A review by misslisa11
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Annis, sold south by the white enslaver who fathered her, is the reader’s guide through the hellscape that is slavery. Forced to walk from the Carolinas to Louisiana after she is sold, Annis turns inward, seeking comfort from memories of her mother and stories of her African warrior grandmother. Throughout her journey, she opens herself to a world beyond, one teeming with spirits. But some spirits nurture and give, while others manipulate and take. As she descends further south, what unfolds is a story of rebirth and reclamation.

Final Phyllis’s Former Students Book Club Reas of 2023! This was my first book by Ward and the writing was breathtaking. I am interested to read some of her other works as her writing is so beautiful. Some of the fantasy/magical realism elements were a little confusing to me, so at times when I was reading this book I was a bit clueless about what was happening, which spirit is which, and where the line between the present and remembering was drawn. Annis was such a strong character who ensured so much hardship, and the novel’s ending was beautifully empowering. I think I would have liked this book better if the magical realism elements were a little bit more attainable or explained a bit more clearly, but overall this was a heartbreaking and beautiful story.