8.6 /10 1 Votes
Language English Originally published 1 January 2009 Genre Fiction | 4.3/5 Goodreads Pages 417 pages ISBN 1594488576 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Country United States, United Kingdom/Australia Subject Eighteenth century, slavery Media type Print, e-book, audiobook Nominations NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Fiction Fiction books A Brief History of Seven Kil, The Marlows and the T, The Book of Negroes, The Farming of Bones, The True History of Paradise | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Book of Night Women is a 2009 novel by Jamaican author Marlon James. The book was first published in hardback on February 19, 2009, by Riverhead Books. The story follows Lilith, a young woman born into slavery, who challenges the boundaries of what is expected of her.
Contents
2010 dlpp fiction marlon james for the book of night women
Synopsis
Lilith is a beautiful young woman born during the 18th century on a Jamaican sugar plantation. Orphaned from birth, she quickly learns that life as a slave can be frequently brutal and unkind. After she is forced to defend herself against a would-be rapist, she is sent to work in the plantation owner's house. There she tries to win the master's affections, despite warnings from a fellow slave that this will only end badly. Lilith experiences more troubles when the Night Women, a group of female slaves planning a revolt, ask her to join in their plans.
Reception
Critical reception for The Book of Night Women has been predominantly positive. The New York Times praised the novel highly and stated that while its themes can make it difficult to read at times, this works in the book's favor as it is both disturbing and eloquent. The Los Angeles Times, who also praised the novel, commented on the themes of brutality: "The novel can be unrelentingly violent, and the litany of terror, torture and revenge is long and horrifically detailed. But if that seems rather grim, it's nothing in comparison with how it must have been to the slaves."