation. They were often in a position of vulnerability that allowed no bridge to justice. Although it is not specifically addressed in this book, it is this backward and forward looking at the situation that they faced that allows the reader to understand the anger that is boiling over in today’s society, even if they disagree with the methods now being used by some of those who are angry, since they justify their own brutality in ways not very different from the justification of abusive power used by their “enemies”. Those without power often seek not justice, but to overpower those in power to assume the same mantle of superiority, rather than equality.
I listened to the book and thought it might be better to have read it in print. Although the book was read well by several readers, to delineate the characters, I thought some portrayals were a bit excessive. At times, Leonie seemed too sultry and Jojo’s speech pattern, too stereotyped in its presentation. Richie was alternately portrayed as a young boy and as a man, in his tone of voice, perhaps to emphasize the passage of time. There was no way, however, to find any fault in the prose of this author; it is so far superior to that in many books written today. The choice of vocabulary and the way in which the words were combined made for an eloquent and often poetic presentation, painting pictures and images for the reader to see in their mind’s eye, sometimes making some of the scenes almost too horrific to imagine. The influence of the fear and often shame that constantly haunted the life of the victims, created hopelessness and an “underground” lifestyle. Norms in their world were often at odds with the norms in the world of others.
Throughout history, groups that have been abused by the prejudices of others have been blamed for bringing this abuse upon themselves because of their own behavior. If nothing else, this book will disabuse the reader of that fact. Nothing justifies the brutality or bigotry that the people of color have had to deal with because nothing makes brutal behavior toward anyone acceptable. No behavior on anyone’s part, no biological aspect of anyone’s body or cultural and religious choice makes cruelty toward anyone acceptable, in my opinion. While it may be impossible to prevent the expression of opinions, there is a proper and improper way to express those opinions. No behavior that threatens another should be acceptable. No behavior that intimidates another should be applauded. Everyone, I believe, has a responsibility to behave in an acceptable manner, at all times, without bringing harm to another, except in cases of unavoidable war to prevent just that kind of inhumane behavior, but we must be fully aware of the fact, that, that makes us guilty of being “the pot calling the kettle black”.
At the end of the book, while I felt I had really learned a great deal about society’s mistreatment of others, specifically, in this book, of those of color, but universally, as well, of all people who are powerless, I did not feel that there was any viable solution offered to make things more tolerable, to right the wrongs of racial injustice, or to bring back a return or an insurgence of common decency. Just as some of the characters were haunted by visions, so our society was and still is haunted by unjustified feelings of hate. Also, while the idea of the injustice and horrific prejudice and hateful behavior toward a group of people was excellently and honestly rendered, I wasn’t certain that the expectation of responsible behavior on the part of those victims was as fully explored. As both worlds were examined, however, the world of color and the world without, the bias and overt injustice experienced by those who were powerless were horrifying. It is a virulent disease spreading all over the world, as we witness, daily, the horrific violence inflicted upon populations that are weaker or less in favor then the one in power.
Regardless of the victim’s behavior, which is ridiculously, somehow supposed to justify the injustice, there is no acceptable excuse for any of the brutality or expressions of violence and hate that have become almost daily occurrences. Perhaps the haters have mastered the art of making this behavior so common that we have become inured to it and are beginning to accept it as normal rather than what it is, totally abnormal, a total aberration of the human condition and merely an expression of man’s inhumanity toward man.
This book is very hard to read; aside from the fact that the subject matter is current, as well as historic, it is also about the horrific brutality, that was and still is, often inflicted upon a
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people, regardless of their guilt or innocence; this behavior is unjustified regardless of the innocence or guilt, color, creed, nationality, religion or any other defining aspect of that victim. No behavior on the part of anyone can justify the unimaginable punishments meted out; the mutilation, the torture or even merely the humiliation of another, should not be tolerated by society, but in an advanced society, this criminal behavior of those in power seems much more egregious.This book is an intense examination of the racial situation and the victimization they experience in their ordinary daily lives. Avoiding the injustice perpetrated upon them is almost impossible since it is rained down upon them according to the whims of the angry mob mentality of their abusers. It is not, however, I believe, because of white supremacy, a catch term that has taken hold as a rallying cry. Rather, to me, it is because there are simply hateful people with evil in their hearts who will justify their despicable behavior with any excuse they can muster up that will gain the support of other likeminded despicable creatures. This behavior is often obvious on both sides of any conflict, none is defensible.
Each chapter of this book presents the voice of one of the three major characters, Leonie, Jojo and Richie. Most of the dialogue takes place as Leonie drives her friend Misty and her two children, to pick up Michael, their father, from Parchman prison, as he has served out his sentence. On that ride, black life is very fully presented in view of their behavior and approach to life, and the behavior of others in the world toward them. Each of them, in their own way, is a victim of society’s injustice and the injustice of their own cultural environment. Each has to fight a system that overpowers them, that does not provide them with the tools they need to achieve parity.
As the book explores the history and lifestyle of its characters, it uses the dialogue between them, coupled with their individual thoughts and memories, to highlight the injustices that they have had to suffer, and even ignore, to avoid further retaliation. They were often in a position of vulnerability that allowed no bridge to justice. Although it is not specifically addressed in this book, it is this backward and forward looking at the situation that they faced that allows the reader to understand the anger that is boiling over in today’s society, even if they disagree with the methods now being used by some of those who are angry, since they justify their own brutality in ways not very different from the justification of abusive power used by their “enemies”. Those without power often seek not justice, but to overpower those in power to assume the same mantle of superiority, rather than equality.
I listened to the book and thought it might be better to have read it in print. Although the book was read well by several readers, to delineate the characters, I thought some portrayals were a bit excessive. At times, Leonie seemed too sultry and Jojo’s speech pattern, too stereotyped in its presentation. Richie was alternately portrayed as a young boy and as a man, in his tone of voice, perhaps to emphasize the passage of time. There was no way, however, to find any fault in the prose of this author; it is so far superior to that in many books written today. The choice of vocabulary and the way in which the words were combined made for an eloquent and often poetic presentation, painting pictures and images for the reader to see in their mind’s eye, sometimes making some of the scenes almost too horrific to imagine. The influence of the fear and often shame that constantly haunted the life of the victims, created hopelessness and an “underground” lifestyle. Norms in their world were often at odds with the norms in the world of others.
Throughout history, groups that have been abused by the prejudices of others have been blamed for bringing this abuse upon themselves because of their own behavior. If nothing else, this book will disabuse the reader of that fact. Nothing justifies the brutality or bigotry that the people of color have had to deal with because nothing makes brutal behavior toward anyone acceptable. No behavior on anyone’s part, no biological aspect of anyone’s body or cultural and religious choice makes cruelty toward anyone acceptable, in my opinion. While it may be impossible to prevent the expression of opinions, there is a proper and improper way to express those opinions. No behavior that threatens another should be acceptable. No behavior that intimidates another should be applauded. Everyone, I believe, has a responsibility to behave in an acceptable manner, at all times, without bringing harm to another, except in cases of unavoidable war to prevent just that kind of inhumane behavior, but we must be fully aware of the fact, that, that makes us guilty of being “the pot calling the kettle black”.
At the end of the book, while I felt I had really learned a great deal about society’s mistreatment of others, specifically, in this book, of those of color, but universally, as well, of all people who are powerless, I did not feel that there was any viable solution offered to make things more tolerable, to right the wrongs of racial injustice, or to bring back a return or an insurgence of common decency. Just as some of the characters were haunted by visions, so our society was and still is haunted by unjustified feelings of hate. Also, while the idea of the injustice and horrific prejudice and hateful behavior toward a group of people was excellently and honestly rendered, I wasn’t certain that the expectation of responsible behavior on the part of those victims was as fully explored. As both worlds were examined, however, the world of color and the world without, the bias and overt injustice experienced by those who were powerless were horrifying. It is a virulent disease spreading all over the world, as we witness, daily, the horrific violence inflicted upon populations that are weaker or less in favor then the one in power.
Regardless of the victim’s behavior, which is ridiculously, somehow supposed to justify the injustice, there is no acceptable excuse for any of the brutality or expressions of violence and hate that have become almost daily occurrences. Perhaps the haters have mastered the art of making this behavior so common that we have become inured to it and are beginning to accept it as normal rather than what it is, totally abnormal, a total aberration of the human condition and merely an expression of man’s inhumanity toward man.
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LibraryThing member rglossne
Jojo and his baby sister Kayla are being raised by their grandparents in the backwoods of Mississippi, because their mother, Leonie, is an unreliable drug addict, and their white father, Michael, is in jail. When Michael is to be released, Leonie packs up the children and heads to Parchman to pick
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him up, along with her meth-addled friend. This is a nightmarish journey, where Jojo is accompanied by the ghost of a young boy imprisoned with his grandfather years ago, and Leonie is haunted by the ghost of her brother. Heartbreaking, evocative, beautifully written. Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction, 2017 Show Less
LibraryThing member Carmenere
Jojo and his younger sister, Kayla, are taken on a road trip through Mississippi by their mother, Leoni and her friend, Misty. The purpose, to pick up their father, Michael who has just been released from prison. The road trip would be comical if it weren't so terrifyingly true and sadly so.
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Waiting for them at home are Leoni's seriously ill mother and ex-con father who keeps their farm running. Pop, is haunted by the past and unresolved actions. It's the ability of the young to see into the past and see the victims of racial violence who still linger in this world but try to find peace in another. Ms. Ward has written an extraordinary novel. She has created characters, living and dead, which the reader can grow to love despite their faults. Highly recommend. Show Less
LibraryThing member sachesney
The story of a family in contemporary USA. A well crafted novel with so many layers it may take more than one read to fully appreciate. It's less of a good read and more a commentary on American society - past and present. At times I was fully expecting a sensational, single disaster to unfold
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(e.g. death of the toddler), instead Ward focusses our attention on the wider impact of more subtle, wider, profound socety disasters - drug abuse, embedded racism, injustice. The result is a book that keeps you anxious about all the characters and their destiny. Not a book to read if you are already feeling low with very few uplifting moments. However, you will be rewarded if you do read it, and will have a better understanding of the issues Ward raises if you are, like me, unfamiliar with American contemporary family life and the history it has emerged from. Show Less
LibraryThing member lostinalibrary
Sing, Unburied, Sing by author Jesmyn Ward tells the story of the struggles of an African American family in modern day rural Mississippi. Thirteen-year-old Jojo and his sister, Kayla, are being raised by their grandparents. Their grandmother is in the last stages of cancer and their grandfather
It is no surprise that Sing, Unburied Sing won the National Book Award for Fiction and was named as one of the top books of 2017. It is a beautifully written novel with lyrical prose and complex and interesting characters. The narration is split between Jojo and Leonie and later in the book, Richie, a ghost from Pop's past. Jojo is certainly the most likeable of these characters but Leonie is, by far, the most complex - on the surface, she is selfish and needy and indifferent to anyone but Michael, her white lover, and often showing almost hatred towards Jojo who, in turn, dislikes and distrusts her. But in her internal dialogue, we see a more nuanced character, one who has never gotten over the death of her brother; who knows that her actions and reactions to her son are wrong; who is willing to take an action that will aid her mother, knowing how it will likely look to the rest of the family; and who is aware of her obsession for Michael and wishes she were able to give just a little of that love to her children but knows that she can't. This is also a tale about how memory and the past colours the presence, that the dead are never fully gone from our lives but are rather there 'pulling the weight of history behind them'. These ghosts of the past are there in Pop's stories about his time in the notorious Parchman prison and what happened to Richie, something that remains a mystery until the very end of the story; in Leonie's inability to let go of what happened to her brother; in the actual ghosts that Jojo, Kayla, and Leonie can see; and in the road trip which makes it clear that the injustices and inequalities of the past has never gone away even if we want to believe they have.
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(Pop) is coping with the farm while caring for her and the kids. Their mother, Leonie, addicted to methamphetamines, drops in and out of their lives. Their white father is about to be released from prison and Leonie decides to take the two children along to meet him resulting in a road trip marked by the presence of another addict, Kayla's car sickness, unexpected and unwanted side trips, and Jojo's constant alertness to any dangers as well as protection of his toddler sister from their mother's seeming indifference to their needs. It is no surprise that Sing, Unburied Sing won the National Book Award for Fiction and was named as one of the top books of 2017. It is a beautifully written novel with lyrical prose and complex and interesting characters. The narration is split between Jojo and Leonie and later in the book, Richie, a ghost from Pop's past. Jojo is certainly the most likeable of these characters but Leonie is, by far, the most complex - on the surface, she is selfish and needy and indifferent to anyone but Michael, her white lover, and often showing almost hatred towards Jojo who, in turn, dislikes and distrusts her. But in her internal dialogue, we see a more nuanced character, one who has never gotten over the death of her brother; who knows that her actions and reactions to her son are wrong; who is willing to take an action that will aid her mother, knowing how it will likely look to the rest of the family; and who is aware of her obsession for Michael and wishes she were able to give just a little of that love to her children but knows that she can't. This is also a tale about how memory and the past colours the presence, that the dead are never fully gone from our lives but are rather there 'pulling the weight of history behind them'. These ghosts of the past are there in Pop's stories about his time in the notorious Parchman prison and what happened to Richie, something that remains a mystery until the very end of the story; in Leonie's inability to let go of what happened to her brother; in the actual ghosts that Jojo, Kayla, and Leonie can see; and in the road trip which makes it clear that the injustices and inequalities of the past has never gone away even if we want to believe they have.
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LibraryThing member lauralkeet
Jesmyn Ward’s novels draw on her experiences as a black woman growing up in rural Mississippi. In Sing, Unburied, Sing 13-year-old Jojo is forced to grow up far too early. His father, Michael, has been in prison for years and his mother, Leonie, is an addict whose presence at home is
Their journey is interspersed with accounts of past events that have shaped the family; ghosts accompany them on the trip but only Jojo can see them. These stories are dramatic, often violent, and together with the present-day narrative show the immense challenges facing those marginalized in our society. Ward’s writing is brilliant. Her stark portrayal of the American south makes for emotionally difficult, but important, reading.
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intermittent. Jojo shoulders day-to-day responsibility for his 3-year-old sister, Kayla. The children live with their maternal grandparents who thankfully provide a loving and stable home. When Michael is released from prison, Leonie takes the children on a road trip to bring him home. Through Jojo’s eyes we see the impact of Leonie’s addiction, as she stops along the way to support her habit.Their journey is interspersed with accounts of past events that have shaped the family; ghosts accompany them on the trip but only Jojo can see them. These stories are dramatic, often violent, and together with the present-day narrative show the immense challenges facing those marginalized in our society. Ward’s writing is brilliant. Her stark portrayal of the American south makes for emotionally difficult, but important, reading.
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LibraryThing member jmchshannon
Jesmyn Ward‘s latest novel is a beautifully written piece on family. Poignant but realistically harsh, Sing, Unburied, Sing shines the spotlight on more than a few of the difficulties of growing up poor and non-white in the south. Her imagery and her characters are so vivid that they leave
For as lyrical as her prose is and as vibrant as her characters are, the story itself, while important and fascinating, did not entice me to read it. I found myself finding reasons not to pick up the book and continue reading, plus I found I had only enough attention to last one chapter. Some of this is due to the fact that nothing about Jojo’s story is easy. Between the racism, the abject poverty, the drugs, and the cancer that afflict one or all of his family members, the reader gets hit with wave after wave of despair and darkness, making frequent breaks a requirement.
While I could muscle through Jojo’s story, important because it allows non-white readers the chance to somewhat understand what it feels like to live in this country as a person of color, the magical realism elements of the story left me completely uninterested. These scenes seemingly come out of nowhere and do not mesh with the rest of the narrative. In addition, one might even feel that they are not necessary to complete Jojo’s story. While the ghost is the medium through which Jojo and the reader learn Pop’s story, these scenes provide little else in the way of enhancing the novel and made it even more difficult a chore to finish reading the novel.
There is no doubt that Sing, Unburied, Sing is an important story for understanding the racial, social, and economic divides that not only still exist but seem to be growing ever farther apart. There are scenes that will quite literally haunt me forever in their bleak realism. In such an honest novel though, the magical realism does not sit well. It adds nothing and, if anything, makes it easier for readers to dismiss the entire story as fanciful and therefore less realistic than it is. As such, I wanted to love this critics’ darling but ended up struggling through it to the point where I was relieved when I was done. It is an unfortunate response to a novel which is as timely as it is vital to building empathy within society.
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indelible impressions on readers.For as lyrical as her prose is and as vibrant as her characters are, the story itself, while important and fascinating, did not entice me to read it. I found myself finding reasons not to pick up the book and continue reading, plus I found I had only enough attention to last one chapter. Some of this is due to the fact that nothing about Jojo’s story is easy. Between the racism, the abject poverty, the drugs, and the cancer that afflict one or all of his family members, the reader gets hit with wave after wave of despair and darkness, making frequent breaks a requirement.
While I could muscle through Jojo’s story, important because it allows non-white readers the chance to somewhat understand what it feels like to live in this country as a person of color, the magical realism elements of the story left me completely uninterested. These scenes seemingly come out of nowhere and do not mesh with the rest of the narrative. In addition, one might even feel that they are not necessary to complete Jojo’s story. While the ghost is the medium through which Jojo and the reader learn Pop’s story, these scenes provide little else in the way of enhancing the novel and made it even more difficult a chore to finish reading the novel.
There is no doubt that Sing, Unburied, Sing is an important story for understanding the racial, social, and economic divides that not only still exist but seem to be growing ever farther apart. There are scenes that will quite literally haunt me forever in their bleak realism. In such an honest novel though, the magical realism does not sit well. It adds nothing and, if anything, makes it easier for readers to dismiss the entire story as fanciful and therefore less realistic than it is. As such, I wanted to love this critics’ darling but ended up struggling through it to the point where I was relieved when I was done. It is an unfortunate response to a novel which is as timely as it is vital to building empathy within society.
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LibraryThing member ThomasPluck
This novel is a masterpiece like Beloved by Toni Morrison, from one of the strongest writers alive today. There is a character who is incredibly difficult to sympathize with, the apotheosis of who our culture tells us to hate and shame, but by the end, you at least understand her wounds. There is
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much more to the novel, which centers around a road trip by a young mother and her neglected children to pick their father up on freedom day from a prison with a brutal history. It is a thriller, a lyrical poem like the Odyssey, a ghost story, folk horror, a tragedy and a coming of age all in one. Show Less
LibraryThing member over.the.edge
Sing, Unburied, Sing
By Jesmyn Ward
2017
Scribners
The book opens when a young girl and her father choose a young goat, lead it to a barn where they kill it, skin it, slaughter it and eat it. Although, thankfully, it is the only animal killing in th book, the feeling prevails throughout. This is a
Issues of mixed relationships, drug abuse, violence, struggle are essential for us to understand and important themes in this wonderfully deep novel. It is so important for us to relate to others and respect them as people, so we can bring heart and humanity back to this country... This book is not for the weak....
I felt a real compassion and connection to JoJo, one of the main characters. A child born to a black mother, Leonie who was a meth user and a white father, Michael who spent a lot of time incarcerated, he was not acknowledged or accepted by his Grandfather....Jojo must learn from the violence and despair that surround him and learn the lessons of life, respect and survival mostly on his own....
This is not an easy book to read, but it is essential, esp in this climate of hostility and hatred so many are feeding into and becoming a part of.
An excellent book and recommended highly esp to those interested in the class and race struggle, and the human fight for acceptance, dignity, respect and change.
By Jesmyn Ward
2017
Scribners
The book opens when a young girl and her father choose a young goat, lead it to a barn where they kill it, skin it, slaughter it and eat it. Although, thankfully, it is the only animal killing in th book, the feeling prevails throughout. This is a
Show More
very hard edged book and very blunt...Wards use of words, and tone are poetic and add so much to this look at the deep Black South of Mississippi.Issues of mixed relationships, drug abuse, violence, struggle are essential for us to understand and important themes in this wonderfully deep novel. It is so important for us to relate to others and respect them as people, so we can bring heart and humanity back to this country... This book is not for the weak....
I felt a real compassion and connection to JoJo, one of the main characters. A child born to a black mother, Leonie who was a meth user and a white father, Michael who spent a lot of time incarcerated, he was not acknowledged or accepted by his Grandfather....Jojo must learn from the violence and despair that surround him and learn the lessons of life, respect and survival mostly on his own....
This is not an easy book to read, but it is essential, esp in this climate of hostility and hatred so many are feeding into and becoming a part of.
An excellent book and recommended highly esp to those interested in the class and race struggle, and the human fight for acceptance, dignity, respect and change.
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LibraryThing member nbmars
This is a book you need to digest for a while after you read it. It has some elements of magical realism that may or may not be metaphorical, and the story it tells is so complexly layered that it is sometimes hard to decipher. But it is worth the journey.
The story takes place on the Gulf Coast of
Leonie is a young African-American drug-addicted mother with two children, Jojo (age 13) and his sister Kayla (3). Leonie mostly leaves the kids in the care of her own parents, Mam and Pop. Mam is dying of cancer, so Pop and Jojo carry most of the load of running the house and raising Kayla. The story is narrated in turn from multiple perspectives.
Parchman State Penitentiary is a character in this story also. Pop was sent there for five years when he was fifteen, and the trauma he experienced there has haunted him ever since. Leonie’s white boyfriend Michael (who is also the father of her two children) is in Parchman as the story begins, but is about to be released.
[In real life, Parchman had been notorious for many years for being run like a slave plantation, with inmates suffering murders, rapes, beatings and other abuses. In 1972, four Parchman inmates brought a suit against the prison superintendent in federal district court alleging their civil rights under the United States Constitution were being violated by the infliction of cruel and unusual punishment. The federal judge found for the plaintiffs, and reforms were subsequently instituted. But reports of abuses and corruption have continued to plague the prison, albeit across the color line now. As Michael wrote to Leonie: “This ain’t no place for no man. Black or White. Don’t make no difference. This is a place for the dead.”]
Leonie insists the kids ride with her to Parchman to pick up their father. She also brings along her white friend Misty, a fellow drug-addict who also has a boyfriend in Parchman. (Misty’s boyfriend is black, and “this loving across color lines was one of the reasons we became friends so quickly.”) Misty is Leonie’s only friend.
When Leonie is high, she sees her dead older brother Given, who was killed fifteen years ago by Michael’s racist cousin. In fact, Michael’s whole family consists of rabid racists, and his parents won’t even acknowledge their half-black grandchildren.
Leonie can only see the dead with drugs, but Jojo and Kayla have the “gift” of hearing voices and seeing the dead at any time. Jojo is a bit worried that when Mam dies he will see her as a ghost. She tells Jojo she thinks not; rather, she will be “on the other side of the door. With everybody else that’s gone before.”
But Jojo has reason to worry about being surrounded by ghosts; he is now being followed around by a ghost named Richie, who came back with them from Parchman. Richie was only 12 when he was in prison there, at the same time that Pop (whose name is River) was there. Pop has told Jojo stories about Richie, but never about what happened to him and how he died. Richie asks Jojo to find out from River, because River can’t hear him like Jojo can. Richie explains he needs to know how he died; he thinks if he does, he will hear the song that will free him from this half-way existence and let him move on to the afterlife. [Is the song one of love for those who died? A promise of justice or of change in the South? It’s unclear to me.]
And Richie is not alone in his situation. “‘There’s so many,’ Richie says. . . ‘So many of us..’ ‘Stuck. So many crying loose. Lost.’” The stuck ones are those that suffered unjustly and died violently; those who were lynched, tortured, murdered - they are all waiting, in sorrow and pain, to hear the song to send them on.
Whether Jojo can help him find the song drives the narrative, as do the ties of family and love that can see us through the worst of times.
Evaluation: Even though some of the characters act badly, most of them elicit sympathy. Others, like Michael’s extended family, are horrific, but they are not portrayed unrealistically; unfortunately, virulent racism like theirs still exists.
This story is haunting in two senses. One is its inclusion of ghosts, although this is definitely not a “paranormal” story; they can be seen as narrative devices, and/or as metaphors. The other is that the story and characters and what they endured will stay in your mind long after you finish reading.
This book raises some thorny issues that would make it an excellent choice for book clubs.
The story takes place on the Gulf Coast of
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Mississippi, where the bloody ghosts of its Jim Crow racist past are never hidden far below the surface. Leonie is a young African-American drug-addicted mother with two children, Jojo (age 13) and his sister Kayla (3). Leonie mostly leaves the kids in the care of her own parents, Mam and Pop. Mam is dying of cancer, so Pop and Jojo carry most of the load of running the house and raising Kayla. The story is narrated in turn from multiple perspectives.
Parchman State Penitentiary is a character in this story also. Pop was sent there for five years when he was fifteen, and the trauma he experienced there has haunted him ever since. Leonie’s white boyfriend Michael (who is also the father of her two children) is in Parchman as the story begins, but is about to be released.
[In real life, Parchman had been notorious for many years for being run like a slave plantation, with inmates suffering murders, rapes, beatings and other abuses. In 1972, four Parchman inmates brought a suit against the prison superintendent in federal district court alleging their civil rights under the United States Constitution were being violated by the infliction of cruel and unusual punishment. The federal judge found for the plaintiffs, and reforms were subsequently instituted. But reports of abuses and corruption have continued to plague the prison, albeit across the color line now. As Michael wrote to Leonie: “This ain’t no place for no man. Black or White. Don’t make no difference. This is a place for the dead.”]
Leonie insists the kids ride with her to Parchman to pick up their father. She also brings along her white friend Misty, a fellow drug-addict who also has a boyfriend in Parchman. (Misty’s boyfriend is black, and “this loving across color lines was one of the reasons we became friends so quickly.”) Misty is Leonie’s only friend.
When Leonie is high, she sees her dead older brother Given, who was killed fifteen years ago by Michael’s racist cousin. In fact, Michael’s whole family consists of rabid racists, and his parents won’t even acknowledge their half-black grandchildren.
Leonie can only see the dead with drugs, but Jojo and Kayla have the “gift” of hearing voices and seeing the dead at any time. Jojo is a bit worried that when Mam dies he will see her as a ghost. She tells Jojo she thinks not; rather, she will be “on the other side of the door. With everybody else that’s gone before.”
But Jojo has reason to worry about being surrounded by ghosts; he is now being followed around by a ghost named Richie, who came back with them from Parchman. Richie was only 12 when he was in prison there, at the same time that Pop (whose name is River) was there. Pop has told Jojo stories about Richie, but never about what happened to him and how he died. Richie asks Jojo to find out from River, because River can’t hear him like Jojo can. Richie explains he needs to know how he died; he thinks if he does, he will hear the song that will free him from this half-way existence and let him move on to the afterlife. [Is the song one of love for those who died? A promise of justice or of change in the South? It’s unclear to me.]
And Richie is not alone in his situation. “‘There’s so many,’ Richie says. . . ‘So many of us..’ ‘Stuck. So many crying loose. Lost.’” The stuck ones are those that suffered unjustly and died violently; those who were lynched, tortured, murdered - they are all waiting, in sorrow and pain, to hear the song to send them on.
Whether Jojo can help him find the song drives the narrative, as do the ties of family and love that can see us through the worst of times.
Evaluation: Even though some of the characters act badly, most of them elicit sympathy. Others, like Michael’s extended family, are horrific, but they are not portrayed unrealistically; unfortunately, virulent racism like theirs still exists.
This story is haunting in two senses. One is its inclusion of ghosts, although this is definitely not a “paranormal” story; they can be seen as narrative devices, and/or as metaphors. The other is that the story and characters and what they endured will stay in your mind long after you finish reading.
This book raises some thorny issues that would make it an excellent choice for book clubs.
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LibraryThing member doryfish
Haunting. Jesmyn Ward has been described as the heir to Toni Morrison, and she absolutely deserves that title. She relentlessly depicts the effects of poverty, racism, and drugs in the deep South. But while Salvage the Bones shows the strength of family ties, Sing, Unburied, Sing heartbreakingly
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shows their limitations. This is a devastating story that I will be thinking about for a long time. Show Less
LibraryThing member thelibraryladies
Every once in awhile, a book comes along that just blows me the hell away. One that feels like an elevated experience just reading it, pouring over it, immersing oneself in it. “Sing, Unburied, Sing” by Jesmyn Ward did that for me, and I am still staggered by how fantastic it was. I’ve come
The first thing that I must mention is the characters and characterization in this novel. We follow a couple main perspectives. The first is Jojo, a thirteen year old boy who has been raised mostly by his grandparents (Mam and Pop), as his mother is addicted to drugs and his father is in prison. He has also taken on the caregiver role to his little sister Kayla, wanting to keep her safe from the ills of the world. Mam is very ill with cancer, and Pop tells Jojo stories from the past in hopes that Jojo can learn from them. The second is Leonie, Jojo and Kayla’s mother. Her boyfriend Michael is getting out of prison soon, and her all encompassing love for him blinds her to most other things. Her drug addiction is fueled in part by the fact that she sees visions of her dead brother Given while she’s high. The final perspective is from Richie, the ghost of a thirteen year old boy who died at Parchman, the prison Michael is at. Richie knew Pop when he was alive, and he has unfinished business with him. Jojo starts seeing Richie on their travels, as Richie knows that there’s a connection there. All of these characters are well rounded and explored, and I got a feel for every one of them (as well as a number of the other characters like Mam and Pop). I understood the motivations of each of them. I was especially moved by Leonie, as while she makes terrible and selfish decisions when it comes to her children, I completely understood why she made those choices, and how factors both within her control and outside of it have made her into the person that she is.
The themes of this book also blew me away. For one, I’m a huge sucker for a ghost story, and this one has the feel of a Southern Gothic novel with the isolation and wide open spaces that still feel claustrophobic. But Ward brings in other ghosts that haunt this country and our culture, as the setting and characters are still plagued by the racism that has so infected this country. From the remnants of Jim Crow laws to the consequences of the War on Drugs to police brutality and violence, the journey that this family takes, physical and emotional, always has the specter of racism hanging over it. Ward doesn’t offer any solutions or answers or happy endings of conclusions to this, and all you can hope for is that this family will continue to survive in face of explicit (Michael’s family) and implicit racism that surrounds them. It’s really the perfect use of a ghost story, as the all too true horrors of our racist culture and society still haunt us, as much as we may hate to acknowledge it.
And the writing is just beautiful. Ward has a serious talent for creating a story and an imagery that leaps and flows in the pages of this book. I felt like I could see everything that was happening in my mind’s eye, and I was so engrossed I devoured this book in a day’s time. Ward is an author who is being called a ‘modern Faulkner’ by a number of people, and while I understand the sentiment (examinations of the American South are a commonality between the two), I think that she easily stands in a league of her own. This book is exactly why, and I urge everyone to give it a try and see why, because nothing I write here will be able to do it justice.
“Sing, Unburied, Sing” is one of the best books I’ve read this year, no question. Please please please go read it and see for yourselves.
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to expect nothing less from Jesmyn Ward, one of the best writers out there today, bar none. I’ve read two of her other books, both of which are transcendent and incredibly emotional. The first is the novel “Salvage the Bones”, a story about a rural and poor African American family living in Mississippi as Hurricane Katrina lurches and looms towards them. The other is “Men We Reaped”, a memoir about the numerous black men in Ward’s life who all died far too young, brutal casualties of overt and systemic racism that is all too present in the U.S. When I heard she had a new book coming out, I requested it, and then steeled myself for it as I picked it up.The first thing that I must mention is the characters and characterization in this novel. We follow a couple main perspectives. The first is Jojo, a thirteen year old boy who has been raised mostly by his grandparents (Mam and Pop), as his mother is addicted to drugs and his father is in prison. He has also taken on the caregiver role to his little sister Kayla, wanting to keep her safe from the ills of the world. Mam is very ill with cancer, and Pop tells Jojo stories from the past in hopes that Jojo can learn from them. The second is Leonie, Jojo and Kayla’s mother. Her boyfriend Michael is getting out of prison soon, and her all encompassing love for him blinds her to most other things. Her drug addiction is fueled in part by the fact that she sees visions of her dead brother Given while she’s high. The final perspective is from Richie, the ghost of a thirteen year old boy who died at Parchman, the prison Michael is at. Richie knew Pop when he was alive, and he has unfinished business with him. Jojo starts seeing Richie on their travels, as Richie knows that there’s a connection there. All of these characters are well rounded and explored, and I got a feel for every one of them (as well as a number of the other characters like Mam and Pop). I understood the motivations of each of them. I was especially moved by Leonie, as while she makes terrible and selfish decisions when it comes to her children, I completely understood why she made those choices, and how factors both within her control and outside of it have made her into the person that she is.
The themes of this book also blew me away. For one, I’m a huge sucker for a ghost story, and this one has the feel of a Southern Gothic novel with the isolation and wide open spaces that still feel claustrophobic. But Ward brings in other ghosts that haunt this country and our culture, as the setting and characters are still plagued by the racism that has so infected this country. From the remnants of Jim Crow laws to the consequences of the War on Drugs to police brutality and violence, the journey that this family takes, physical and emotional, always has the specter of racism hanging over it. Ward doesn’t offer any solutions or answers or happy endings of conclusions to this, and all you can hope for is that this family will continue to survive in face of explicit (Michael’s family) and implicit racism that surrounds them. It’s really the perfect use of a ghost story, as the all too true horrors of our racist culture and society still haunt us, as much as we may hate to acknowledge it.
And the writing is just beautiful. Ward has a serious talent for creating a story and an imagery that leaps and flows in the pages of this book. I felt like I could see everything that was happening in my mind’s eye, and I was so engrossed I devoured this book in a day’s time. Ward is an author who is being called a ‘modern Faulkner’ by a number of people, and while I understand the sentiment (examinations of the American South are a commonality between the two), I think that she easily stands in a league of her own. This book is exactly why, and I urge everyone to give it a try and see why, because nothing I write here will be able to do it justice.
“Sing, Unburied, Sing” is one of the best books I’ve read this year, no question. Please please please go read it and see for yourselves.
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LibraryThing member Faradaydon
After the sheer brilliance of Salvage the Bones, this work is unfortunately a big disappointment
LibraryThing member annbury
This strange, sad, beautiful novel grabs hold of the reader's emotions from the get-go, and holds on until the end. It is the story of a beleaguered family in southern Mississippi; 13-year old Jojo and toddler Kayla are the children of Leonie (African American) and Michael (white), but depend upon
If it sounds as if there is a lot going on. There is, but the narrative flows smoothly and compellingly; this is one book where a plot summary does not represent the novel. What I found remarkable was how Ward makes these troubled people into rounded characters with whom one can empathize. More broadly, the horrors of racism and its consequences are vividly brought to life: the book is hard to read in places, because what is described is so horrible. The writing is beautiful and at times poetic. It took my a while to get used to the shifts in diction, but in time, like the complex plot, the language all worked together. A wonderful book. Along with many awards, it's been chosen as the first month's choice in a new book club started by the New York Times and PBS. The book will be discussed with Ms. Ward on air late this month, and I certainly plan to listen.
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Leonie's parents Pop and Mam (who is dying of cancer) for love, sustenance, and what order there is in their lives. Leonie is an addict, and cannot express her love for her children or care for them properly. Michael is in Parchman prison in northern Mississippi. He is due for release, and Leonie drives up to pick him up, bringing the children with her on a road trip from hell. When they finally get home, it is to find Mam at death's door, and Michael's family (still) alienated from their son and his wife. Things proceed from there, and the homecoming is even harder than the roadtrip. Meanwhile, Ward introduces two ghosts, Leonie's brother Given (killed by a cousin of Michael), and Richie, who was in Parchman prison with Pop many years ago.If it sounds as if there is a lot going on. There is, but the narrative flows smoothly and compellingly; this is one book where a plot summary does not represent the novel. What I found remarkable was how Ward makes these troubled people into rounded characters with whom one can empathize. More broadly, the horrors of racism and its consequences are vividly brought to life: the book is hard to read in places, because what is described is so horrible. The writing is beautiful and at times poetic. It took my a while to get used to the shifts in diction, but in time, like the complex plot, the language all worked together. A wonderful book. Along with many awards, it's been chosen as the first month's choice in a new book club started by the New York Times and PBS. The book will be discussed with Ms. Ward on air late this month, and I certainly plan to listen.
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LibraryThing member jwhenderson
This was my first foray into the literary world of Jesmyn Ward. Her first novel, Salvage the Bones, won the National Book Award. So I had high expectations for Sing, Unburied, Sing, her second novel. I was not disappointed. In this novel she demonstrates her skills as a unique American writer by
Ward succeeds in this by sharing the story of the members of an extended family that includes thirteen-year-old Jojo and his toddler sister, Kayla, who live with their grandparents, Mam and Pop. Added to these family members is the occasional presence of their drug-addicted mother, Leonie, on a farm on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Leonie is simultaneously tormented and comforted by visions of her dead brother, which only come to her when she's high; Mam is dying of cancer; and quiet, steady Pop tries to run the household and teach Jojo how to be a man. When the white father of Leonie's children is released from prison, she packs her kids and a friend into her car and sets out across the state for Parchman farm, the Mississippi State Penitentiary, on a journey rife with danger and promise.
Ward's poetically lyrical writing style is present throughout the novel with the story told primarily from the point of view of Jojo and his mother Leonie. Meanwhile, the ghost of a youth who had been killed while escaping the Parchman Farm, who joins them on their visit there, and who can only be seen and heard by young Jojo, adds to the bleak story a poignancy that is almost breathtaking.
Sing, Unburied, Sing grapples with some of the ugly truths at the heart of the American story and the power, and limitations, of the bonds of family. Rich with Ward's distinctive, musical language, Sing, Unburied, Sing is a wonderful new contribution to the literature of the American South. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel by a relatively new author at the height of her powers.
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bringing the archetypal road novel into rural twenty-first-century America. Drawing on Welty, Morrison, and Faulkner---The Odyssey and the Old Testament, she provides an epochal story, a journey through Mississippi's past and present that is both an intimate portrait of a family and an epic tale of hope and struggle.Ward succeeds in this by sharing the story of the members of an extended family that includes thirteen-year-old Jojo and his toddler sister, Kayla, who live with their grandparents, Mam and Pop. Added to these family members is the occasional presence of their drug-addicted mother, Leonie, on a farm on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Leonie is simultaneously tormented and comforted by visions of her dead brother, which only come to her when she's high; Mam is dying of cancer; and quiet, steady Pop tries to run the household and teach Jojo how to be a man. When the white father of Leonie's children is released from prison, she packs her kids and a friend into her car and sets out across the state for Parchman farm, the Mississippi State Penitentiary, on a journey rife with danger and promise.
Ward's poetically lyrical writing style is present throughout the novel with the story told primarily from the point of view of Jojo and his mother Leonie. Meanwhile, the ghost of a youth who had been killed while escaping the Parchman Farm, who joins them on their visit there, and who can only be seen and heard by young Jojo, adds to the bleak story a poignancy that is almost breathtaking.
Sing, Unburied, Sing grapples with some of the ugly truths at the heart of the American story and the power, and limitations, of the bonds of family. Rich with Ward's distinctive, musical language, Sing, Unburied, Sing is a wonderful new contribution to the literature of the American South. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel by a relatively new author at the height of her powers.
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LibraryThing member arubabookwoman
I loved Jesmyn Ward's first novel, Salvage the Bones, but this one did not work for me, maybe because I do not like "road" novels, and I don't care for ghost stories.
I enjoyed the opening pages. We're in the deep south of Mississippi again with a rural back family. 13 year old Jojo is primarily
Now Michael is about to be released, and has asked Leonie to pick him up. She decides to bring the children, along with a ditzy friend of hers for company. A little drug smuggling is also involved. The trip to and from Parchman constitutes the heart of the novel. The trips seemed to go on forever and ever--how long does it take to drive a couple of hundred miles anyway?
The return trip home is aggravated by the fact that in addition to Michael they've picked up an additional passenger--the ghost of a 12 year old boy who has a connection to Jojo's grandfather. Only Jojo can see him, and must make room for him in the already crowded back seat.
Things become more and more unrealistic and fantastical. We'd already been exposed to another ghost, that of Leonie's older brother, Given, who died as a teenager and who Leonie sees and talks to when she is on drugs. I kind of accepted that in the beginning as a literary device. But the introduction of the 12 year old boy ghost was too much--he was an actual character who sticks around and causes certain things to happen.
One reviewer on Amazon stated my thoughts more clearly than I've put them here: "The portrait of a Mississippi family dealing with racism, poverty, incarceration, and drug addiction is well-drawn, but it's hard to take any of it seriously when there are two separate ghosts that keep popping up (one of whom even gets to narrate a substantial portion of the story)."
2 stars
I enjoyed the opening pages. We're in the deep south of Mississippi again with a rural back family. 13 year old Jojo is primarily
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being raised by his beloved grandparents along with his toddler sister Kayla. Their mother Leonie has a drug problem, too immature and unstable to mother them properly, and she drifts in and out of their life. Their white father Michael is in prison at Parchman.Now Michael is about to be released, and has asked Leonie to pick him up. She decides to bring the children, along with a ditzy friend of hers for company. A little drug smuggling is also involved. The trip to and from Parchman constitutes the heart of the novel. The trips seemed to go on forever and ever--how long does it take to drive a couple of hundred miles anyway?
The return trip home is aggravated by the fact that in addition to Michael they've picked up an additional passenger--the ghost of a 12 year old boy who has a connection to Jojo's grandfather. Only Jojo can see him, and must make room for him in the already crowded back seat.
Things become more and more unrealistic and fantastical. We'd already been exposed to another ghost, that of Leonie's older brother, Given, who died as a teenager and who Leonie sees and talks to when she is on drugs. I kind of accepted that in the beginning as a literary device. But the introduction of the 12 year old boy ghost was too much--he was an actual character who sticks around and causes certain things to happen.
One reviewer on Amazon stated my thoughts more clearly than I've put them here: "The portrait of a Mississippi family dealing with racism, poverty, incarceration, and drug addiction is well-drawn, but it's hard to take any of it seriously when there are two separate ghosts that keep popping up (one of whom even gets to narrate a substantial portion of the story)."
2 stars
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LibraryThing member froxgirl
Another fine novel by Ward, who has surely absorbed all the terror and tragedy, as well as the mournful beauty, of her Mississippi Delta home. In this story, a broken family travels to the notorious Parchman Prison to pick up father Michael, whose racist white parents have never accepted Leonie,
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his girlfriend, and their two children. Leonie and Michael's world is solipsistic and meth-ridden, and young son Jojo has become parent to his baby sister Kayla. Grandparents Pop and Mama provide a strong base of love and a warm home, but Mama is dying and Jojo is haunted by two murdered young men that only he can sense and see. Ward is a natural born story teller and seemingly incapable of writing anything less than stellar or National Book Award-worthy. A must read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Unreachableshelf
A rather quiet family drama.
LibraryThing member debkrenzer
4.5 Stars
This was the second book this week I've read that took place in a backward town that hasn't quite caught up to the 21st Century. And, like the other one, I loved this one.
Jojo is a great character who does a lot of the narrating of his story in this book. He's such a sweet child and the
Leonie is Jojo's mother, when she wants to be. She's a very selfish person, loves meth and will let her kids go days without eating.
During the trip to the prison to pick up Jojo's dad I wanted to crawl into this book and just squeeze the crap out of Leonie's neck. Well, maybe just slap her around a few times and show her some sense. Ha!
A sad, beautiful story that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
Thanks to Scribner and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
This was the second book this week I've read that took place in a backward town that hasn't quite caught up to the 21st Century. And, like the other one, I loved this one.
Jojo is a great character who does a lot of the narrating of his story in this book. He's such a sweet child and the
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responsibilities placed on him at such a young age are horrendous!Leonie is Jojo's mother, when she wants to be. She's a very selfish person, loves meth and will let her kids go days without eating.
During the trip to the prison to pick up Jojo's dad I wanted to crawl into this book and just squeeze the crap out of Leonie's neck. Well, maybe just slap her around a few times and show her some sense. Ha!
A sad, beautiful story that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
Thanks to Scribner and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
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LibraryThing member eLPy
This is the first I've read of Jesmyn Ward's writing and I see why she's been awarded. Wow. I found this book at a local book store - Yeah go brick and mortar and real books (though I do love my Kindle) - on the counter as a featured book. I liked the cover and found the description interesting so
My only issue with the book is that at times the story was a bit slow for my interests - disclaimer: I don't always read in this genre so I am a little more used to fast-paced stories. Sometimes I wanted her to hurry and get to more of what's really happening in the story! That said however I was blown away by her writing and thus the pacing was something I could live with. Mrs. Ward writes with her fingers on the buttons of life. I could see her characters. I could see them acting, thinking, speaking. Their emotions were real, this was a movie of words. She has an uncanny ability to capture true action and movement and bring it to life on the page. The way the toddler moved and behaved was so true to life I couldn't help but be impressed. I fancy myself a writer so it was inspiring and admirable to witness someone so talented in the art of storytelling.
Just as she was true to life and character she wiggles in the supernatural in a way I haven't seen done before and I loved it because it too felt real. The way everything ties in together is satisfying. At the same time not everything gets sewed up in a way you, me, us as readers might like, but isn't that real life? This story is tragic and beautiful and it deserves the praise. If you want to read a good story for its art, its sound, its story and can handle a little slower-pacing then give this a shot. I look forward to reading her other work. Thank you Jesmyn for sharing. ;)
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there you had it. Of course I had to finish another book before I could start this but once I did I didn't want to put it down.My only issue with the book is that at times the story was a bit slow for my interests - disclaimer: I don't always read in this genre so I am a little more used to fast-paced stories. Sometimes I wanted her to hurry and get to more of what's really happening in the story! That said however I was blown away by her writing and thus the pacing was something I could live with. Mrs. Ward writes with her fingers on the buttons of life. I could see her characters. I could see them acting, thinking, speaking. Their emotions were real, this was a movie of words. She has an uncanny ability to capture true action and movement and bring it to life on the page. The way the toddler moved and behaved was so true to life I couldn't help but be impressed. I fancy myself a writer so it was inspiring and admirable to witness someone so talented in the art of storytelling.
Just as she was true to life and character she wiggles in the supernatural in a way I haven't seen done before and I loved it because it too felt real. The way everything ties in together is satisfying. At the same time not everything gets sewed up in a way you, me, us as readers might like, but isn't that real life? This story is tragic and beautiful and it deserves the praise. If you want to read a good story for its art, its sound, its story and can handle a little slower-pacing then give this a shot. I look forward to reading her other work. Thank you Jesmyn for sharing. ;)
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LibraryThing member jmoncton
A beautiful and tragic story of a poor farming family set in rural Mississippi. With lush descriptive prose, you’ll feel the heat, the humidity, and all the devastation and sorrow of this family. Heartbreaking and unforgettable, this story will haunt you long after the last page.
LibraryThing member miss.mesmerized
Leonie would like to be a good mother, but she just is not able to. Luckily her two kids Jojo and the toddler Kayla are mainly raised by her parents, Mam and Pop. But now, Mam is in the stadium of cancer and her days are numbered. Additionally, Michael, the kid’s father, is going to be released
Jesmyn Ward, winner of the 2011 National Book Award for Fiction, portrays in “Sing, Unburied, Sing” a family at the point of collapsing. Her description of Leonie, the mother who just isn’t a mother, is heart-breaking and upsetting. At times, you just want to slap her and shout at her to take care of her children and of herself. To forget about the good-for-nothing father of her children and his racist family. Her twelve-year-old son not only has to parent the toddler, but also throughout the story seems to be much more mature than his mother and remarkably more reasonable and wiser. The only solace when it comes to the kids is the fact that their grand-parents are fond of them and raise them with tenderness and affection. It is hard to read about such a mother, but, on the other hand, it seems to be very realistic. These women who always dream of a better life with the man they love and ignore the painful reality do exist, if we like it or not.
Apart from the outstanding character-painting, Ward’ novel plays with the supernatural. Yet, it is not that unbelievable fictitious creation of fantasy, much more does she derive her idea from some kind of pagan or religious belief in forces beyond our recognition that only the specially gifted can see or hear. Within the family, the blood of the super sensitive seems to run since Mam, Leonie and the kids can obviously communicate with those in the world between the living and the dead. Narrated like this, this seems to be a bit strange and unrealistic, the author, however, integrates this idea in a remarkable way which makes you accept it as a normal part of life and genuine fact.
All in all, a novel which can persuade with the strong characters and a poetic style of writing which affects you deeply.
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from prison after three years behind the bars. Leonie is still in love with he, even though Michael’s family hates her, especially his father does not want the black woman in a white man’s house. And not to forget, it was Michael’s family who is responsible for Leonie’s brother’s death. Nevertheless, Leonie takes her kids and her best friend to make a trip to collect Michael. Jojo would prefer to stay with his Mam and Pop, but he is too young to defy his mother. And he has a task to accomplish which can only be done by someone who can listen.Jesmyn Ward, winner of the 2011 National Book Award for Fiction, portrays in “Sing, Unburied, Sing” a family at the point of collapsing. Her description of Leonie, the mother who just isn’t a mother, is heart-breaking and upsetting. At times, you just want to slap her and shout at her to take care of her children and of herself. To forget about the good-for-nothing father of her children and his racist family. Her twelve-year-old son not only has to parent the toddler, but also throughout the story seems to be much more mature than his mother and remarkably more reasonable and wiser. The only solace when it comes to the kids is the fact that their grand-parents are fond of them and raise them with tenderness and affection. It is hard to read about such a mother, but, on the other hand, it seems to be very realistic. These women who always dream of a better life with the man they love and ignore the painful reality do exist, if we like it or not.
Apart from the outstanding character-painting, Ward’ novel plays with the supernatural. Yet, it is not that unbelievable fictitious creation of fantasy, much more does she derive her idea from some kind of pagan or religious belief in forces beyond our recognition that only the specially gifted can see or hear. Within the family, the blood of the super sensitive seems to run since Mam, Leonie and the kids can obviously communicate with those in the world between the living and the dead. Narrated like this, this seems to be a bit strange and unrealistic, the author, however, integrates this idea in a remarkable way which makes you accept it as a normal part of life and genuine fact.
All in all, a novel which can persuade with the strong characters and a poetic style of writing which affects you deeply.
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LibraryThing member Beamis12
4.5 If you have read this author before, you pretty much know to expect a grittiness, a no holds barred reality, and that is exactly what happens in this novel. Poverty, racism, a belief in the other world to make things bearable, healing with herbs and incantations, drugs, and in this book
These characters carry the ghosts of past injustices, things seen, experienced, especially River, who is Pop, a horrific event he had to carry out when he was in prison as a young man. The marks of injustice, are made real by the appearance of actual ghosts, spirits who cannot rest, who only want to return home. Leonie sees the ghost of her murdered brother, and JoJo and Kayla are able to see and communicate with them all.
While this tale is often grim and sad, it is also a tale about love. Without the love shown by Mam and Pop, JoJo would not be the special person he turns out to be, and Kayla would be without the heartwarming love her brother bestows, a beautiful closeness between siblings. Leonie loves her children, but is incapable of putting them first, turning to drugs to eleviate her sadness. The ghosts want to feel love, to find a home. Reading this author is to become immersed in the reality she is creating, but it is a harsh reality and as special as it is to read one of her novels, I am always relived to return to my own life. Maybe a little more compassionate, a little more understanding, a little more appreciative of what I do have. Her books definitely leave an indelible mark.
Another wonderful buddy read with Angela and Esil. Love discussing our thoughts as we are reading.
ARC from publishe
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spirits, ghosts. Mam and Pop are amazing characters who provide love and support to their two mixed race grandchildren, JoJo and Kayla. The children's parents Leone and Michael, both hooked on drugs, Michael in prison, are unable, unfit to care for their own children. The ill fated road trip undertaken was very hard to read, but provides us with a good understanding of exactly how unfit they are, where their priorities lie.These characters carry the ghosts of past injustices, things seen, experienced, especially River, who is Pop, a horrific event he had to carry out when he was in prison as a young man. The marks of injustice, are made real by the appearance of actual ghosts, spirits who cannot rest, who only want to return home. Leonie sees the ghost of her murdered brother, and JoJo and Kayla are able to see and communicate with them all.
While this tale is often grim and sad, it is also a tale about love. Without the love shown by Mam and Pop, JoJo would not be the special person he turns out to be, and Kayla would be without the heartwarming love her brother bestows, a beautiful closeness between siblings. Leonie loves her children, but is incapable of putting them first, turning to drugs to eleviate her sadness. The ghosts want to feel love, to find a home. Reading this author is to become immersed in the reality she is creating, but it is a harsh reality and as special as it is to read one of her novels, I am always relived to return to my own life. Maybe a little more compassionate, a little more understanding, a little more appreciative of what I do have. Her books definitely leave an indelible mark.
Another wonderful buddy read with Angela and Esil. Love discussing our thoughts as we are reading.
ARC from publishe
Show Less
Subjects
Awards
National Book Award (Finalist — Fiction — 2017)
Women's Prize for Fiction (Longlist — 2018)
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2019)
Kirkus Prize (Finalist — Fiction — 2017)
LA Times Book Prize (Finalist — Fiction — 2017)
National Book Critics Circle Award (Finalist — 2017)
The Morning News Tournament of Books (Quarterfinalist — 2018)
Indies Choice Book Award (Winner — Adult Fiction — 2018)
Aspen Words Literary Prize (Longlist — 2018)
Dayton Literary Peace Prize (Shortlist — 2018)
PEN/Faulkner Award (Finalist — 2018)
Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction (Finalist — Fiction — 2018)
Anisfield-Wolf Book Award (Fiction — 2018)
Reading Women Award (Shortlist — Fiction — 2017)
Hurston/Wright Legacy Award (Nominee — Fiction — 2018)
BCALA Literary Awards (Honor — 2018)
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work (Nominee — Fiction — 2018)
Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award (Winner — 2019)
NPR: Books We Love (2017)
Boston Globe Best Book (Fiction — 2017)
The New York Times Notable Books of the Year (Fiction & Poetry — 2017)
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year (Fiction — 2017)
Christian Science Monitor Best Book (Fiction — 2017)
Notable Books List (Fiction — 2018)
Time Magazine's Best Books of the Year (Fiction — 2017)
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Fiction — 2017)
Lariat Adult Fiction Reading List (Selection — 2019)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — 2017)