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    The Revisioners: A Novel
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    The Revisioners: A Novel
    Unavailable
    The Revisioners: A Novel
    Ebook274 pages4 hours

    The Revisioners: A Novel

    By Margaret Wilkerson Sexton

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

  • Margaret Wilkerson Sexton won both the Crooks Corner Prize and the First Novelist Award from the Black Caucus of the American Libraries Association, and was longlisted for the National Book Award for her debut novel, A Kind of Freedom. Here she returns with her much-anticipated second novel, written with her signature eye for historical accuracy and movingly rendered interest in the intergenerational experiences of Black lives in America
  • Already named among the Most Anticipated Books of 2019 by Electric Literature ("one of 48 books by women and nonbinary authors of color to read in 2019")
  • Sexton lives in the Bay Area, CA and is from New Orleans, LA, and maintains strong connections in both communities
  • Major national tour to include independent bookstores, libraries, museums, literary festivals, and cultural centers across the country
  • Robust Indie Next and LibraryReads campaigns
  • Lexile Measure: 820L

    Praise from Booksellers

  • “The past informs the present in The Revisioners by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton. The contemporary story of Ava, who moves in to help her white grandmother, alternates with the story of her ancestor, Josephine. Born into slavery, but ultimately a free, land-owning woman, Josephine contains an almost mystical power. The evil legacy of slavery, however, will impact the lives of both women regardless of their internal strength. Sexton's novel is reminiscent of the works of playwright August Wilson and will leave an indelible mark upon each reader's soul.” —Pamela Klinger-Horn, Excelsior Bay Books (Excelsior, Minnesota)
  • "Sexton's writing is gorgeous; her rich characters and vivid descriptions pull the reader through this intense multigenerational narrative. Time feels malleable, even fragile, while emotions feel more concrete; hope and fear are carried forward by new generations in a tale that is both haunting and lovely." —Amy Van Keuren, Bank Square Books (Mystic, CT)
  • "Beautifully told from two perspectives in time—Josephine, formerly enslaved, and her descendant Ava. What this really captures are the voices of those who don’t traditionally have a voice, the ones whose presence has been erased in time, as well as the difficult history as to what those voices say. Despite being separated by generations, both women are united in parental love, as well as problematic relations with white people who subconsciously (or not) attempt to exert power over them." —Audrey Huang, Belmont Books (Belmont, MA)
  • "Margaret Wilkerson Sexton’s The Revisioners is a tribute, a prayer, a triumphant cry of gratitude to those who came before us. The intergenerational memories and desire for freedom and survival push Ava forward when things get hard. Moving into her grandmother’s house with her son seems to be a temporary fix, but she has no idea the legacy she has inherited. The Revisioners honors with reverence the histories of those who had no voice." —Rachel Watkins, bookseller at Avid Bookshop (Athens, GA)
  • "The Revisioners is a multigenerational story that spans more than 150 years, tracing the ancestral connection between contemporary mother Ava and her several times great-grandmother, Josephine. Ava is a single mother who moves in with her grandmother, a white woman, whose son, Ava’s father, has been largely absent from her life due to Ava’s tenuous position as his biracial child. The tensions between Ava and her grandmother are mirrored through the story of Josephine, a woman who was born enslaved but who is able, alongside her husband, to slowly buy their own land. Ava is connected to the women in her family through her ability to nurture, particularly her desire to become a doula, a gifted spiritual guide in the process of childbirth. Sexton weaves a powerful tale exploring the meaning of motherhood in the face of treacherous and undeniable obstacles, whether they be the desire for freedom in pre–Civil War Louisia
    • LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCounterpoint
    Release dateNov 5, 2019
    ISBN9781640092594
    Unavailable
    The Revisioners: A Novel
    Author

    Margaret Wilkerson Sexton

    MARGARET WILKERSON SEXTON studied creative writing at Dartmouth College and law at UC Berkeley. Her most recent novel, The Revisioners, won a 2020 Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize and an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work and was a national bestseller as well as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Her debut novel, A Kind of Freedom, was long-listed for the National Book Award. She lives in Oakland with her family.

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    Reviews for The Revisioners

    4/5

    83 ratings13 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This is the author's second book that contains multitudes. Her debut novel, A Kind Of Freedom, non-linearly told a story of four generations; this one goes back to 1855 and a secret group, the Revisioners, taking Harriet Tubman's Moses path and sending off one member per year to attempt escape from a Louisiana plantation. Throughout the family history, white men, as oppressors and partners, abandon the women of the family, or worse. The 1920s finds widow Josephine, former Revisioner and now a free landowner, owning and managing a farm until a white family moves next door and summons the Klan. In 2017 New Orleans, descendant Ava moves in to care for her white grandmother Martha, who is receding into vicious racism via dementia. Ava's mother Gladys is a powerful doula who cares for the souls and bodies of a group of pregnant girls while contending with strong visions of ancestor Josephine. The success and tragedy in all three lives is filled with poetry in the form of hymns and chants and the spirits of the ancestors.
    • 5/5
      The Revisioners by author Margaret Wilkerson Sexton tells the story of two African American women who live in New Orleans a century apart. Josephine' s story is split between two timelines - 1855 when she is 12 years old, a slave and the daughter of a woman with a gift for making things happen and 1924 when she is a widow with land of her own and her own gift. Ava's story begins in 2017. She is bi-racial, Josephine's great-great-granddaughter, and the single mother of King, her 12 year old son.The story alternates between the two women but there are many parallels between their stories. It opens with Ava who, thanks to some financial difficulties, has agreed to move in with her aging white grandmother who is beginning to show signs of dementia. In 1924, Josephine, having escaped slavery and managed to acquire land of her own, is doing well until a white couple moves in next door. Josephine, at first does everything to stop the white woman's attempts at friendship but eventually begins to enjoy their visits despite her mistrust - she knows too well the dangers of such a friendship. The Revisioners is a beautiful and beautifully written story. It is heartbreaking, powerful, moving, and, ultimately, hopeful.The word 'amazing' seems somehow trite for this book but it was the first word that sprang to my mind when trying to write this review. I read it without stopping and, even now, days later, the story of these two women has staid with me. Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Counterpoint for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
    • 4/5
      Strong mother, daughter bonds. They were once slaves, but a future generation will own their own property. In Louisiana, how free is actually free when one is black, even if they do own land of their own? Slavery, escaping from slavery and a freedom that is not in only the seems but for these women, in the unseen as well. A power passed down to future daughters. The lasting effects of slavery and the power and barbarity of the KKK.The novel is clearly written, powerfully written and though it moves backwards and forwards in time, I found this effective for this story. It is not a story with a clear cut plot, but one where it is the women, their stories that are the main focus. How a mother is always present for the daughter, dead or living, never forgotten. Although the slavery sections are never easy to read, it is a hopeful novel, one where each generation is aware of the sacrifices of the prior generation. It is a novel of love, again love that is seen, but also the love that everyone cannot see. I felt this was an authentic novel, no cliches, nor over dramatization. Just a solid, good read.
    • 4/5
      This is a multi-generational novel, that follows several different timelines, beginning in the Civil War/slavery era, then into 1920s, New Orleans and then follows these descendants into current times. The author masterfully weaves these stories together, emphasizing the African American experience, and their constant struggle, witnessing very little change over the many turbulent, decades. An impressive work.
    • 4/5
      A quick read, and well worth your time. The story goes back and forth in time, but there are only 3 time periods, so it doesn't get confusing. The ancestors' struggles and accomplishments are evident in the present day storyline showing how one's life choices can affect generations to come. Beautifully told stories that teach lessons.
    • 5/5
      Excellent book. Not sure if I understood all the references. Not sure what happened to some of the characters. Would have liked a chart to see the family ties
    • 5/5
      This book was so real Truly inspiring and historical.
    • 4/5
      The story I’d give 5/5 stars but the writing was 3/5. Something is lost, especially in historical fiction, when the book is written in the present tense.
    • 4/5
      A great story with lots of depth, I feel like I need to read it again to discover all the things I missed the first time!
    • 3/5
      I was waiting for a denouement that never actually arrived. The book itself is not bad, but I was set up for a very different kind of novel, one that had more Jordan Peele/Lovecraft Country vibes.
    • 3/5
      Solid 3.5.I tends to like books with non-linear timelines. And I love family sagas. This one hit both of those, as the story jumps back and forth between 1855, 1924, and 2017. And I liked the story, with 1855 and 1924 Josephine, born a slave and later a midwife and landowner, and her modern-day descendants Ava and her mother--a doula in training and a doula. I was a little confused as to how exactly, they descended from Josephine, if they are also Revisioners as Josephine may have been? Or are the revisioners only important because their skills enabled slaves to escape north? What exactly happened between Ava's mom and Ava's white grandmother that she is now caretaker for?I would have enjoyed this much more if it was twice as long and all then holes filled in.
    • 4/5
      This is a novel about three generations of black women in 1855, 1927 and 2017 telling about the joys and struggles that they face..All three have complex relationships with white people in their lives. Also, family and childbirth is a major theme with all three. The author skillfully moves randomly between the three time periods. Ultimately the book is uplifting as they all survive their struggles with style without compromising what they believe in. I liked the book and it is well worth reading.
    • 3/5
      This is the story of a family and the impact of racism on the family over generations, set in 3 time periods. In present day New Orleans, single mother Ava has lost her job, and she and her son King move in with her white grandmother Martha, a wealthy New Orleans society matron. Ava has a dual role, a relative, but also a paid caregiver. As Martha's dementia worsens, her racism becomes overt, and soon Ava finds herself in an untenable position.In a parallel story set in 1924, Josephine, an elderly former slave, Ava's great-great-grandmother, now owns her own farm and acts as a spiritual advisor to her community. A white family has moved to the adjacent farm, and the young wife Charlotte seeks friendship and guidance from Josephine. Unfortunately Charlotte and her husband are involved with the KKK, which will have devastating consequences for Josephine and her family.We also get the story of Josephine's childhood as a plantation slave. Her mother was also a spiritual advisor, and was involved with a group of slaves known as the Revisioners, who frequently met to plan escapes.I enjoyed this book, but did not find it as well-written as her first novel, A Kind of Freedom. I found huge inconsistencies in the characterizations. For example, when the book opens, Ava is estranged from her mother, a doula. Not much explanation is given as to why. Yet when she leaves her grandmother, she goes to her mother, and becomes a doula too. This just didn't ring true for me, and there were other examples too. Maybe the author was trying to fit too much in, but this was just an ok read. If you only want to read one book by her, I'd read her first book.2 1/2 stars