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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
challenging
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I recently read Jesmyn Ward’s Let Us Descend, a reimagining of slavery that follows an enslaved woman sold by the man who fathered her. The narrative carries us from the Carolinas to the New Orleans slave market and finally to a sugar plantation in Louisiana, offering a clear and impactful look at the realities of slavery.
The story centers on a woman whose life is shaped by the oppressive system of slavery. Ward tells her story with unflinching honesty, revealing the harsh conditions of the time and the personal toll of exploitation. The focus remains on the lived experience of enslavement and the tough choices imposed on her.
Ward’s straightforward writing style captures the events of the past with clarity. The book explores themes of control, survival, and the lasting impact of slavery on individuals. While it presents the facts without embellishment, it also invites us to reflect on resilience in the face of profound hardship.
*Let Us Descend* is a compelling choice for book clubs interested in discussing history and the human spirit. It not only sheds light on a difficult chapter of the past but also sparks meaningful conversations about resilience and human rights.
The story centers on a woman whose life is shaped by the oppressive system of slavery. Ward tells her story with unflinching honesty, revealing the harsh conditions of the time and the personal toll of exploitation. The focus remains on the lived experience of enslavement and the tough choices imposed on her.
Ward’s straightforward writing style captures the events of the past with clarity. The book explores themes of control, survival, and the lasting impact of slavery on individuals. While it presents the facts without embellishment, it also invites us to reflect on resilience in the face of profound hardship.
*Let Us Descend* is a compelling choice for book clubs interested in discussing history and the human spirit. It not only sheds light on a difficult chapter of the past but also sparks meaningful conversations about resilience and human rights.
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I listened to it. It was poetically written. The brutality was calmly and effectively delivered.
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
4.5 - 5 / 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟— A powerfully important contribution to American South contemporary literature, Jesmyn Ward’s “Let Us Descend” is a triumph that deserves to be part of the new canon. Ward brings to life the dark history of enslavement in the U.S.A. in ways reminiscent of both Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs while utilizing her own signature lyricism to cast all details anew. Her poetic styling renders an offering with such memorable dimension additions, giving faces to the protagonist’s spiritual forces, human connections, and nature encounters — all of which lively permeate her journey. Adding to the complexity, Ward impeccably weaves throughout how each of these aforementioned dimensions are all wrestling to claim place, power, autonomy, love, and home.
Jesmyn Ward surely invites us to step into the murks of enslavement and all it entailed, but she also leaves on a light — for us, for the female protagonist Annis — knowing the wind, the earth, the water will always find us and that there will always be friends of some kind amidst the journey or pain. This read will stick with me for some time.
After reading, I also recommend going back and reading the following article that walks through what the author herself was battling in terms of grief and writing whilst striving to bring to life this novel at all. This book isn’t just a triumph for literature; it was also a huge win for her personally, making it all the more meaningful: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/oct/21/novelist-jesmyn-ward-losing-my-partner-almost-made-me-stop-writing .
Jesmyn Ward surely invites us to step into the murks of enslavement and all it entailed, but she also leaves on a light — for us, for the female protagonist Annis — knowing the wind, the earth, the water will always find us and that there will always be friends of some kind amidst the journey or pain. This read will stick with me for some time.
After reading, I also recommend going back and reading the following article that walks through what the author herself was battling in terms of grief and writing whilst striving to bring to life this novel at all. This book isn’t just a triumph for literature; it was also a huge win for her personally, making it all the more meaningful: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/oct/21/novelist-jesmyn-ward-losing-my-partner-almost-made-me-stop-writing .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Sexual harassment
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Heart wrenching and beautiful