The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois: A Novel
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- Create Date：2021-08-31 08:51:31
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
- ISBN：0063090619
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Summary
The award-winning poet and essayist makes her fiction debut with this magisterial epic—an intimate yet sweeping novel with the freshness and forcefulness of Homegoing， The Turner House， and The Water Dancer —that chronicles the journey of one American family from the centuries of the colonial slave trade through the Civil War to our own tumultuous time。
“My life had its significance and its only deep significance because it was part of a Problem，” W。 E。 B。 Du Bois once wrote。 Since childhood， Ailey Pearl Garfield has understood these words all too well。 Bearing the names of two formidable Black Americans—the revered choreographer Alvin Ailey and her great grandmother， the descendant of slaves and tenant farmers—Ailey carries the weight of this Problem on her shoulders。
The daughter of an accomplished doctor and a strict schoolteacher， Ailey is raised in the City but spends summers in the small Georgia town of Chicasetta， where her mother’s family has lived since their ancestors arrived from Africa in bondage。 Growing up， she struggles with this duality， a battle for belonging that shapes her identity。 On one side are her exacting parents and her imperious， light-skinned grandmother Nana Claire， to whom skin color is paramount。 On the other， Ailey feels the pull of the “deep country” of her mother’s land-tending family， whose forebears endured the horrors of slavery and Jim Crow。
But how can Ailey live up to everyone’s expectations when half of her family rejects the truth of a fraught racial history， while the rest can’t ever seem to break away from it？
To come to terms with who she is and what she wants， Ailey embarks on a journey through her family’s past， uncovering shocking and unexpected tales of generations of ancestors—Black， Indigenous， 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 of the Black experience in America itself。
“My life had its significance and its only deep significance because it was part of a Problem，” W。 E。 B。 Du Bois once wrote。 Since childhood， Ailey Pearl Garfield has understood these words all too well。 Bearing the names of two formidable Black Americans—the revered choreographer Alvin Ailey and her great grandmother， the descendant of slaves and tenant farmers—Ailey carries the weight of this Problem on her shoulders。
The daughter of an accomplished doctor and a strict schoolteacher， Ailey is raised in the City but spends summers in the small Georgia town of Chicasetta， where her mother’s family has lived since their ancestors arrived from Africa in bondage。 Growing up， she struggles with this duality， a battle for belonging that shapes her identity。 On one side are her exacting parents and her imperious， light-skinned grandmother Nana Claire， to whom skin color is paramount。 On the other， Ailey feels the pull of the “deep country” of her mother’s land-tending family， whose forebears endured the horrors of slavery and Jim Crow。
But how can Ailey live up to everyone’s expectations when half of her family rejects the truth of a fraught racial history， while the rest can’t ever seem to break away from it？
To come to terms with who she is and what she wants， Ailey embarks on a journey through her family’s past， uncovering shocking and unexpected tales of generations of ancestors—Black， Indigenous， 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 of the Black experience in America itself。
Reviews
Jill Reads
，
Whoa。 I just finished the 30-hour audiobook with the e-reader copy。 This is one epic read。
Maddie
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An epic sweeping family saga covering generations of a few families， as well as a coming of age story of Ailey Garfield。 The books includes a three page family tree （in list form， so it isn’t super clear from the beginning how all the people fit together， plus it’s not a character list… there are way more people in this story than on the family tree）。 We learn about Ailey’s immediate family and ancestors， as well as life on plantations， the stealing of lands from the Creeks and other natives in An epic sweeping family saga covering generations of a few families， as well as a coming of age story of Ailey Garfield。 The books includes a three page family tree （in list form， so it isn’t super clear from the beginning how all the people fit together， plus it’s not a character list… there are way more people in this story than on the family tree）。 We learn about Ailey’s immediate family and ancestors， as well as life on plantations， the stealing of lands from the Creeks and other natives in Georgia， the insane trauma of the enslaved people， and so much more。 WEB DuBois’ poems and philosophy/writings are interspersed in between chapters and in the dialogue of Ailey and her family and friends。For a history major turned literary fiction lover， this book combines so many of my loves; I also wanted to add so many of the books in her Archival Coda to my TBR。 I loved these characters and this story。 The writing is gorgeous and it’s obvious to me that Honoree is a poet。 What a beautiful， heartbreaking， illuminating， stunning sweep。 。。。more
Jorden Jones
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（Very slight spoilers） Professor Drogon and I just finished The Love Songs of W。E。B。 DuBois in record time。 It’s an 800+ page sweeping tale of an African American family。 The story is primarily told from the perspective of Ailey Pearl Garfield。 She recounts her story from the age of 4 into her 30s。 We also gain the perspective of a myriad of historical figures。 Of these historical figures， one story stands out STRONGLY in terms of interest and captivation。 Ailey’s story is the focal point and wh （Very slight spoilers） Professor Drogon and I just finished The Love Songs of W。E。B。 DuBois in record time。 It’s an 800+ page sweeping tale of an African American family。 The story is primarily told from the perspective of Ailey Pearl Garfield。 She recounts her story from the age of 4 into her 30s。 We also gain the perspective of a myriad of historical figures。 Of these historical figures， one story stands out STRONGLY in terms of interest and captivation。 Ailey’s story is the focal point and where the beauty of Jeffers’ writing largely rests。 I must say I was eager to read and finish this book， I love an epic， and became invested in several of the characters。 I was not disappointed in Ailey’s storyline and her overall evolution as a character。 I felt attached to her development， and craved to read more。 Those were the highlights…。My primary issue with this novel besides a smattering of flat characters and dull overtures， was the unresolved and emphatic use of sexual violence and abuse against black women and children。 This novel is touted as a feminist novel， but I would consider it anything but。 While it passes the Bechdel test， just barely so。 There are a handful of conversations between women that do not center around a man。 Conversations notwithstanding， there are extremely graphic depictions of sexual assault against women and children。 Inevitably this triggers their subsequent responses and their relationships with others。 There is only one identifiable character who navigates this trauma in a healthy and productive way。 Further， how did the characters protect other women？ How did the characters create a productive space for themselves genuinely？ For some， they just moved on with absolutely zero resolution。 We should not ignore or deny the painful knowledge of the constant sexual trauma and violations against enslaved black women， and black girls presently。 My question is; does the “Great African American Novel，” HAVE to be centered around our collective trauma and pain。 We can be so much more than our trauma。 Our stories are more than degradation， suffering， and violence。 In no way， do I believe that Jeffers’ told a cliched story。 I do， however believe that there needs to be more space for black authors to tell a different powerful story。 Black women specifically have a greater story to tell than one of overcoming abuse or addiction at the hands of men， systemic racism， or generational trauma。 This story gets a lesser rating for me because it could have been so much more。 There could have been true joy here。 We can absolutely tell both stories， because that is the reality of black life。 We take our history and turn it into something more。 We don’t have to settle in the grief and the trauma of it all。 We can be joyous and victorious， and I wish someone would tell that story。 。。。more
Zibby Owens
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This novel was a sweeping epic of a family over time interspersed with other historical allegories， scenes， and quotes for a masterful several hundred pages。 The author took us on such an emotional rollercoaster with this story。 The main character， Ailey， embarks on a journey through her family’s past， uncovering the shocking stories and secrets。 This story follows the journey of one American family through the centuries of the colonial slave trade to the Civil War to this era。 The book points t This novel was a sweeping epic of a family over time interspersed with other historical allegories， scenes， and quotes for a masterful several hundred pages。 The author took us on such an emotional rollercoaster with this story。 The main character， Ailey， embarks on a journey through her family’s past， uncovering the shocking stories and secrets。 This story follows the journey of one American family through the centuries of the colonial slave trade to the Civil War to this era。 The book points to the question of how did we get to this place？ How did we get to this place as a country？ How did we get to this place in terms of race relations？The book is infused with memories from the author's childhood and touches on her prolonged period of loss and grief in her life， which explains the deep connection she has with her characters。 The author developed the characters and their journeys by including so much emotion and history in each one。One of the quotes I loved was， "I know that's the way I felt about my mother， Ailey。 She died and left me when I was just a little boy， and for years， I blamed myself。 If I could've taken her away from this farm， from my father， from all this racism and oppression， she might not have caught influenza。 That frustration will probably be with me until the moment I leave this earth。 But once she was gone， it took me years to see that I had to live for the both of us because she loved me so much， as Lydia loved you。 Anybody could see that， Ailey。 She was crazy about you。 She probably loved you more than even I do， and I love you very， very much。 That's why you have to carry on， Ailey。 Wherever Lydia is， she's asking that of you。 She wants that for you。"To listen to my interview with the author， go to my podcast at:https://zibbyowens。com/transcript/hon。。。 。。。more
Inggar
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Good
Pegeen
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Sweeping but covering much that often was swept under the rug when discussing US History， this novel takes on the history of wrenching removal of Native Americans from their lands ， and the intertwined family story of slavery。 That’s a lot 。 For me， the parts about “modern time” Black fraternities and sororities were far too long， and dipped into some “he said / she said” romance。 Far too much time was spent on that; I think to the detriment of more detail about Ailey’s parents’ time in history。 Sweeping but covering much that often was swept under the rug when discussing US History， this novel takes on the history of wrenching removal of Native Americans from their lands ， and the intertwined family story of slavery。 That’s a lot 。 For me， the parts about “modern time” Black fraternities and sororities were far too long， and dipped into some “he said / she said” romance。 Far too much time was spent on that; I think to the detriment of more detail about Ailey’s parents’ time in history。 Audio version had great narration， although I did speed it up to x1。3 。 。。。more
Peggy
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I waited 61 years to read this book 🙌 I'm in awe of Honeree Fanonne Jeffers， what a masterpiece。 I waited 61 years to read this book 🙌 I'm in awe of Honeree Fanonne Jeffers， what a masterpiece。 。。。more
Kim Fox
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I have just finished this book， this oral history of one family over 300 years and I am stunned。 What an amazing novel！ I cried all the ugly tears， I laughed until I cried （ the big peach！！！！。。。 Yes it looks like an ass！！！） and I was absolutely mesmerized by the writing style of Honorée Fanonne Jeffers。 This is the first time I have read a book like this， when I didn't say to myself， " I need more！" This story was told！ There was no wanting for more， just a satisfaction of reading a novel that i I have just finished this book， this oral history of one family over 300 years and I am stunned。 What an amazing novel！ I cried all the ugly tears， I laughed until I cried （ the big peach！！！！。。。 Yes it looks like an ass！！！） and I was absolutely mesmerized by the writing style of Honorée Fanonne Jeffers。 This is the first time I have read a book like this， when I didn't say to myself， " I need more！" This story was told！ There was no wanting for more， just a satisfaction of reading a novel that is easily one of the best books I have had the privilege of reading。 I had so many emotions while reading this book。 I live in Georgia， I have driven on many of the roads， crossed over the rivers and I have family all over south Georgia。 So this book was in my backyard。 This was like reading a genealogy， and I appreciate every bit of the story that was told。 I will not give the plot away， but I will say this。。。 It's not just a book， it is a story。 A story about family， not just present but past as well。 Its history， past and present。 It's lessons taught and lessons learned。 And most of all it is just beautiful。 Thank you to Harper Books and Honorée Fanonne Jeffers for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Amy
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This is hands down one of the most immersive， beautifully written books I've ever read。 Don't be intimidated by the length！ I'm a slow reader but I couldn't put it down and am so glad I gave it the time it deserves。The Love Songs of W。E。B。 DuBois， by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers， is an epic story that traces the life and ancestry of Ailey Pearl Garfield， a black woman growing up in a northern city who has a deep connection to her family and history in Chicasetta， Georgia。 Interwoven with Ailey's life This is hands down one of the most immersive， beautifully written books I've ever read。 Don't be intimidated by the length！ I'm a slow reader but I couldn't put it down and am so glad I gave it the time it deserves。The Love Songs of W。E。B。 DuBois， by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers， is an epic story that traces the life and ancestry of Ailey Pearl Garfield， a black woman growing up in a northern city who has a deep connection to her family and history in Chicasetta， Georgia。 Interwoven with Ailey's life is the story of her ancestors in that area beginning long before it was known as Georgia。The book deftly handles complex， often painful themes of race， colorism， classism， sexual abuse， misogyny， and intergenerational trauma， honoring the individual experiences of the characters as they experience personal versions of societal injustice。 One of the most illuminating facets of the book is the way it explores an idea laid out in the beginning of the book: that the "original transgression of this land" was greed。 That greed underlies the other themes， showing how our history has led to the inequities and pain experienced by BIPOC today。I also loved the way Jeffers brought in the perspectives of some of the other women in Ailey's life part way through。 I won't give away the details， but this choice perfectly highlighted the way people and events in our lives can be interpreted so differently based on perspective。Thank you so much to Harper for the advanced copy！ 。。。more
Alex Caesar
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this bok is on discount at https://amzn。to/2Wotvm8 this bok is on discount at https://amzn。to/2Wotvm8 。。。more
Marcie Tennen
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Beautifully written saga about an African-American family。It chronicles the family from before the civil war all the way to the present。
Julie Schoepp
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Oprah
Ron Charles
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Whatever must be said to get you to heft this daunting debut novel by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers， I’ll say， because “The Love Songs of W。E。B。 Du Bois” is the kind of book that comes around only once a decade。 Yes， at roughly 800 pages， it is， indeed， a mountain to climb， but the journey is engrossing， and the view from the summit will transform your understanding of America。A poet whose most recent collection， “The Age of Phillis，” was longlisted for a National Book Award， Jeffers has poured a life Whatever must be said to get you to heft this daunting debut novel by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers， I’ll say， because “The Love Songs of W。E。B。 Du Bois” is the kind of book that comes around only once a decade。 Yes， at roughly 800 pages， it is， indeed， a mountain to climb， but the journey is engrossing， and the view from the summit will transform your understanding of America。A poet whose most recent collection， “The Age of Phillis，” was longlisted for a National Book Award， Jeffers has poured a lifetime of experience and research into this epic about the travails of a Black family。 As any honest record of several centuries must， Jeffers’s story traverses a geography of unspeakable horror， but it eventually arrives at a place of hard-won peace。One of the many marvels of “The Love Songs of W。E。B。 Du Bois” is the protean quality of Jeffers’s voice。 Sweeping back and forth across the years， her narration shifts nimbly to reflect the tenor of the times — from the shared legends of tribal people to the candid realism of the modern era。 At the opening， set deep in the mists of history， we’re met with。 。 。 。To read the rest of this review， go to The Washington Post:https://www。washingtonpost。com/entert。。。 。。。more
Carmen Slaughter
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THE LOVE SONGS OF W。E。B。 DU BOIS is a masterpiece and will be revered as such in the Western literary canon。 This novel will forever stand alongside her foremothers like Ms。 Toni and Ms。 Zora。 What I need everyone to understand is how important this book is as an honest， yet loving， examination of American history told through the story of a Black American family from the fictional town Chickasetta， Georgia。 Honoree leaves no stone untouched as the narrative explores all the themes and experienc THE LOVE SONGS OF W。E。B。 DU BOIS is a masterpiece and will be revered as such in the Western literary canon。 This novel will forever stand alongside her foremothers like Ms。 Toni and Ms。 Zora。 What I need everyone to understand is how important this book is as an honest， yet loving， examination of American history told through the story of a Black American family from the fictional town Chickasetta， Georgia。 Honoree leaves no stone untouched as the narrative explores all the themes and experiences that contribute to our shared humanity。 Phrases like "magisterial epic"， "ambitious saga"， and "magnum opus" have been used as descriptors for this multigenerational tale and they are accurate。 At 816 pages， this novel is not meant to be read quickly。 You must savor it。 Don't feel daunted by the length。 The story is so engaging and so gorgeously written that readers will not be intimidated。 Take your time and really sink into the pages。 I've read and loved all her poetry collections but， for me， this is her most lyrical work to date。It is evident that Ms。 Jeffers put her entire heart and soul into this book。 It is only right that readers commit to an equally intentional process of absorbing her words。 It took me three months to finish the book because I chose to read one section per week， on Sundays， like it was church。 And the benefit of that was a truly divine experience。。。one that I want everyone to have。 Buy this book。 You will not be disappointed。 In fact， you will be changed as a reader and as a human by the time you reach the last page。 。。。more
Kat
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Just finished this book & all I can say is “Whoa”！ I am at a loss for words。。。
Christine Hiller
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When I started this one I had no idea it was 800+ pages and I’m glad I didn’t because I might not have tackled it knowing that。 Instead I have spent the past couple weeks listening to this incredibly rich exploration of a family through the generations and how the women， through their strength and struggles， shape those that follow in ways known and hidden。 The way the author brought all the stories through the centuries together was masterful。 A powerful saga that truly transported me from New When I started this one I had no idea it was 800+ pages and I’m glad I didn’t because I might not have tackled it knowing that。 Instead I have spent the past couple weeks listening to this incredibly rich exploration of a family through the generations and how the women， through their strength and struggles， shape those that follow in ways known and hidden。 The way the author brought all the stories through the centuries together was masterful。 A powerful saga that truly transported me from New York to the Deep South。 The narration of the audiobook was really terrific too。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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While Ailey in the present is the narrative voice that weaves in and out of this epic novel， it her ancestors that give it its beating heart。 Set in Chicasetta， Georgia， it's the story of a mixed race family that endured horrible conditions， abuse， and slavery to ultimately triumph with the successes of the women who survived and thrived。 These women will linger in your mind。 Readers should know that assault and abuse are a recurrent thread。 Ailey， by contrast with the enslaved women， will seem While Ailey in the present is the narrative voice that weaves in and out of this epic novel， it her ancestors that give it its beating heart。 Set in Chicasetta， Georgia， it's the story of a mixed race family that endured horrible conditions， abuse， and slavery to ultimately triumph with the successes of the women who survived and thrived。 These women will linger in your mind。 Readers should know that assault and abuse are a recurrent thread。 Ailey， by contrast with the enslaved women， will seem annoying in spots （I found her college years superfluous） but she's the one who pulls them together。 This is an impressive and immersive experience。 It's a big book by any measure but the writing is just wonderful。 Don't be surprised if you， like me， find yourself a big confused as to how some people relate to others- that's the nature of a big family so just let go of the need to make connections and know that it will all be clear in the end。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 This is a worthy read and one I highly recommend。 。。。more
dee
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Without a doubt， Honoree Fannone Jeffers' The Love Songs of W。E。B。 Du Bois will be my favorite book of 2021！ This historical fiction novel （my favorite genre） is over 800pages of a beautifully written multigenerational family saga。 The story of Ailey Pearl Garfield who embarks on a journey of self-discovery about her family。 Honoree Jeffers has clearly one an amazing and thorough research covering a family tree that takes the reader from Native American territories， the birth of slavery in the A Without a doubt， Honoree Fannone Jeffers' The Love Songs of W。E。B。 Du Bois will be my favorite book of 2021！ This historical fiction novel （my favorite genre） is over 800pages of a beautifully written multigenerational family saga。 The story of Ailey Pearl Garfield who embarks on a journey of self-discovery about her family。 Honoree Jeffers has clearly one an amazing and thorough research covering a family tree that takes the reader from Native American territories， the birth of slavery in the Americas， and right through to the Civil Rights Movements up to the 1980s。I received this book as an e-arc from Netgalley （thank you） and reading on my tablet CANNOT do it any justice-LOL！ Publication date is AUGUST 24， 2021- Go pre-order your copy。I have pre-ordered my copy so that I can completely immerse myself within the pages！！！Thank you Honoree for such a rich and fantastic novel！Thanks NetGalley。 。。。more
Robert Sullivan
，
This is a very ambitious novel - an attempt to tell 300 years of a Georgia family's history， culminating in a modern Black woman's struggles and growth。The historical portions of the book trace the blending of Native Americans， Africans， and Europeans in one family， focusing mainly on the enslaved and， Postbellum， "Black" members of that family。 The description of slave life is unflinching。 These parts of the book are excellent。The modern sections center largely around one character， although we This is a very ambitious novel - an attempt to tell 300 years of a Georgia family's history， culminating in a modern Black woman's struggles and growth。The historical portions of the book trace the blending of Native Americans， Africans， and Europeans in one family， focusing mainly on the enslaved and， Postbellum， "Black" members of that family。 The description of slave life is unflinching。 These parts of the book are excellent。The modern sections center largely around one character， although we also get detours into the lives of her mother and sister。 While I'm an old white guy and thus can't speak to the accuracy of the portrayal of black life， the interactions of Black characters with each other， as well as with whites， seem perceptive and realistic。 The pitfalls of navigating a white world are authentic （and often humorous）。Sections of the book veer too much into Romance novel territory for my taste， lengthening the book without adding much。 And while it is an unabashed woman-centered book， many of the male characters are not all that convincingly drawn。 Indeed， one of the main male characters is extremely close to the Magical Negro stereotype， existing mainly to dispense wisdom and grace to the women of his family。The writing is outstanding - elegant and evocative but still incisive and engaging。 The dialogue between characters （and the way one character's speech patterns change depending on the race and class of her audience） is very well written。 。。。more
Sarah-Hope
，
When you start reading Honorée Fanonne Jeffers' The Love Songs of W。E。B。 Du Bois， you're making a commitment。 At 800+ pages—and none of it the kind of stuff you can skim through—you'll be spending the equivalent of two full work days reading。 In addition， this is not lightweight reading。 Love Songs has some great moments of humor， but on the whole this is a book with a lot of hardship—generations worth of hardship—so you need some strength to make your way through it。I can， however， promise that When you start reading Honorée Fanonne Jeffers' The Love Songs of W。E。B。 Du Bois， you're making a commitment。 At 800+ pages—and none of it the kind of stuff you can skim through—you'll be spending the equivalent of two full work days reading。 In addition， this is not lightweight reading。 Love Songs has some great moments of humor， but on the whole this is a book with a lot of hardship—generations worth of hardship—so you need some strength to make your way through it。I can， however， promise that your effort in terms of time and heartache will be well worth it。Love Songs is the kind of book for which the adjective "epic" was intended。 It moves back and forth in time， exploring the history of a single family， beginning with Creek Indians before this land had a large white presence and also on the shores of Africa in the midst of the slave trade。 By its end， the novel has reached 2007 or 2008， when Obama is running for President， but hasn't yet been elected。 Jeffers' central present-day character， Ailey， is a young black women （a child at the novel's start， in her early 30s at the novel's end） balancing life in the city and life at "home" in Chicasetta， the location where all the many generations of her family—indigenous， African， Black， and white—have come in contact， often with painful results。 （CW: sexual abuse of children in several generations。）Reading Love Songs， witnessing the interactions of past and present and their impact on individual lives， provides a complex overview of the history of the U。S。 that would seem impossible—if it weren't for the fact that Jeffers is doing it。 Take the time to read this title， embrace the fact that you'll need to move through it slowly and that you'll be deeply uncomfortable sometimes while you read。 That's how we learn: a mix of pain and laughter， a longitudinal focus， and the necessary days and years and generations to build up experience and knowledge。I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own。 。。。more
Sylvia-Marah
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I’ve got to be honest， when I saw how thick this galley was， I shrank a little。 I received an advanced reader’s copy from Harper， an imprint of Harper Collins， but worried I wasn’t up to the challenge of reading a book this long。 This novel is an intimate family history set in the wide scope of the colonization of North America， starting with the white man coming to the shores of this continent， displacing native people， later enslaving Africans stolen from their home across the sea， through the I’ve got to be honest， when I saw how thick this galley was， I shrank a little。 I received an advanced reader’s copy from Harper， an imprint of Harper Collins， but worried I wasn’t up to the challenge of reading a book this long。 This novel is an intimate family history set in the wide scope of the colonization of North America， starting with the white man coming to the shores of this continent， displacing native people， later enslaving Africans stolen from their home across the sea， through the Civil War and Reconstruction era， ending in our post 9/11 reality。 This story covers a lot of ground and Honorée Fanonne Jeffers uses every bit of the 790 pages of The Love Songs of W。E。B。 Du Bois to tell the story of Ailey Pearl Garfield and her Afro-indigenous lineage。 At first， I had a hard time finding my footing in this novel。 The story is told through alternating sections。 The modern sections are in first person， starting when Ailey Pearl Garfield is almost four years old。 The sections told in an omniscient authorial voice are from the past。 These are the stories of Ailey’s ancestors。 I often find it difficult to connect with the narrator when it is from the simplistic perspective of a child。 I initially struggled with the lack of concrete framing in the historical sections。 There were no dates， and I had to find my place in history based upon how natives and Africans were being treated by the white man。 It took me about 100 pages to find the rhythm of the story， but once I did， I was in it to win it。 As I sit here writing， I don’t even know what to say about this novel。 It is both intimate and epic in scope。 It tells the story of the colonization and birth of the United States through the lived experiences of one woman’s ancestors。 It is a story filled with the abuses and challenges women have endured within a patriarchal society。 It is also a story about people who were dehumanized， displaced and disappeared because of greed。t“For the original transgression of this land was not slavery。 It was greed， and it could not be contained。 More white men would come and begin to covet。 And they would drag along the Africans they had enslaved。 The white men would whip and work and demean these Africans。 They would sell their children and split up families。 And these white men brought by Olgerhorpe， these men who had been oppressed in their own land by their own king， forgot the misery that they had left behind， the poverty， the uncertainty。 And they resurrected this misery and passed it on to the Africans。”tThe story of Ailey Pearl and her ancestors captivated me。 I rooted for her。 I ached for her。 I felt angry on behalf of her ancestors， who had their freedom and children stolen from them。 I am ceaselessly appalled by the way we stole this land from the indigenous tribes， specifically the Creek in the territory that would later become Georgia， depicted in this novel。 While reading this novel， I repeatedly wished I had studied history in addition to literature in college。 This novel unearthed memories of visiting family in the South as a child。 How we went to the cemetery， and I was told about my family’s history。 I remember how the countryside felt haunted， or maybe it was the people who were haunted， keeping their ancestors’ stories alive。 tWhile reading this book， I thought about the people who were left out of the history books because they were not the victors， but the people who were enslaved， disenfranchised and married off。 I thought about how these people’s lives and contributions to their community become women’s stories， passed down in the kitchen or while tending the garden。 Reading this book made me think about how most families have a story keeper。 There is someone in every family who takes it upon themselves to know where their people come from， how they fit into the history that transpired during their lifetime。tMy mom is that person to me。 She studies genealogy， researching our family lines， telling me where we came from。 Who our people were。 Where and when they lived。 I’ve often thought the reason I like historical fiction so much is that it breathes life into history。 It makes these distant stories flesh and blood， sinew and bone。 Historical fiction gives us an opportunity to live within someone else’s skin， to know their life experiences， to feel their pain and pleasure， their triumphs and heartaches。 The Love Songs of W。E。B。 Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers did this for me。 I highly recommend getting to know Ailey Pearl and her ancestors。 If you want to grab a copy of the novel， it hits stores on August 24th， but you can pre-order a copy now！ 。。。more
Elizabeth
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CW: sexual assault， pedophilia， drug addiction， depictions of violenceA huge thank you to Goodreads and HarperCollins for the gifted copy of this phenomenal book。 Honorée Fanonne Jeffers has written a remarkable novel that traces a Black family’s lineage to the seventeenth century， and she spares none of the heartbreaking details of what life has been like for Black men， women， and children since that time。The Love Songs of W。E。B。 Du Bois is 800 pages of very heavy material that is so important CW: sexual assault， pedophilia， drug addiction， depictions of violenceA huge thank you to Goodreads and HarperCollins for the gifted copy of this phenomenal book。 Honorée Fanonne Jeffers has written a remarkable novel that traces a Black family’s lineage to the seventeenth century， and she spares none of the heartbreaking details of what life has been like for Black men， women， and children since that time。The Love Songs of W。E。B。 Du Bois is 800 pages of very heavy material that is so important as it forces us to reflect on the generational horrors and traumas Black people have faced and continue to face in America。 While not all of the trials and abuse depicted in this book are unique to the African American experience， it is undeniable that the specific tortures of slavery， let alone the human rights violation of slavery itself， have resulted in the ongoing struggle for justice and equality for Black people。Much of the content of this book was incredibly difficult to read， but that is exactly the point。 These aren’t just scenarios Jeffers imagined and wrote down to create villains。 The exact type of abuse she describes in her novel actually happened and still happen to thousands of people。 The cruelty of slave owners was a very real and pervasive issue in the American South。 It is Jeffers’s every intent to make us squirm in our seats as we read her book because abuse should always make us feel that way。While this book broke my heart over and over again， it was so beautifully crafted and the story was so well told that I couldn’t stay away。 I was determined to finish it while on my family vacation。 There were a few slow-moving parts that didn’t quite capture my attention， and the family tree was hard for me to visualize and keep track of。 If I had physically mapped it out， that would have helped。 I did enjoy that Jeffers included parts of the story from multiple points of view。 While the story mostly follows Ailey Garfield， we learn about her ancestors， mom， and oldest sister through their own eyes as well。It’s not often that a novel resonates with me in such a way that I find myself still thinking about it days and even weeks later。 But The Love Songs of W。E。B。 Du Bois is an exception。 I have been mulling over this work almost constantly since I finished it because there is so much to unravel。I almost exclusively reserve 5 star ratings for books I know I will read again and keep on my shelf forever， but because of the heaviness of this story’s content I don’t know if and when I’ll be able to reread it。 I’m so glad I read it once， but it definitely took an emotional toll。I highly recommend The Love Songs of W。E。B。 Du Bois for anyone and everyone， with the warning that some of the scenes may be triggering for some readers。 。。。more
Raymond
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The Love Songs of W。 E。 B。 Du Bois is a powerful intergenerational， feminist， and womanist novel。 Honorée Jeffers tells the racial and class history of this country through this book， not with a lot of facts and dates although they are there you are not inundated with it。 But she tells this history through the human relationships of her characters past and present。 The novel spans from the pre-slavery era of the 1700s to the late 20th Century covering themes such as: racism， colorism， feminism， The Love Songs of W。 E。 B。 Du Bois is a powerful intergenerational， feminist， and womanist novel。 Honorée Jeffers tells the racial and class history of this country through this book， not with a lot of facts and dates although they are there you are not inundated with it。 But she tells this history through the human relationships of her characters past and present。 The novel spans from the pre-slavery era of the 1700s to the late 20th Century covering themes such as: racism， colorism， feminism， classism， and intergenerational trauma。The novel is centered around the character of Ailey Garfield， a young Black girl who grows up in a Northern city with her two sisters Lydia and Coco。 Her parents， Geoff and Belle， come from two very different worlds。 Geoff comes from a Northern light-skinned， siddity Black family， who in many cases could pass for white。 Belle’s family， which the novel is centered around， is a Southern dark-skinned， down-to-earth Black family from a town called Chicasetta， GA。There are certainly echoes of The Color Purple in this novel; it is referenced a few times。 Chicasetta reminds Ailey of the town that Celie and Nettie lived in， and yet you see common themes that both Walker’s and Jeffers’s novels share， such as the power of female relationships and sexual assault within families。Another body of work that is referenced and quoted in the novel， and should be evident in the title， is the writings of the scholar W。 E。 B。 Du Bois。 Although Du Bois never actually appears as a character in this novel， outside of Uncle Roots' memory of the scholar， you can tell Du Bois’s scholarship， especially The Souls of Black Folk and Black Reconstruction in America 1860-1880， inspired some of the themes of Jeffers’s novel。 This is especially evident in the sections of the book focusing on Ailey’s Black and white ancestors。 There are specific white family members who represent the white planter class and the poor white working class that Du Bois writes about in BRIA， Jeffers like Du Bois shows how racial resentment developed in the white working class characters against the Black characters。 Outside of themes， the character that embodies Du Bois is Uncle Root。 Root， Ailey’s great uncle， is a devotee of Du Bois who worked as a history professor and will become an important force in Ailey’s personal and professional career。The most important and pivotal characters in this novel are Black women。 Characters like Belle， Lydia， Aggie， Eliza Two， Dr。 Oludara， and of course Ailey。 Some of these characters get to tell their stories of achievement， trauma， and relations with low-down men。 I loved the character of Ailey。 In her grad school days she represents every Black person who attended a PWI and has been subjected to white nonsense and casual racism。 What’s special about Ailey is that she confronts these uncomfortable situations with humor and charm。 I especially loved her in the moments she stood up for herself and her family， there were times when I yelled out “Go get ‘em girl”。 There were also times I got frustrated with her， especially as it relates to some of men she got involved with。 What I loved the most about Ailey was the connection she had with her ancestors: her occasional dreams of the long-haired lady， her devotion to her maternal side of the family， especially as it relates to her constant travelling down South to visit and spend time with her elderly relatives， but it also extends to what becomes her pinnacle moment which is the unearthing of her roots。 She even makes some discoveries that her elders in Chicasetta do not know about。 Anyone who has done genealogy can relate to how gratifying an experience it is to discover the ancestors who have essentially been searching and hoping for someone to find them。Love Songs is a very engaging and beautifully written book。 Don’t be intimidated by its size because when you read it you won’t be able to stop and won’t be able to get it out of your mind。 Even when it ends you will be wondering what happens next。 I for one wanted to know more about Ailey and the future contributions she was going to make to her world。 Lovers of American history will enjoy how Jeffers weaves history in this family’s story， especially as it relates to Ailey’s ancestors consisting of indigenous people， Black enslaved， Black freedmen and freedwomen， white elites， poor whites， and the constant power dynamics and class struggles that intersect between them。 W。 E。 B。 Du Bois would certainly be proud of this work。 At the end of this novel， the reader may come to the realization that Ailey is not only an heir of her ancestors but is also an intellectual heir of Du Bois。 But she is not alone， Honorée Jeffers by writing this magnificent book is also an heir of Du Bois in the ways she weaves his writings in every part of her work。 Do yourself a favor， pick up this book， read it， and enjoy the ride。Thanks to NetGalley， Harper， and Honorée Fanonne Jeffers， for a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review。 This book will be released on August 24， 2021。Review was first posted here: https://medium。com/ballasts-for-the-m。。。 。。。more
Cetonia Weston-Roy
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Ailey had to be one of the most unlikable main characters I’ve read in a while but this book is on my favorite books list of al time。 It was magnificent！
Kathleen
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Hard to believe that this epic is Jeffers' fiction debut。 Ailey's voice is poetic and powerful while recounting her development。 Her story is interspersed with tales of her ancestors' past 。。。。 which really are her story too。 Sometimes humorous often painful yet ultimately resplendent。 Hard to believe that this epic is Jeffers' fiction debut。 Ailey's voice is poetic and powerful while recounting her development。 Her story is interspersed with tales of her ancestors' past 。。。。 which really are her story too。 Sometimes humorous often painful yet ultimately resplendent。 。。。more
Christine Chatelain Latimer
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This historical piece had me hooked a few pages in。 Yes Ms。 Honorée put her foot all in these 800 pages and it didn’t feel like I read 800 pages！ The words flowed so lyrically off the pages but it’s no surprise because Honorée is an amazing poet！ The Love Songs of W。E。B Dubious gave us a generational lineage that educated us so effortlessly。 This book deserves all it’s praises and Ms。 Honorée Jeffers needs all her flowers。。
Leanne
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Thanks to Goodreads for the giveaway win！ This is truly an epic journey。 I was hooked from the start and my attention， care， curiosity， and hunger never faltered。 I'm not one to be intimidated by page number but I was a little overwhelmed when I received the book in the mail。 That being said， it could have been 800 pages longer and I would still be looking for more。 Thanks to Goodreads for the giveaway win！ This is truly an epic journey。 I was hooked from the start and my attention， care， curiosity， and hunger never faltered。 I'm not one to be intimidated by page number but I was a little overwhelmed when I received the book in the mail。 That being said， it could have been 800 pages longer and I would still be looking for more。 。。。more
Carol Macarthur
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Epic。 Do not miss this one！
TimInCalifornia
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Five stars and going onto my Favorites shelf。 I don’t know that I can write an adequate review for this book but I’ll try。 The story is a sweeping epic history of a Black family with roots in the American south。 At the center of the story is Ailey Pearl Garfield， born in the early ‘70s， the youngest of three sisters。 To understand Ailey， we’re taken on a journey to meet her ancestors， learn their history and the history of the land where they lived and labored in Georgia and where Ailey’s relati Five stars and going onto my Favorites shelf。 I don’t know that I can write an adequate review for this book but I’ll try。 The story is a sweeping epic history of a Black family with roots in the American south。 At the center of the story is Ailey Pearl Garfield， born in the early ‘70s， the youngest of three sisters。 To understand Ailey， we’re taken on a journey to meet her ancestors， learn their history and the history of the land where they lived and labored in Georgia and where Ailey’s relatives on her mother’s side live and work today。 Jeffers has penned a masterful epic in that regard。 Heavily researched， the story is an intimate history of the land in Georgia， which first was home to the Creek and Cherokee peoples。 Like Leon Uris’ Trinity educated me on Irish history and Ken Follet’s The Pillars of the Earth educated me on cathedrals and the Anarchy， The Love Songs of W。E。B。 Du Bois has educated me about Black feminism in the United States。What struck me about the way Jeffers constructed this novel， and at 800+ pages this was no simple feat， was illumination of how an individual is influenced by generations of ancestors。 Whether we are consciously aware of the specific persons or not， whether family lore has been passed down or not， that person， that ancestor， contributes more than DNA to the home in which we grow up。 Even an absence or a separation shapes not just the present generation but future generations。 Through the character of Ailey， and her mother Belle and sisters Coco and Lydia， we see how the past is pushed up against us， an invisible wall that is sometimes offering a sturdy support to lean against and sometimes blocking our progress。 The wall can protect us or it can contain us。 It’s doing both at once。 In her adulthood Ailey begins researching her family’s history as enslaved persons on a Georgia plantation。 That research， helped by stories from a great-great uncle， gives her a lot of factual information on ancestors 2， 3， 4 generations preceding her。 She learns who some of them are as people， is able to get a fairly accurate understanding of their lives。 She has both black and white ancestors in her lineage， along with Creek Indian further back。 But the reader knows more than Ailey。 The book breaks from Ailey’s life to chapters giving the reader full genealogical history of Ailey， starting with her people from Africa， how and why they were captured and sold by other Africans to Europeans， through the Middle Passage， to the colony of Georgia in America。 We know all the details that are forever lost to Ailey， can see everything that pushed down through the years from mother to daughter or from mother to son or sometimes father to daughter or father to son。 All that history brings us to Ailey， born in the 1970s， attending a HBCU in the ‘90s， researching her family history in the aughts。 By the time Ailey is doing her research， the reader has learned much of the grim history she will piece together from scraps of information。 And we are talking about generations of slave families on a plantation so make no mistake about how grim are some of the stories in this novel。 This book goes to some very spirit-crushing places。 It was difficult to be immersed for so long， page after page， with child sexual abuse and its results， to sit with the fact that a known sexual predator can be left alone so long as the children he chose and bought for his perversions were dark-skinned。 I don’t mean that there are pages of graphic descriptions of abuse， but that it was perpetuated so often over so many years by some of the men in the book。 Just reading and contemplating of the lives of slaves， especially female slaves， was enough to feel the heavy effects of claustrophobia。 But stay with the book because Jeffers brings the reader forward。 The grimness is there but it’s not all that is there and that grimness-that grime-has its justifiable and rightful place in this magnificent story。 The story rewards you with Pop George and Uncle Root and Belle Driskell Garfield and her daughters， especially Ailey Pearl。 The characters and their spirit rise and succeed。 Not every day， because none of us succeed every day and in every way， but in the essentials – in their essence， their spirit brightens the journey。On a personal note， this book offered much of the education I always knew was missing。 I was born in 1967 and from the age of 10-16 I lived in South Carolina。 My father’s job had taken us there though neither of my parents had roots in the south， so southern culture was more witnessed than experienced firsthand。 I remember having so many questions in my history classes but none of the questions had form。 It was just that something seemed missing。 If the questions had a form， it was more like “Why didn’t any of the Black kids in my class come on the field trip to Charleston in the 7th and 8th grades？” It was a 2 hour trip on the school bus and we visited a plantation and the old slave auction house。 I can assure you that the day was treated more like a trip to an amusement park than an educational experience。 I used to think that Black students didn’t go because it cost money （and that in itself showed a prejudicial assumption。） But I’ve since realized it was probably because…why would any parent of a child of color let their child go on a field trip like that without being 100% sure that the trip would be well-curated for their emotional health？ Having read this book， I have no doubt that was why no Black parent signed the authorization slip allowing their child on those field trips。 I also remember being confused by the 1/8th rule which we learned about in history class – why did that law have to be put on the books when in my observation （remember， this was South Carolina in the early 1980s）， black people were married to black people and white people were married to white people。 It wasn’t until many years later that I figured out white men wanted to codify how many black ancestors one could have because they knew that the rape of women under their control was common and that births as a result of these assaults were common。 I’m afraid I’m painting a dreary portrait here and The Love Songs of W。E。B。 Du Bois is decidedly NOT dreary。 It is an absorbing， fascinating read and the 800+ pages go quickly。 I could see my own mother in Belle Garfield， an educated woman who achieved less professionally than she could have due to the generation into which she was born， the arrival of a child early in marriage and the expectation that a mother must first care for home and child。 Woven into the book is the importance of food to one’s culture and its connection to the past， how preparation of cherished dishes are handed down from generation to generation is its own sort of history。 I was never interested in joining the Greek system in college but I think that had I been black and attending an HBCU， it would have appealed （though I am gay and have read George M。 Johnson so that probably would have been a rough road。） No matter your racial， ethnic or gender identity， you’ll find yourself in deep understanding with a character in this book along the way and probably more than one character。 Yes， if you are white， especially a white male， you will cringe at how casually accepted were the inhumane acts of slaveowners。 My advice would be to read with humility and stay humble as you consider the history we are all living with， whether we know the specifics of our own ancestors or not。Thank you to the author， Harper Publishing， and #Netgalley for the free #ARC。 。。。more
Karen
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