Doesn't quite measure up to the entirely perfect Salvage the Bones, but still excellent. I'm not all the way in for the magical realism here — can feel like a bit of a crutch — but the writing at a sentence level is as arresting and poetic as Ward has ever managed. Probably a 4½ (I'm on a hot streak right now).

///

Reviewed for Library Journal:

"With her latest novel, two-time National Book Award winner Ward (Sing, Unburied, Sing) gives readers one of the greatest opening sentences to grace a page in recent memory: “The first weapon I ever held was my mother’s hand.” So begins the story of Annis, a young Black woman enslaved in the antebellum South, navigating the phantasmagoria of her shifting circumstances. The particular hell of slavery in the United States is well-represented in fiction, and Ward doesn’t attempt any kind of reinvention here, nor does she go the route of grand allegory. Instead, she employs her prodigious skills to craft a deeply moving and empathic story of one woman’s contention with her life’s constants—death, loss, and the “descent” of the title, but also hope and the possibility of rebirth. Annis’s journey is brutalizing both spiritually and corporeally, and Ward’s language in rendering this world is as astonishing as the novel’s first sentence promises: “Before turning away from the man who gave me the middle mud of my skin. Spit and spite the ground of the man who sells me…for stealing some life back from him.” Occasionally, it feels like the narrative is missing the idiosyncrasy of Ward’s “Bois Sauvage” books, but that’s ultimately a minor quibble for a novel so bursting with miraculous turns of phrase and indelible images, no observation or incident too insignificant to demand anything less than Ward’s full creative attention.
VERDICT This testament to Ward’s mastery of language should leave readers scrambling for a highlighter."

Let Us Descend; A Novel by Jesmyn Ward was heartbreakingly beautiful. I cannot believe I was approved for an arc from this incredible author!! I felt super blessed. I was truly thankful to have gotten to read this before most people! I already own a physical copy now!

As enthralling and moving as her previous novels, but distinctive and memorable in its own way - a painful and difficult story told with beauty and grace.

A deeply moving and powerful story from one of America’s best authors. Ward captivates and stirs with every page and every detail. Richly realized.

Jesmyn Ward is a voice of a generation and her books are not to be missed. They may be uncomfortable for some but they delve deep into the human condition and American experience that is often overlooked.

I thought this book was gorgeously written, heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time, and just another wonderful entry into Jesmyn Ward's canon.Her books are difficult to read, but only because they so accurately reflect the parts of history that are uncomfortable to face. She humanizes concepts such as slavery, and puts faces and names and personalities to them.

Jesmyn Ward is a literary magician and Let Us Descend is a perfect example of her magic. Like her past books, Ward writes up a tragic yet beautiful story full of suspense, fear, and hope.

I enjoyed the imagery and language used throughout and even in the hardest plot points, I couldn’t stop reading.

I will always recommend Ward’s stories and believe this one is a must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for an advanced copy of Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward. I have put off reviewing this book for weeks after finishing it because I needed time for the plot of the book to sink in fully. Ward's writing is absolutely gorgeous, which is in stark contrast to the brutality and devastating nature of the events in which she writes. She paints a portrait of the devastating reality of slavery in the American South through the journey of Annis, who is sold and transported from the Carolinas to New Orleans and what she endures and experiences along the way. This novel explores magical realism and connections to the spirit world beyond while enduring the worst that humanity has to offer. It is a short read that took me over two weeks to read because each chapter really requires time to process but I absolutely recommend it.

This would be a great novel for the African American Lit class at my school. Jesmyn Ward is a master of language. I loved the magical realism parts of this novel. A fresh take on the slave narrative that is heartbreaking and hopeful.

I loved the story but the spirits confused me so much. I understand it’s part of the culture and wouldn’t want it taken out, but more best definition might have helped me relate. Will still read anything J puts out.

A difficult read (regarding subject matter, not writing style). This didn't quite blow me out of the water in the way Sing, Unburied, Sing did but was still phenomenal. It's got some P. Djeli Clark adjacent vibes.

What Worked: This is the third novel I have read from Jesmyn Ward and like her other works, the writing is lyrical and beautiful. I was fortunate enough to get a signed copy of the novel and an event where I heard Ward speak about the novel and its creation, giving me a broader understanding of the work and the emotions she poured into it. The addition of old gods into the experience of slavery makes it an interesting retelling.

What Didn’t: While I enjoyed Ward’s writing and the addition of magical realism, I felt like the novel could have played into this element a bit more to make the novel stand out. A lot of the scenes are like other works I’ve read, and this novel blended into the rest. There is a great development of the setting, but I wish the main character could have undergone more development rather than just the circumstances around her changing.

Ultimately, Ward remains an auto-buy author for me.

Rating: Liked It

Jessmyn Ward is a force to be reckoned with. Not many compare when it comes to the visceral emotions her words convey. Let Us Descend is not an easy read, it is not a comfortable read, but it is a necessary read. The journey Anis makes is not just the physical one but a deeply emotional and spiritual one. Personally, I feel the “magical” part could have been dialed back just a bit but it was impactful nonetheless.

I made the decision to wait to read it until I could also listen and do an immersive read because Jesmyn Ward narrates the book herself. This was the best decision I made. You get to hear the book as she intended. Since it is such a lyrical piece hearing the pauses and breaths where she placed them was so important. It really added to the experience.

4.5 rounded up

This was a beautiful but hard read. Jesmyn Ward's words are beautiful, and while it's sometimes hard to follow the story (I found this to be true with her other books as well), it doesn't really matter, in the end, for you get such a sense of what is happening, such a feeling, from the beautiful prose. This book is an important read about how we confront our history, how we handle adversity in the face of the most unfair, cruel, deplorable acts are inflicted upon you, and how to channel your inner spirit, the spirit of your past, and rise above.

3.5*
The horrors of slavery are on full display. Annis was fathered by her owner and when she’s a teen, she’s sold and forced to walk hundreds of miles to her new plantation. Shackled together, she is one of many forced to walk from Carolina to New Orleans. The trail is hard and the slaves get little food or respite on the arduous trek.

The oppression is relentless and Ward paints a realistic, bleak picture of the inhumane treatment. But Annis does not give in to hopelessness. She is buoyed by recollections of her mother and stories of her strong African ancestor. As a child, her mother would give her nighttime stealth training to be a strong warrior. This training brought Annis’ heritage to the forefront. Later, alone and far from home, she shows her own strength and determination as she endures her brutal existence.

Ward’s writing is impressive and she tackles this depressing topic with grace and humanity. The theme of family is woven into the story and is a source of strength. The book is powerful and moving; showcasing the author’s writing skill.

This was a difficult read. . .but the bees ("Queens") and nature personified helped me through. (I'm always addressing plants, bugs and animals, and carry on a daily conversation with the tall pines outside my window - they watch over me. So I get Annis and her desperate reach for comfort from wherever, whoever and however they answered her cries for help.)

Annis, her mama, and the stories of their African grandma, holding tight to the awl hidden in hair and the buried sharpened spear passed from generation to generation proved how fierce these women were, both the fictional ones and the actual ones who lived and died through it all. Jesmyn Ward's latest book is a window into a time we can barely accept after all the whitewashed history we've been fed. She's stripped away the old stories we've been told about all parties being good with their particular lot, grateful and thankful - all that rot. She shows every shadow, every low devious intention, the baldness of evil that has no corners of hidden conscience, no place from which a late born regret or guilt could spring. Fierce women. Made. It. Through.

Still. A sad, difficult read. The bees helped me through.

*A sincere thank you to Jesmyn Ward, Scribner, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.*

Jesmyn Ward is a stunning, stunning writer. I think only she could write a book that is so simultaneously brutal and gorgeous. Let Us Descend is a combination of historical fiction and magical realism. Annis, a young enslaved woman tells her story as she is trafficked away from the enslaver who fathered her south to the sugar plantations of New Orleans. Along the way she is visited by Aza, a spiritual manifestation that has watched over the women in her family.

Things I loved: the bonds between women, the ways Annis and the other enslaved women found ways to claim things for themselves and make small rebellions, the spiritualism, the unbelievably beautifully lyrical writing (truly, no one writes like Jesmyn Ward).

A true must read for everyone.

Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was unable to finish Let Us Descend. I thought the story was good but I had a hard time following the storyline going back and forth between past and present.

There's no denying that Jesmyn Ward is an unbelievably gifted writer. This book just wasn't for me. A bit too slow to hold my attention.

With masterful storytelling and exquisite prose, Jesmyn Ward introduces us to Annis and her grandmother and great-grandmother, all enslaved. LET US DESCEND is beautifully written but a difficult story to read because of the subject matter. We walk with Annis as the story explores generational trauma and the ways in which the woman hang on to their humanity when others worked doggedly to steal it from them. Ward's writing is poetic and her talent is so evident. Brimming with metaphors and words to savor, this heartbreaking story is one worthy of discussion.

Many thanks to Scribner for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.