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The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois cover art

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois

By: Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo,Karen Chilton,Prentice Onayemi
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Summary

A top 10 New York Times best seller

An Oprah book club pick

One of Barack Obama’s favourite books of the year

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.

A breath-taking debut novel that chronicles the journey of generations of one American family, from the centuries of the colonial slave trade to our own tumultuous era.

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.

LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION • SHORTLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE • LONGLISTED FOR THE ASPEN LITERARY PRIZE

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Honorée Fanonne Jeffers (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"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)

"Deeply moving.... it is magnificent." (Sarah Winman, author of Still Life)

"An exceptional, absolutely transfixing audio version of a monumental work." (Washington Post)

What listeners love about The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois

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Deepest gratitude for this story

Difficult to write about this immense book without gushing. I am a white female Scot with limited understanding of slavery and its impact on contemporary USA. After my full immersion in The Love Songs I have more compassion for and incredulity at human resilience. The storytelling is lyrical built around three dimensional characters- certainly the women- and sweeping across hundreds of years. Never losing the thread, the love.

3 people found this helpful

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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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  • NR
  • 07-10-22

important story

wonderful how the history of the land is intervoven into the story.
important to think about this

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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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A must read

This book, an historical novel draws on multiple factual resources and as such a an important text for anyone wanting to understand the impact of slavery and the removal of indigenous people. You have taught me so much Ms Jeffers. Thank you.

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Wonderful

Despite its length, I raced through this. Such a beautiful story that does not shy away from harsh realities. The characters will most definitely stay with me long after I have finished this. My only critique would be that I wish the narrator for the Song chapters had read it all, as the narrator of Ailey’s chapters was very flat.

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Absolutely superb

A faultless and completely engaging story coupled with fantastic narration,the span of the story,the history and the detail made me feel so much emotion .This is one of those books that will stay with me and is the best of writing,a writer who deserves the praise 🙂

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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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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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First time I’ve left a review but felt the need to recommend this book.

Such an interesting story. So nicely narrated. I was sad when it ended. Has certainly peaked my interest in the subject.

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