A review by emmalong
The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.

5.0

This is one of the most painful, yet beautiful books I have read. All of the comparisons to preceding authors are extremely justified. I think Jones's writing is unlike what I am used to, but it is incredibly beautiful, lyrical, and thought-provoking. Slavery was taught to me, as a white person in a predominantly white high school with white teachers, as a blip in time. There were "nice" masters, understanding white people, and visible changes for the lives of black people once slavery was abolished. This novel allowed a deeper dive into this time period, revealing all that was veiled to me in my younger life. Reading stories about slavery hurts every time, but it is necessary for white people to understand the true scope of what the ancestors of black people in America experienced; and it overall provides a lot of basis for the anger and disappointment in today's world. On the other hand, each person who is enslaved in this novel is so deeply lovable, presented with this disgusting and undeserved hardship and yet their relationships are so indelible. I sincerely cannot recommend this book enough, I think it will become a classic similar to the works of Baldwin and Morrison.