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The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
- Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo, Karen Chilton, Prentice Onayemi
- Length: 29 hrs and 48 mins
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The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
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Summary
A TOP TEN NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
AN OPRAH BOOK CLUB PICK
A WASHINGTON POST BEST AUDIOBOOK OF 2021
A GLAMOUR BEST AUDIOBOOK OF 2021
AN AUDIOFILE BEST AUDIOBOOK OF 2021
Immerse yourself in a celebration of Black womanhood and an epic tale of the stories that span generations.
Ailey Pearl Garfield grows up between the City in the north and summers spent in her mother’s small hometown of Chicasetta, Georgia. From an early age, she finds herself in a battle for belonging that’s made all the more difficult by a hurt in her past, as well as the whispers of women—her mother, Belle, her sister, Lydia, and a maternal line reaching back two centuries—that urge Ailey to succeed in their stead.
To come to terms with her identity, Ailey embarks on a journey through her family’s past, uncovering the shocking tales of generations of ancestors—Indigenous, Black, and white—in the deep South. In doing so Ailey must learn to embrace her full heritage, a legacy of oppression and resistance, bondage and independence, cruelty and resilience that is the story—and the song—of America itself.
‘Mesmerising… magnificent’ Independent
‘Astonishing… A great work infused with love and honesty’ Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple
‘Gripping, gorgeous. A sweeping family saga that is also history at its most intimate and vital’ Stef Penney, author of The Tenderness of Wolves
LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION • SHORTLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE • LONGLISTED FOR THE ASPEN LITERARY PRIZE
New York Times 10 Best Books of the Year • Time 10 Best Books of the Year • Washington Post 10 Best Books of the Year • People 10 Best Books of the Year • Booklist 10 Best First Novels of the Year
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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Critic reviews
‘Prepare to be wholly engrossed… Phenomenal’ Observer
‘Utterly essential’ iNews
‘Intimate, considered, beautifully written and perceived, ambitious and ultimately satisfying. Outstanding’ Daily Mail
‘Astonishing… I lived in this novel for three weeks. It is long. It is a journey. It is something so remarkable I’m not sure we collectively ever even dreamed it.’ Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple
‘Beautifully, and traumatically, weaves a spell of a story about more than ten generations of an American family―indigenous, African and European… Remarkable’ Afua Hirsch, author of Brit(ish)
‘Breath-taking … A book I urge everyone to read. It is deeply moving and deeply informative. It is magnificent’ Sarah Winman, author of Still Life
‘Exceptional in the way it engages so deeply and emphatically with history’ Guardian
‘Epic and intimate… an extraordinary achievement’ The Spectator
‘A work of profound beauty’ Irish Times
‘Extraordinary … moving and evocative’ TLS
‘The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois is the kind of book that comes around only once a decade … Simply magnificent’ Washington Post
‘Quite simply the best book that I have read in a very, very long time’ New York Times
‘Just as brilliant as it is necessary, just as intimate as it is expansive. An outstanding portrait of an American family and in turn, an outstanding portrait of America’ Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give
‘Masterful and stunning … These Love Songs make for a frank, feminist, and unforgettable read’ Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
What listeners say about The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Janet Turner
- 28-07-22
Love, love, loved this book.
I wish were more articulate but sadly, I am not good at verbalising my thoughts. Suffice to say, this is an amazing novel with engaging characterisations, and it is beautifully narrated. Though it is a novel, the research that went into ensures that so much is based on fact, it makes me ashamed of how we have, and continue to treat other human beings.
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- Lisson Girl
- 03-08-22
Outstanding!
An extraordinary book. The story is so rich and well told that I found I could stop until my curiosity had been satisfied. Be warned though, some passages are harrowing.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Lauren Hicks
- 19-08-22
A crucial masterpiece...
Never have I written a review, however so moved am I, by 'Love Songs of W.E.B Du Bois', I am here exclaiming how beautiful, lyrical, heartbreaking and absolutely necessary this book is. The incredible Ms. Honorée Jeffers took me to a deep dark place in history, where through bravery of the human spirit, there shone light. There was power, just waiting for it's turn to rise up, as a consequence of utter brutal abuse, cruelty & suffering. I consider myself schooled after listening to this, as I searched out the writings of W.E.B Du Bois. Which like Ms Jeffers beautiful novel, made my heart sing. So I implore anyone reading this review.... Go listen to this. Your conscience will never be the same.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Kasia
- 22-01-22
Great story!
I was immersed in this story for a month and got used to the main characters thanks to the great narration as they felt quite close and likeable. Yes, it takes 29 hours to listen the whole audiobook but it is worth your time.
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- Liz H
- 03-01-23
An exceptional novel.
I loved this book. it is superbly researched and I was grateful for the bibliographic signposts at the end. I listened to it over the last week and I cannot stop thinking about it. I'd like to read the print version as well and have the family tree in print to better figure out the connections.
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- Wowbagger_The_Third
- 24-07-23
This had such an impact on me
When I was young, Roots had this massive impact on me despite being as far from that world as I could be. This book has had a similar deep impact on me, entering into my subconscious in dreams and I’m sure it will stay with me for a very long time. Powerful, important and everything a novel should be.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Chrisanthi Nallaiah
- 21-05-22
Slow burner but worth every minute
Slow burner but well worth persevering. It’s shines a light on current days issues but at the same time shows how these issues have remained consistent throughout history. Thought provoking and full of feeling.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- BlackGurlReads
- 26-08-24
A masterpiece
Well researched, excellently written and incredibly engaging. This book should be required reading in schools. A masterpiece!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Cassie H
- 29-12-21
An extraordinary read
Despite the laborious 29+ hours read, I managed to consume it over only four days, the reason? My inability to stop listening. The realness of the various voices of all the characters and the depth of the feelings stirred up in me at the indignity of the treatment of the slaves meant I had to see it through. Then there was the humour mixed with unutterably vile descriptions of brutality of the slave master,lead me on a roller coaster of emotions I’d have preferred not to have been stirred towards,nonetheless I am grateful for the
honesty and bravery it must have taken the author to write. CH
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3 people found this helpful
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- Rachel Thompson
- 25-01-23
Beautiful
This was such a touching and gripping historical fiction, and is well worth a read.
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