Book Bearings
Praisesong for the Widow
- 256 pages · about 4 hours
- First published 1983
- 5 editions
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1 About this book
Praisesong for the Widow is a 1983 novel by Paule Marshall that takes place in the mid-1970s, chronicling the life of Avey Johnson, a 64-year-old African-American widow on a physical and emotional journey in the Caribbean island of Carriacou.
Throughout the novel, there are many flashbacks to Avey's earlier life experiences with her late husband, Jerome Johnson, as well as childhood events that reconnect her with her lost cultural roots. The book was reissued in 2021, part of McSweeney's "Of the Diaspora" series highlighting important works in Black literature.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Caribbean area
- African American women
- Ocean travel
- Women travelers
- Race identity
- Widows
- Travel
- Social life and customs
2 About Paule Marshall
Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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