This book weighs so heavy on the heart. Even the beauty of Ward’s masterful prose is enough to bring you to tears. This is a story of the astounding resilience of Annis, a 3rd generation slave living in the Antebellum South, as she experiences losing her mother, being sold by the white enslaver who fathered her, forced to embark on a deadly journey from the Carolinas all the way down to New Orléans, and bought to work at a Louisiana sugar plantation. Throughout the story, Jesmyn Ward uses magical realism to give Annis a way to connect to her mother and grandmother as she struggles to survive. Aza, the name of the wind spirit that follows Annis, has taken her grandmothers name and resemblance. Throughout her journey, Annis talks to Aza and learns much about her family, herself, and the spirit world. She balances her faith in the spirits with her belief in herself and her deep and undying love for her mother.
I think, for me, this novel was at times hard to follow along. There were long blocks of descriptive text and internal monologue that had me struggling to stay focused. However, the majority of this book was beautifully written and unrelentingly powerful. Annis, after every hardship no matter how horrible, was able to find love in even the smallest of things. Even when she was all alone, she was able to recognize the love and presence of the Earth and the Water and the creatures big and small. I was deeply moved by her fond descriptions of nature and Ward’s ability to really bring the natural world to life. And bonus points for unabashed black queer love!!! So excellent.