Palmares

Resource Information

The work Palmares represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in Randwick City Library. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.

Label

Palmares

Creator

• Gayl Jones

Subject

• Fiction / African American & Black

Summary

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 ReviewThe 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 beendescribed 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 thenext two years, rewarding longtime fans and bringing her talent to a newgeneration of readers. Intricate and compelling, Palmares recounts the journey of Almeyda, a Black slave girl who comes of ageon Portuguese plantations and escapes to a fugitive slave settlementcalled Palmares. Following its destruction, Almeyda embarks on a journeyacross colonial Brazil to find her husband, lost in battle. Her story brings to life a world impacted by greed, conquest, andcolonial desire. She encounters a mad lexicographer, desperate to avoidmilitary 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 uniquebrand of mythology and magical realism, Jones reimagines the historicalnovel. The result is a sweeping saga spanning a quarter century, withvibrant settings and unforgettable characters, steeped in the rich oraltradition of its world. Of Gayl Jones, the New Yorker noted, “[Her] great achievement is to reckon with both history andinteriority, and to collapse the boundary between them.” Like nothingelse before it, Palmares embodies this gift

Nature of contents

dictionaries