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mbuckley92 's review for:
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
An epic novel about generations of families that lived on the same plot of land in rural George. Framed through the lens of W.E.B. Du Bois quotes, Love Songs describes the generational oppression of Creek Nation Native Americans, enslaved Africans, post-reconstruction sharecroppers and tenant farmers, and modern day Blacks. How the lives of the oppressed and oppressors are entwined. Lives woven together beginning with the marriages between Creek Indians, white people and free blacks and through to the modern day when the main character, Ailey, uncovers a more complete family history.
Right away, in the first paragraph, we know this is a book about women: "The tongue...dares to tell these stories of a woman's line." The trauma of women that endure the pain felt by men that is carried down generations. The struggles of women who don't have agency or are trying to find it. Ultimately, the women survive, prevail and continue the journey to define who they are.
In the last chapter, Ailey's mentor Dr.Oludara preaches "the Negro woman is the best our race has to offer." The Love Song of W.E.B Du Bois is a tribute to the black woman.
Side note: I read this on a Kindle and would suggest a hard copy. There are a lot of characters to keep track of (they have a family tree at the beginning) and it would have been easier to flip back to pages, than search on my kindle for names.
Right away, in the first paragraph, we know this is a book about women: "The tongue...dares to tell these stories of a woman's line." The trauma of women that endure the pain felt by men that is carried down generations. The struggles of women who don't have agency or are trying to find it. Ultimately, the women survive, prevail and continue the journey to define who they are.
In the last chapter, Ailey's mentor Dr.Oludara preaches "the Negro woman is the best our race has to offer." The Love Song of W.E.B Du Bois is a tribute to the black woman.
Side note: I read this on a Kindle and would suggest a hard copy. There are a lot of characters to keep track of (they have a family tree at the beginning) and it would have been easier to flip back to pages, than search on my kindle for names.