Where the Line Bleeds: A Novel

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Synopsis
The first novel from National Book Award winner and author of Sing, Unburied, Sing Jesmyn Ward, a timeless Southern fable of brotherly love and familial conflict—&“a lyrical yet clear-eyed portrait of a rural South and an African American reality that are rarely depicted&” (The Boston Globe).Where the Line Bleeds is Jesmyn Ward&’s gorgeous first novel and the first of three novels set in Bois Sauvage—followed by Salvage the Bones and Sing, Unburied, Sing—comprising a loose trilogy about small town sourthern family life. Described as &“starkly beautiful&” (Publishers Weekly, starred review), &“fearless&” (Essence), and &“emotionally honest&” (The Dallas Morning News), it was a finalist for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and the Virginia Commonwealth University Cabell First Novelist Award. Joshua and Christophe are twins, raised by a blind grandmother and a large extended family in rural Bois Sauvage, on Mississippi&’s Gulf Coast. They&’ve just finished high school and need to find jobs, but after Katrina, it&’s not easy. Joshua gets work on the docks, but Christophe&’s not so lucky and starts to sell drugs. Christophe&’s downward spiral is accelerated first by crack, then by the reappearance of the twins&’ parents: Cille, who left for a better job, and Sandman, a dangerous addict. Sandman taunts Christophe, eventually provoking a shocking confrontation that will ultimately damn or save both twins. Where the Line Bleeds takes place over the course of a single, life-changing summer. It is a delicate and closely observed portrait of fraternal love and strife, of the relentless grind of poverty, of the toll of addiction on a family, and of the bonds that can sustain or torment us. Bois Sauvage, based on Ward&’s own hometown, is a character in its own right, as stiflingly hot and as rich with history as it is bereft of opportunity. Ward&’s &“lushly descriptive prose…and her prodigious talent and fearless portrayal of a world too often overlooked&” (Essence) make this novel an essential addition to her incredible body of work.
Copyright:
2008

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
Book Size:
256 Pages
ISBN-13:
9781501164347
Related ISBNs:
9781501164330, 9781501164330
Publisher:
Scribner
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Jesmyn Ward
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Literature and Fiction
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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