The Book of Night Women
From the author of the National Book Award finalist Black Leopard, Red Wolf and the WINNER of the 2015 Man Booker Prize for A Brief History of Seven Killings
"An undeniable success.” — The New York Times Book Review
A true triumph of voice and storytelling, The Book of Night Women rings with both profound authenticity and a distinctly contemporary energy. It is the story of Lilith, born into slavery on a Jamaican sugar plantation at the end of the eighteenth century. Even at her birth, the slave women around her recognize a dark power that they- and she-will come to both revere and fear. The Night Women, as they call themselves, have long been plotting a slave revolt, and as Lilith comes of age they see her as the key to their plans. But when she begins to understand her own feelings, desires, and identity, Lilith starts to push at the edges of what is imaginable for the life of a slave woman, and risks becoming the conspiracy's weak link. But the real revelation of the book-the secret to the stirring imagery and insistent prose-is Marlon James himself, a young writer at once breathtakingly daring and wholly in command of his craft.
"An undeniable success.” — The New York Times Book Review
A true triumph of voice and storytelling, The Book of Night Women rings with both profound authenticity and a distinctly contemporary energy. It is the story of Lilith, born into slavery on a Jamaican sugar plantation at the end of the eighteenth century. Even at her birth, the slave women around her recognize a dark power that they- and she-will come to both revere and fear. The Night Women, as they call themselves, have long been plotting a slave revolt, and as Lilith comes of age they see her as the key to their plans. But when she begins to understand her own feelings, desires, and identity, Lilith starts to push at the edges of what is imaginable for the life of a slave woman, and risks becoming the conspiracy's weak link. But the real revelation of the book-the secret to the stirring imagery and insistent prose-is Marlon James himself, a young writer at once breathtakingly daring and wholly in command of his craft.
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Community Reviews
The Book of Night Women is not an easy read, emotionally, thematically, or linguistically, but it is a necessary one.
This is a novel that asks a lot of the reader. The subject matter is heavy and unflinching, and it doesn’t soften its edges for comfort. There were moments I had to put the book down, not because it wasn’t compelling, but because it was doing exactly what it intended to do.
The language took some time to settle into. The cadence, the voice, the rhythm, once it clicked, it became incredibly powerful, but the adjustment period is real. When it does land, though, it lands hard.
What struck me most is how much lives in the spaces between the words: power, survival, resistance, silence, and rage. This isn’t a book that tells you how to feel, it trusts you to sit with the discomfort and draw your own conclusions.
Also… a small but real note: I put this on hold at the library assuming I’d have weeks (as usual).
Nope.
It showed up almost immediately, which somehow felt fitting, like the book insisting it was time.
This is a challenging read, but one that stays with you. I’m really looking forward to talking it through together, because this feels like a book that needs conversation around it.
This was so brilliantly written. Do not start this if you are looking for a light-hearted read, however. Set in eighteenth century Jamaica in a time of unrest and rebellion amongst slaves on the sugar cane plantations, Marlon James does skimp on details. Life was simply horrendous for those pour souls, snatched from their lives in Africa and shipped across to Jamaica in their thousands. Violence, strong language and shocking levels of physical and psychological abuse feature heavily as the reader follows the lives of the key players in a secret, brewing rebellion on the Montpelier Plantation. James has written the whole novel in Jamaican Patois which I really loved. It was hard going to begin with but, once my brain had adjusted, it really amplified the experience. This was an incredibly powerful and eye-opening read and I learned a lot about the history of slavery. I will definitely plan of reading more by Marlon James in the future.
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