Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward

Let Us Descend

Author: Jesmyn Ward

Genre: Fiction, Magical Realism

Publish Date: October 2023

Read: January 2025

Favorite Quote: How to apologize for wanting some word, some story, some beautiful thing for my own?

Story Synopsis: Annis is a slave in the rice plantations of North Carolina. At a young age, her mother is sold, then when she works to avoid the plantation owner’s unsavory intentions, she herself is sold and marched to New Orleans. In New Orleans, she’s sold to a brothel, and nothing seems to get better for Annis. She invokes the spirits of her ancestors to show her the way and improve her life.

Why does this book beguile? Shooooooo buddy. This is a heavy book. It’s gotten a lot of hype for how good it is, but this is the opposite of happy and cozy. There is no question that Jesmyn Ward is gifted with prose, however I got lost in this book with the magical realism. Usually, I love magical realism, but I could not distinguish what was real vs. what was Annis’ dissociation mind. It was confusing. The message about the reality of black history is incredibly important, but I struggled to get through this book.

Rating: 2/5

Link*: Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward

If you’re interested in this, read*: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters