A review by deedireads
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers

challenging emotional sad slow-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

5.0

All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.

TL;DR REVIEW:

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois is a true feat. This one feels like a new great American novel, sweeping and forceful. I loved all 800 pages, and I expect it to win many awards.

For you if: You like multigenerational family novels and/or historical fiction.

FULL REVIEW:

“We are the earth, the land. The tongue that speaks and trips on the names of the dead as it dares to tell these stories of a woman’s line.”


Please allow me to add my voice to the throng of people who are insisting that you get a copy of this book and read it. It’s a sweeping, epic 800 pages honoring Black and Indigenous women throughout American history, and I believe those calling it the next great American novel are on the nose.

The main character of the novel is Ailey Pearl Garfield; it starts when she’s a young child and follows her until she’s in her mid-30s. But it’s about so much more — so many more — than just her. Throughout the novel, we get “song” chapters told in a collective ancestral voice. They tell the story of Ailey’s ancestors, starting with the Muscogee Creek people who originally lived on land that’s now Georgia, then enslaved people, then tenant farmers, to today. We also get sections dedicated to Ailey’s mother and sister. The breadth and depth of the novel is absolutely incredible, and I feel like I came to know all these people so intimately. The focus, throughout, is on the women; those who faced it all and endured.

It’s not always an easy read, nor would I expect it to be. There’s a lot of trauma — both generational and personal — and I encourage you to check trigger warnings. My heart broke for all of these characters; I encourage you to seek out reviews by Black and Indigenous readers for more on the impact and weight of the reading experience.

Could this book have been shorter? Well, probably, but I’m glad it wasn’t. I love books that dive so intimately into all of its characters that you feel you really know them. Even though it was 800 pages, I feel like it could have gone on forever. In fact, I caught myself musing about what would happen next after I’d already finished it, and had to remind myself there was no more!

Finally, I read large swaths of this one via audiobook, and the narration was beautifully done. While the prose is beautiful and transportive, it’s also strong and self-assured enough to translate all of its power when spoken aloud — in keeping with the style and talent of Black storytellers throughout history.

I encourage you to read this one — whether you make your way through it quickly or a bit at a time over a long time, it will be worth it.
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