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The Book of Night Women

4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 · rating details · 1,569 ratings · 376 reviews

The Book of Night Women is a sweeping, startling novel, a true tour de force of both voice and storytelling. It is the story of Lilith, born into slavery on a Jamaican sugar plantation at the end of the eighteenth century. Even at her birth, the slave women around her recognize a dark power that they�and she�will come to both revere and fear.

The Night Women, as they call...more

Hardcover, 432 pages

Published February 19th 2009 by Riverhead Hardcover

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Feb 26, 2010 brian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to brian by: karen brissette, chris wilson

well, the 'question of evil' has plagued philosophers thinkers and all the rest of us ordinary folk since, i'd imagine, we were first capable of thought: how can god allow such horrible shit to go down? is the horribleness of humanity proof that god doesn't exist? as a wee lad in hebrew school i was told that we simply cannot understand what god is up to, that the whole enterprise of trying to figure god's motives was corrupted with inferior - that is, 'human' - logic... "so don't even bother tr...more

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Sep 08, 2010 karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: distant-lands, littry-fiction, pretty-girls-make-graves, favorites

this book hurts. in so many ways. initially, it hurts to get acclimated to the narrator's voice. whenever i read books written in dialect it always takes me at least 40 pages to start to get the hang of it (i curse you, irvine welsh!!) and then it hurts because it's such a raw and bloody depiction of the physical and emotional bullshit of slavery. and then after it's all done, it hurts that it's so well written, you just want more of it. so i'm awfully glad i broke my promise about "not buying a...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Rowena rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone interested in learning about slavery

Shelves: historical-fiction, caribbean-lit

This book is about slavery in 19th Century Jamaica. It took me a while to get into this book because it is written entirely in Jamaican dialect (including the narration). Once you get used to that fact, the writing is quite charming.

This book brought out lots of emotions in me, mainly disgust and anger. It is extremely graphic in its imagery so definitely not a light read. It made me absolutely sick to my stomach reading about how the British colonialists treated slaves of African descent. It w...more

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Mar 28, 2009 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was AMAZING!!!! It was one of the few books I never wanted to put down and I even finished it in my designated book loan time period.

Warning this book is very graphic, language and imagery. What was the most powerful part of the book and of James' narrative was he described perfectly a system of oppression that you still see in today's society. The destruction of communities, pitting one person against another, the internalized oppression, you still see that today.

I also really liked...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Chrissie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Chrissie by: Gaeta1

Shelves: jamaica, hf, race, 2013challenge, downpour, audio

The Jamaican patois, narrated by Robin Miles, is remarkable. I was able to find this audiobook at Downpour!

If you choose to read this book, you simply must read this version narrated by Robin Miles, but you must pay close attention. The Jamaican patois isn't the easiest to follow, but it is worth the effort. The narration adds to the value of the book. You are a slave and you HATE the English estate owners, particularly Miss Isabelle. I do at least. I want to slap her and ..... The different cha...more

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Mar 09, 2009 Christina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: book_club

Jesus, what a book. This book is absolutely unflinching in its portrayal of slavery in 18th century Jamaica. Vicious prose, and in-your-face, no-holds-barred detail. It's also completely dedicated to voice and perspective, and the choices James made here are exquisitely laudable. It also weaves a beautiful story amid tragic characters, with enough sensory language to make you cringe. This is, absolutely, a book about what it means to make choices.

There are three things I'll say about this book:
1...more

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Jul 02, 2009 Gypsy rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Book of the Night Women is unlike any book I've ever read. It was so well written that I found myself thinking in the dialect long after putting the book down.

Marlon James creates a seemingly tangible world with his use of dialect and the narrator's inside information. What a cruel world it is. It makes me so sad to put myself in the place of any of the women in book, even the white women. While women appear to be the more cunning sex, their power is so limited that they are only allowed to...more

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May 17, 2011 Elizabeth (Alaska) rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

No, it wasn't the racial slurs, nor the crude references to body parts and bodily fluids that had me close this up after less than 10 pages. It was the lack of any attempt at good prose. I might have been willing to buy the pidgin English had the story been told in the first person, though that's a stretch. Yes, I understand this lack of standard prose was intended to give me the feel of slavery and it's ignorance. Do I think an ignorant slave would use the word "flabbergast"? I guess you can tr...more

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Jul 26, 2010 Sarah B rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 34-books

This was a hard one to read - yes, the slave dialect takes some getting used to. However, once you are in the book far enough for the words to flow, the dialogue is probably the least disturbing thing in the book. It is not for the faint of heart. From the horror of the slave life depicted to the tenderness and love shown, there are so many things in opposition in this book, not the least of which is Lillith's black and white halves warring with each other. I still haven't wrapped my head around...more

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May 17, 2013 Banafsheh Esmailzadeh rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am in love with this book. Marlon James's rich writing never ceases to wow me.

Lilith, our protagonist, begins as a somewhat spoiled slave born in Montpelier plantation and comes of age very quickly under the tutelage of the head slave, Homer. She becomes infatuated with her master Humphrey Wilson and brings out the evil nature of Isobel Roget, his fiancee. Eventually, however, when she becomes more involved with Homer and the secret conspiracy group composed of her half-sisters, she also begin...more

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May 07, 2013 Bhronda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found this audiobook at my local library by accident. Headed out of town on a long drive, the cover intrigued me with ideas of Mysticism. I like to avoid slave narratives because they depress me, given their dark nature.

The story is a treasure because it gives a fresh fly on the wall perspective of the life in Jamaica at the end of the 18th century. At the end, you may not know who you feel sorry for most.

Even though this is historical fiction it is so educational because of the many facts i...more

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May 07, 2013 Bhronda rated it 5 of 5 stars

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May 26, 2012 Dahlma rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought the most striking part of this novel was the narrative voice. That alone seduced me into a totally different world. Much of the fascination of the book has to do with feeling like I was right there, experiencing much of the action. It was torturous reading the catalog of violence and brutality that was the world of slavery. No matter how much I know about it on the intellectual level, the emotional impact is devastating. I wonder if we needed as much detail about all the different ways...more I thought the most striking part of this novel was the narrative voice. That alone seduced me into a totally different world. Much of the fascination of the book has to do with feeling like I was right there, experiencing much of the action. It was torturous reading the catalog of violence and brutality that was the world of slavery. No matter how much I know about it on the intellectual level, the emotional impact is devastating. I wonder if we needed as much detail about all the different ways that these people were degraded and their lives made living hell. Some of the characters were unforgettable. Lilith's journey from self-centered and self-deluded slave with ideas of superiority to the mature and experience woman at the end was well-developed, as was the complex character of Quinn. Perhaps the most complex and intriguing character was Homer. The author did a great job of developing her character slowly and deliberately so that the reader doesn't really know her until the ery end. Humphrey was another character on his journey who finally becomes a total monster. Isobel is another complex and fascinating character as she travels to her downfall. One problem for me was that there were so many complex situations and characters that they couldn't all be resolved to my satisfaction as a reader. Sometimes the resolution come 'off stage' so to speak. That is we are told what happens rather than see in in a scene. I would have like,for example, to see what happened to Quinn. What exactly motivated Isobel to take that particular road to destruction? Why would she keep Lilith so close given their history? Why would Lilith defend Hawkins as she does? I can understand the choices made by the author as necessities for completion of the book but I think he could have used another 100 pages to fulling complete the cycles he initiated. I don't know if editing decisions drove the book to its present resolution but I feel like something was left out. (less)

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Jan 12, 2012 Ardene rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book of night women by Marlon James is set in Jamaica in the mid-to-late 17th century. It follows the life of the slave Lilith from adolescence through adulthood and a multi-plantation slave revolt. This is a multi-layered tale of the suffering slavery inflicts on humanity, and of the moral development of the protagonist, Lilith.

When Lilith actively and violently refuses the sexual advances of a johnny jump up (a crew boss), she is rescued from their revenge by Homer, the slave in charge of...more

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Sep 29, 2011 Felecia Butler rated it 4 of 5 stars

I purchased this book last year as I was fascinated by the cover and it appeared to be interesting. However, it sat on my shelf over a before I decided to read it. It wasn't until my book club decided it would be one of our monthly reads, that I dusted it off. In the beginning, the book was very slow. It was hard to adjust to the Jamaican language. However once I got to page 100, the book flowed and told the beautiful story of Lilith born into slavery on a Jamaican sugar plantation in the 18th c...more I purchased this book last year as I was fascinated by the cover and it appeared to be interesting. However, it sat on my shelf over a before I decided to read it. It wasn't until my book club decided it would be one of our monthly reads, that I dusted it off. In the beginning, the book was very slow. It was hard to adjust to the Jamaican language. However once I got to page 100, the book flowed and told the beautiful story of Lilith born into slavery on a Jamaican sugar plantation in the 18th century. I became intrigued by this book as any book about Slavery always peaks my curiosity as I wonder would I have ever survived during those times. Once you become adjusted to the language, the book flows very well. The author did a remarkable job telling about the history of slaves in Jamaica and the troubles they went through. I learned a lot by just not understanding certain words and learning about Tacky and the revolt that took place during this time. Although this same story can be told by many authors even members in our own family, I found myself intrigued by Lilith and her strength and her love for one of her Massa's. Also, her desire to want to hate him. Sometimes I forget about the strength of African American women and how are bodies can withstand abuse, however this book reminded me of the shoulders of the history of women we stand on and their strength to overcome all adversity. How smart and proud we are as a culture and how smart and proud we should be to hold the title of "WOMAN". I felt several emotions from love, hate and anger when reading this book. I was moved.

There were several things that I could take away from this book, book two passages in particular: "Me not nobody nigger. Learn this, when you can make out word nothing the massa can do will surprise you. A nigger, he no got nothing. He got nothing. But when you can make out a word, that is something indeed. You know how long me know that Massa Humprey was coming? You think' bout that. When a nigger can read, she can plan, if is even for just a minute. Make me tell you something else' bout reading. You see this? Every time you open this (referring to a book) you get FREE. FREENESS up in here and nobody even have to know you get free but you." Tears. I was moved by this passage, not because I have never heard something like this before, but because SLAVES knew how important this was, yet our generation today, don't get the POWER OF EDUCATION. The freeness and ownership to know that I can do things and not be stuck because I am FREE and EDUCATED. We can always lose our homes, cars and money. But your Education, no one can take from you.

Another passage that touched me in the book or shall I say made me laugh and think because I never thought about it like this was "Although they preach the same thing every Christmas and New Year', niggers don't understand what a baby in the bush can do. Seem that if baby get left in manger he would scratch up, bite up and dead by the third day. But white people think this be the greatest thing. The baby grow up and they kill him, and white people think that be even greater. It make plenty sense that white people would get so much mirth and joy out of this 'cause nobody kill for fun like backra. Preacher tell nigger that God is man and baby. Then he say that God is baby in December but man only four month later. But then he say God is father and he is son and he is spirit. That sound like he breed himself to get himself, then kill himself. White man God perplexing like the white man. Then when it be Easter, they say that people kill him and then he rise up from the dead and he in heaven now. We still don't know what all that to do with God. God supposed to be God of things people can be or use or be 'fraid of, like Asaase Yaa or the terrible Ogun or the Imilozi bush spirits. Preacher say there be only one God and look up in the sky when he say so. Some people wondering what God doing up there so long and how come he no fall down yet." LOL!!!

I will fall short from saying this is an excellent read, but I truly loved this book and would recommend it. If there was any last thoughts, I would say embrace your womanhood and don't be ashamed of your history. Love your ancestors because they have truly paved the way for the freedom that we now have endured. Great read Marlon James.

Felecia

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Feb 01, 2011 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book might be the most violent and graphic book I've ever read. It's set on a sugarcane plantation in Jamaica in 1795, and it is historically accurate in all the brutal detail: the slaves are worked to death, whipped bloody and raw, beaten, gang-raped for things like spilling soup, and killed for things like the goats getting into the flowerbeds. I lost count of how many rape scenes there were. I originally picked it out because I liked the cover, and I thought it would be a nice book-clubb...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the story of Lilith, a slave on an estate in Jamaica around 1800. The narrator follows Lilith from childhood through her 20s I think. Lilith is the child of a slave who dies at childbirth and the overseer of the sugar plantation, and is raised with a bit of privilege, and starts out thinking she is going to be better than the average slave, but soon finds out her place in the world of slavery. When Lilith is old enough to begin working on the estate, the head kitchen slave, Homer, takes...more This is the story of Lilith, a slave on an estate in Jamaica around 1800. The narrator follows Lilith from childhood through her 20s I think. Lilith is the child of a slave who dies at childbirth and the overseer of the sugar plantation, and is raised with a bit of privilege, and starts out thinking she is going to be better than the average slave, but soon finds out her place in the world of slavery. When Lilith is old enough to begin working on the estate, the head kitchen slave, Homer, takes her under her wing. Homer is also part of a group of women who are planning a slave revolt, and they bring a reluctant Lilith into the group. Lilith deals with many conflicting feelings throughout the story, including her part in death that may or maynot be deserved, her feelings for the master and then the new overseer, whether she deserves to be loved, and what limitations there are to a slave's life.

This book was riveting! So much happened and the book kept up at a quick pace, I had trouble putting it down. The characters were so real and so defined. The narration is in "1800 slave speak", which gave such an authenticity to the book. Reading it was like becoming fluent in another language. If you chose to read this, please be aware that there is ALOT of violence, ALOT of whippings, rapes, killings, maimings of all sorts. I have to say though that I thought it added to the story and was never gratuitous, while at times hard to read, I'm sure it documents what really went on at that time. Speaking of which, I tried a few internet searches to see if the book was actually historical fiction, if the revolt was based on an actual event, and couldn't find anything specific. My only complaint is that toward the end of the book, in my opinion, Lilith's emotions were discussed too many times in the same way, which became a little repetitive and slowed down the pace of the story. That's the only reason I didn't give this novel a 5 rating. I found this such a good story! (less)

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Dec 18, 2010 Jennifer Swapp rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a very graphic novel- it seems that perhaps telling the story of slave women couldn't be anything but graphic. I remember reading in Their Eyes were watching God that black men received the brunt of white mans anger, and black women received the brunt of everyone's anger, including the black man, because the black man had no one else he could kick down.

The devastation of a person's integrity when involved in slavery, the breakdown in moral, the tragic lives of the plantation owners and...more

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May 04, 2010 Ben Siems rated it 5 of 5 stars

Be warned: this book is definitely not for the faint of heart.

The Book of Night Women is set in Jamaica at the close of the eighteenth century. A successful slave revolution in Haiti (then known by its French colonial name, Saint-Domingue) had recently shocked the western world. Meanwhile, more than a few in the British Empire were beginning to lose their stomachs for the slave trade, or at least beginning to realize that slave labor was not yielding the hoped-for economic benefits; perhaps a li...more Be warned: this book is definitely not for the faint of heart.

The Book of Night Women is set in Jamaica at the close of the eighteenth century. A successful slave revolution in Haiti (then known by its French colonial name, Saint-Domingue) had recently shocked the western world. Meanwhile, more than a few in the British Empire were beginning to lose their stomachs for the slave trade, or at least beginning to realize that slave labor was not yielding the hoped-for economic benefits; perhaps a little of both. But if such flickers of reason occasionally occurred in London, they were unknown in the colonies, where darkness ruled.

The horror of slavery is so unspeakable that few can endure learning the whole truth of it all at once. So it is that we learn the story bit by bit: a little in grade school, a little more in middle school, a little more in high school, more still in college, with each new piece of information more harrowing than the last. Those of us who continue studying history after we leave the academic world learn truths still more unbearable. Then after all that, one encounters a book like The Book of Night Women, which relentlessly lays bare the realities of what slavery truly was. No matter how much I tried to steel myself against the atrocities I knew were coming, I still found myself recoiling in horror over and over again.

And yet, reading this amazing book is somehow not merely an experience of agony. It is absolutely beautifully written, and though the Jamaican dialect he writes in takes some getting used to, James pulls the reader along with his fast-paced and even witty storytelling. Characters try desperately not to care for each other in a world where such feelings can only lead to suffering, but they cannot help themselves, and neither can the reader.

Ultimately, more than any other book I've ever read, this book shows how a purely evil institution like slavery ultimately destroys all who come into contact with it. It is a story of the emptiness of vengeance and the danger of hope in a time and place of hopelessness. In unforgettable ways, it portrays the disintegration of the soul and the impossibility of love in a world where cruelty and hate are the only constants.

It is a novel, and it is one of the truest books you will ever read.(less)

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Mar 24, 2010 Amaya Tune rated it 5 of 5 stars

Marlon James restored my faith in really good novels. I had picked up and put down way too many books in which I struggled to get through because I thought it was what I SHOULD be reading. I first heard the author talking about the book on NPR (genius radio) which is where I go to get smart. He was reading a memorable passage from the book in which the night women are trying to educate a young naive Lilith (main character) on what being in good with white people really gets you.

This book has a...more

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Mar 02, 2010 Lynne Perednia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lilith doesn't remember her mother or father. She has been raised by a slave, Circe, who pretty much does as she likes on a Jamaican sugar plantation as the century turns from 18th to 19th. The closest thing she has to a father, she thinks, is a slave who has lost his mind, and a few body parts, and who is reduced to living on a chain outside like a pitbull.

Lilith survives under the protection of head house slave Homer, a woman who runs the household with rigor and holds her back straight. She a...more Lilith doesn't remember her mother or father. She has been raised by a slave, Circe, who pretty much does as she likes on a Jamaican sugar plantation as the century turns from 18th to 19th. The closest thing she has to a father, she thinks, is a slave who has lost his mind, and a few body parts, and who is reduced to living on a chain outside like a pitbull.

Lilith survives under the protection of head house slave Homer, a woman who runs the household with rigor and holds her back straight. She also often speaks in riddles to Lilith, leaving the girl to figure out for herself what evil lurks in every heart. Including, in harrowing episodes, Lilith's own.

That such a child not only survives, but works toward living life on her own terms as best she can, may not seem plausible. But Marlon James, a literature and creative writing professor, makes it believable in his second novel, The Book of Night Women. As her circumstances change, usually drastically and often for the worse, Lilith has little support working her way through the labryinth of feelings that confront a girl who becomes a woman, all the while never knowing true freedom to feel as she would like. Whether it's coming to terms for her feelings toward three important white men in her life or her sisters who seek revenge, Lilith has a lot to consider.

James has written a brutal, earthy and compelling narrative written in a dialect that forces a reader to either let the story flow over or to slow down and ponder what every nuance means not only to his heroine, but also to the reader. There is language certain to offend people, especially those who can't even handle Mark Twain. There is never getting away from the harsh brutality of what slavery means, of the cruel physical and psychological misery that one group of people can do to another group, or one individual to another. The inability of the white people in the story to not understand that they haven't earned loyalty and affection after the whippings and rapings, and worse, is but one part of this massive story that has repercussions to this day.

The beauty of this novel is that the author does not have to stand on a soapbox. The reality of the way people were treated speaks for itself. What James has done is to bring to vivid life the emotions and feelings of characters who are part of it without having a say in their place. And this includes some white characters as well as the slaves. That not many of the characters can handle their fate well does not mean their stories are not worth telling.
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Nov 28, 2009 Evanston Public Library added it

At a recent book discussion panel, author Marlon James began his reading from "The Book of Night Women" by exhorting readers not to be put off by the Jamaican dialect of the novel. He then began to spellbind us with a passage from the book in which main character, Lilith, first beholds an illicit book.

Homer go down the cellar one night and wake Lillith up. Homer by her close and Lilith don't like it. Homer pull out something from her apron.
-you know what this be, chile?
-Me didn't born behind...more

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Oct 11, 2009 Mocha Girl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: diasporic-fiction, historical-fiction

Marlon James's latest novel, The Book of Night Women, opens with an immediate ominous vibe as a much-too-young 13 year-old child dies giving birth to a green-eyed daughter (Lilith) in a dirty, old shack. Merge this unfortunate beginning with the hard living and harder dying on a late 18th century Jamaican sugar cane plantation populated with slaves named after characters portrayed in Greek tragedies and James delivers an intense novel steeped in history, mystery, with a touch of mysticism.

At it...more Marlon James's latest novel, The Book of Night Women, opens with an immediate ominous vibe as a much-too-young 13 year-old child dies giving birth to a green-eyed daughter (Lilith) in a dirty, old shack. Merge this unfortunate beginning with the hard living and harder dying on a late 18th century Jamaican sugar cane plantation populated with slaves named after characters portrayed in Greek tragedies and James delivers an intense novel steeped in history, mystery, with a touch of mysticism.

At its core, this is a historical novel narrated by the slave, Lilith, and an unknown voice (which is revealed at the end) in heavy Jamaican patois and broken English. Orphaned at birth, she is raised by the barren and cruel concubine-of-sorts, Circe, and the insane, but caring, Tantalus. Puberty brings unwanted attention and in a brutal act of self-defense, the pretty Lilith is ostracized and placed in Homer's care at the "big house." Drama and more trouble ensue as Lilith vies for the master's attention and affection foregoing Homer's warnings and advice. Homer and Lilith's dialogue and experiences reveal the inter-/intra-relationships and the complex hierarchical strata and blended culture among slaves (house, field, Johnny-jumper), whites (British, French, Irish, Creole, owners, and overseers), Maroons, and Africans (Ashanti, Igbo, etc.). Homer, understanding the power of superstition, practices myal and inflicts an obeah-inspired method of control and revenge across the plantation.

The Night Women are a group led by Homer, a natural leader and planner, who has been plotting revenge and a multi-plantation rebellion with other like-minded women on neighboring estates. Befriending and adding Lilith to the group causes consternation amongst the other women, including two who share her haunting green-eyes indicating a sisterly bond spawned by the same paternity. The plot thickens and twists as Lilith makes difficult choices (and have some made for her) as she grows into womanhood, negotiates the plantation politics, and evaluates her allegiance to friends, her heart, and her master.

Be warned, the novel is written in native patois which might be a bit hard to follow initially until the reader finds cadence in the pages. The language and imagery at times are a bit vulgar and are painfully and tearfully graphic. Nonetheless, James has penned a novel that is sure to place on my "favorites" list for 2009 releases. This novel offers page-turning intrigue, unpredictable plot turns, and colorful characters with authentic voices to produce an award-worthy novel.
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May 01, 2009 Kerry-Ann rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have read many books set in the time of slavery, but I have never read any quite like "The Book of Night Women". From the moment I started reading this book, it was difficult for me to put it down. Whenever I was not reading it, I was thinking aobut it. Now that I am finished, I am haunted by the rich, multi-dimensional characters that Mr. James have created. Throughout the book, James continuously peels off a layer from each character, and when you believe that you know a character, you begin...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Judy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Around the world readers

Shelves: 2012-reads, jamaica, fiction, audiobook-e-book

This was quite some book. The Book of Night Women takes the reader to turn-of-the-19th-Century Jamaica, rife with sugar plantations, racial unrest and the height of slavery. The account is well-written, allowing the reader to see the good and evil of all races. James drops a love story in the midst of all the darkness and turmoil of the historical background. The character of Lilith is excellent and James excels as showing her growth as a person, confusion and strength.

Dialect: The entire book i...more

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Dec 10, 2009 Esther Bradley-detally rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is a first novel by an incredible writer. It is compelling, and I devoured every word. I don't have the book in front of me, but I read it when I first got a note from the Publishing Company, One World, and then got it at the library. One World's info was not visible to me, but it showed an American Publisher.

Enuf said. It is written in the dialogue of Haitian language, and the protagonist is a young slave. I am pretty aware and have read a ton of books on Slavery in the United States,...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Morgana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, 2012-reads

This was on the suggested reading list that formed part of the statement by the Association of Black Women Historians about "The Help." Set in Jamaica on a sugar plantation around 1800, not long after the revolution in Saint-Domingue has shaken the Caribbean - a group of slave women on the plantation set out to plan a rebellion, hoping to create a republic along Haitian lines, but drawing as well on African village structures. The novel focuses on Lilith, a teenage mulatto slave whose ambitions...more

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Apr 15, 2009 Bookmarks Magazine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: may-june-2009

By exploring the ferociously cruel and dehumanizing practices of slavery in Jamaica, James adds a new chapter to the history of human bondage in the Americas -- "a story we may dare to think we already know" (New York Times Book Review). Powerful and eloquent, The Book of Night Women is narrated in a lilting Jamaican patois that at once underscores and eerily conflicts with the disturbing images of violence and degradation that James conjures. Though the novel is filled with familiar figures --

...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Pamela rated it 4 of 5 stars

First, I have to say that I read Harriet Jacobs' "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl", and fell in love with this amazingly strong woman; it also broke my heart to know that people could so easily treat one another so terribly. After reading "The Book of Night Women", I will say that though this is a work of fiction, I have once again been shocked at the reality of history. I DID enjoy this book- though at times, it was quite heart-wrenching. There are basic facts of history, and Mr James see...more

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Aug 19, 2010 Tiffany rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Tiffany by: Lakisha Simmons

Shelves: slavery, fiction

This is one of the bravest and most well-written novels I've ever read. It took reading The Book of Night Women to make me realize that it is possible to simultaneously hate and love a piece of literature.I loved Marlon James's insight into slavery in Jamaica and the complex and very personal ways in which it infected and shaped the hearts and minds of both whites and blacks in the colony. I enjoyed the lyricism of his narrative voice and--having spent a lot of time studying the history of slave...more

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Quotes from The Book of Night Women

“She not black, she mulatto. Mulatto, mulatto, mulatto. Maybe she be family to both and to hurt white man just as bad as hurting black man…..Maybe if she start to think that she not black or white, then she won’t have to care about neither man’s affairs. Maybe if she don’t care what other people think she be and start think about what she think she be, maybe she can rise over backra and nigger business, since neither ever mean her any good. Since the blood that run through her both black and white, maybe she be her own thing. But what thing she be?” — 3 people liked it

“She not no fool, Lilith tell herself. She not a sleeping princess and Robert Quinn is not no king or prince. He just a man with broad shoulders and black hair who call her lovey and she like that more than her own name. She don’t want the man to deliver her, she just want to climb in the bed and feel he wrap himself around her.” — 2 people liked it

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The Book of Night Women

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