242:(1868–1963), according to Jeffers, is present everywhere in the novel, as he was omnipresent for "Black folks who grew up in all-Black spaces and went to HBCUs." According to Lauren LeBlanc, "his belief that Black people are capable of far more than white society expects is a running thread in the novel." Epigrams from the novel come from Du Bois, and he appears in a story told by Uncle Root. Du Bois's concept of "
225:
246:" is reflected in Ailey's family and their potential and achievements, even as their lives are always weighed down and threatened by trauma. For Jeffers, it was personal also, she explained: "W. E. B. Du Bois is the most important Black intellectual of the late 19th and most of the 20th century
355:
enthused: "'The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois' is quite simply the best book that I have read in a very, very long time. I will avoid the cliché of calling it 'a great
American novel.' Maybe the truest thing I could say is that this is an epic tale of adventure that brings to mind characters you never
159:
The novel covers multiple generations of an
African-American family. The novel's protagonist is Ailey Pearl Garfield. While her grandmother wants her to follow the family tradition and become a medical doctor, she wants to be a historian. One of the novel's narrative strands follows her youth and
268:, had written prose before, but was not interested in writing a novel. With the encouragement of a literary agent, Sarah Burnes, in 2016 she delivered a manuscript for what would become her debut novel. In 2018, the manuscript, then 450 pages long, was submitted to Erin Wicks, editor at
250:... the thing about him is that he really loved Black Southerners. They had a special place in his heart. As a Black Southerner, I'm also part of a community that he imagined and that he tried to save. That's why they're the love songs—because these are the people whom he loved."
272:, which had acquired the rights. Wicks encouraged Jeffers to continue to work on it and to expand it; the next draft was twice as long. Wicks commented: "The shelves of the Western literary canon are filled with so many lengthy epics by men, and I'm excited for
560:
147:, to the present. Themes include family history, education, and racism, and the prose narrative is interspersed with poetic passages ("love songs") that provide insight into and detail of the protagonist's ancestors, who are people of African,
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featured
Jeffers's novel as one of seven "Buzz Books", discussed at an editors' panel. The novel was mentioned in many summer reading lists. Keyaria Boone, writing for
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education, and that development is interspersed with her research into her family's history, a story centered in the fictional town of
Chicasetta,
931:
295:, listed it in her "Most Anticipated Reads for the Rest of Us 2021", and called it an "utterly remarkable fiction debut". Barbara VanDenburgh, in
518:
264:, provided insight into the novel's genesis. Jeffers, a poet who by 2021 had published a half a dozen collections including the highly praised
336:
had high praise for the "sprawling, ambitious debut novel": "If this isn't the Great
American Novel, it's a mighty attempt at achieving one."
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187:. Ailey continues to spend summers in Chicasetta, the geographical heart of the novel, even after leaving for "the City". Ailey attended an
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Samuel
Pinchard, or "White Man with Strange Eyes", a Southern plantation owner who brutalizes and mistreats the people he enslaved
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Throughout the novel, poetic passages ("love songs") chronicle the lives of Ailey's ancestors, who are of
African,
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179:, where Ailey was born, and where her parents moved after getting married; their love and marriage during the
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is another narrative strand. In D.C., her father attended Mecca
University, a fictionalized version of
164:, where her family had been enslaved by Samuel Pinchard, a brutal white man who, in the run-up to the
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Early reviews were positive, and pointed out the epic and historical qualities of the novel.
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Jeffers was a featured author and read from the novel and from her 2020 poetry collection,
486:"18 Books To Throw In Your Carry-On This Summer: These Black stories will take you places"
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289:, listed it as one of "18 Books To Throw In Your Carry-On This Summer". Karla Strand, in
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Lydia, Ailey's sister, victim of sexual abuse which drove her to a crack addiction
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called it a "staggering and ambitious saga", and said "readers will be floored".
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128:
551:"Sally Rooney, Stephen King, Brandon Taylor and more of summer's hottest books"
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308:
The novel was published on August 24, 2021, by HarperCollins. During the 2021
305:, listed it among the "Most Anticipated Summer 2021 Literary Fiction Books".
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297:
737:"A Triumphant Debut Novel on Black History and Coming of Age in the South"
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148:
455:"Talk Next Season's Best New Titles at Virtual Buzz Books Editors Panel"
301:, put it on her list of "summer's hottest books". Victoria Wood, for
223:
135:. It explores the history of an African-American family in the
424:"Honorée Fanonne Jeffers Breaks the Mold with Her Debut Novel"
200:
Ailey Pearl
Garfield, the youngest daughter of Geoff and Belle
392:
s "10 Best Books of 2021" list. It was also selected for the
799:
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée
Fanonne Jeffers
238:
Black intellectual, sociologist and civil rights activist
175:, and Scottish descent. There is a connection also with
610:"Schomburg annual Literary Fest: 'Words Like Freedom'"
640:"Schomburg Center Literary Festival: Virtual Edition"
584:"Most Anticipated Summer 2021 Literary Fiction Books"
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Background, publication, advance praise and publicity
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Uncle Root, retired HBCU professor and Ailey's mentor
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206:Belle Driskell Garfield, a Southern school teacher
519:"Most Anticipated Reads for the Rest of Us 2021"
861:"Finalists for 2021 Kirkus Prize Are Revealed"
614:Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
310:Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
368:that the novel was her new selection for her
8:
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934:from the original on September 9, 2023
902:from the original on December 28, 2021
841:from the original on November 17, 2021
735:Chambers, Veronica (August 24, 2021).
549:VanDenburgh, Barbara (June 17, 2021).
375:The novel was longlisted for the 2021
16:2021 novel by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
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811:from the original on August 30, 2021
777:from the original on August 30, 2021
747:from the original on August 26, 2021
716:from the original on June 14, 2021
686:from the original on July 27, 2021
672:The Love Songs of W. E. B. Du Bois
650:from the original on July 27, 2021
620:from the original on June 18, 2021
590:from the original on June 20, 2021
563:from the original on June 18, 2021
498:from the original on June 18, 2021
465:from the original on March 4, 2021
434:from the original on June 23, 2021
168:, also raped the enslaved people.
14:
706:"The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois"
530:from the original on June 3, 2021
453:Behnke, Emily (January 6, 2021).
276:to hold its own alongside them."
258:Lauren LeBlanc, in a preview for
20:The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
459:American Booksellers Association
401:s "10 Best Books of 2021" list.
379:and was a finalist for the 2021
312:'s annual literary festival, on
281:American Booksellers Association
203:Geoff Garfield, a medical doctor
124:The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
871:from the original on 2021-09-22
582:Wood, Victoria (May 26, 2021).
484:Boone, Keyalia (May 25, 2021).
422:LeBlanc, Lauren (May 7, 2021).
377:National Book Award for Fiction
1:
797:"Oprah's New Book Club Pick:
517:Strand, Karla (May 2, 2021).
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922:"The 10 Best Books of 2021"
890:"The 10 Best Books of 2021"
831:"National Book Awards 2021"
674:by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers"
139:, from the time before the
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969:American historical novels
395:New York Times Book Review
240:W. E. B. Du Bois
229:W. E. B. Du Bois
220:W. E. B. Du Bois
143:and slavery, through the
92:Published in English
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835:National Book Foundation
151:, and Scottish descent.
964:African-American novels
644:New York Public Library
133:Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
41:Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
383:. It was selected for
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930:. November 30, 2021.
898:. November 18, 2021.
279:In January 2021, the
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181:Civil rights movement
145:Civil Rights Movement
959:2021 American novels
974:HarperCollins books
895:The Washington Post
807:. August 26, 2021.
773:. August 24, 2021.
586:. BiblioLifestyle.
386:The Washington Post
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927:The New York Times
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348:The New York Times
319:The Age of Phillis
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244:The Talented Tenth
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166:American Civil War
141:American Civil War
984:2021 debut novels
771:The Chestnut Post
712:. April 5, 2021.
710:Publishers Weekly
616:. June 17, 2021.
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353:Veronica Chambers
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815:August 30,
781:August 29,
751:August 26,
405:References
314:Juneteenth
274:Love Songs
195:Characters
805:Oprah.com
556:USA Today
370:book club
356:forget."
326:Reception
298:USA Today
63:Publisher
932:Archived
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162:Georgia
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50:English
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101:Pages
58:Novel
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
