Let Us Descend, the title of Jesmyn Ward’s novel, is a reference to a line from Dante’s Inferno that Annis, a slave who is the protagonist of the novel, overheard the tutor of her master’s children recite. It also is descriptive of her journey when the master turns her over to the “Georgia Men” to be marched with other slaves to the auction market in New Orleans. Supporting characters include Annis’s mother, a spirit who accompanies her on the journey and its aftermath, and the history of slavery itself. The writing is visceral, evocative, and beautiful. There’s a reason Ward is a two-time National Book Award Winner. Here’s what Kirkus Reviews says: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jesmyn-ward/let-us-descend/
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