Palmares

Palmares

by Gayl Jones
Palmares

Palmares

by Gayl Jones

Hardcover

$23.49  $27.95 Save 16% Current price is $23.49, Original price is $27.95. You Save 16%.
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
    Choose Expedited Shipping at checkout for delivery by Wednesday, April 3
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

It was Kiese Laymon, acclaimed author of Heavy and Long Division, who introduced us to Gayl Jones' indelible debut, Corregidora. Like her editor Toni Morrison and contemporary Toni Cade Bambara, Jones tells a powerful story of emancipation through gorgeous prose, leaving a permanent mark on the reader. Palmares is her first novel in more than two decades and, in it, she returns with an incredible story of slavery and freedom cut through with magical realism and a universal mythology. Not to be missed by fans of The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates or The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

2022 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Fiction

A NPR BOOKS WE LOVE 2021 Selection

A New York Times “Biggest New Books Coming Out in September” Selection · A New York Times Book Review Editors Choice Pick · A Guardian “50 Biggest Books of Autumn 2021” Selection · An Esquire “Best Books of Fall 2021” Selection · A Buzzfeed “Best Books Coming Out This Fall” Selection · A Bustle “Most Anticipated Books of September 2021” Selection  · A LitHub “22 Novels You Need to Read This Fall” Selection · A Kirkus Reviews “16 Best Books to Read in September” Selection · A Root September “PageTurner”

“This story shimmers. Shakes. Wails. Moves to rhythms long forgotten . . . in many ways: holy. [A] masterpiece.”—The New York Times Book Review

The epic rendering of a Black woman’s journey through slavery and liberation, set in 17th-century colonial Brazil; the return of a major voice in American literature.

First discovered and edited by Toni Morrison, Gayl Jones has been described as one of the great literary writers of the 20th century. Now, for the first time in over 20 years, Jones is ready to publish again. Palmares is the first of five new works by Gayl Jones to be published in the next two years, rewarding longtime fans and bringing her talent to a new generation of readers.

Intricate and compelling, Palmares recounts the journey of Almeyda, a Black slave girl who comes of age on Portuguese plantations and escapes to a fugitive slave settlement called Palmares. Following its destruction, Almeyda embarks on a journey across colonial Brazil to find her husband, lost in battle.

Her story brings to life a world impacted by greed, conquest, and colonial desire. She encounters a mad lexicographer, desperate to avoid military service; a village that praises a god living in a nearby cave; and a medicine woman who offers great magic, at a greater price.

Combining the author’s mastery of language and voice with her unique brand of mythology and magical realism, Jones reimagines the historical novel. The result is a sweeping saga spanning a quarter century, with vibrant settings and unforgettable characters, steeped in the rich oral tradition of its world. Of Gayl Jones, the New Yorker noted, “[Her] great achievement is to reckon with both history and interiority, and to collapse the boundary between them.” Like nothing else before it, Palmares embodies this gift.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780807033494
Publisher: Beacon Press
Publication date: 09/14/2021
Pages: 504
Product dimensions: 5.50(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.80(d)

About the Author

Gayl Jones was born in Kentucky in 1949. She attended Connecticut College and Brown University, and has taught at Wellesley College and the University of Michigan. Her landmark books include Corregidora, Eva’s Man, The Healing (a National Book Award finalist and New York Times Notable Book of the Year), Palmares (a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction), and most recently, The Birdcatcher (National Book Award finalist).

Table of Contents

Almeydita

Quilombo

A Leap Through Time and Spirit

The Narratives of Barcala Aprigio

The Book of Jaguara and the Apprentice

Curandeira

Almeyda Continues Her Journey, or the New Palmares
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews