Marlon James

Lilith was 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 the

The Book of Night Women

This 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 Night Women – a clandestine council of fierce slaves plotting an island-wide revolt – recognize a dark force in her that they treat with both reverence and fear. But as Lilith comes of age and begins to understand her own feelings and identity, she dares to push at the edges of what is imaginable for the life of a slave woman. And as rebellions simmer and unspoken jealousies intensify, Lilith’s powers and sense of purpose threaten not just her own destiny, but the destinies of all the slave women in Jamaica.

Jade Flynn

James has solidified himself as one of my all time favourite writers. He's a sorcerer of narrative. A story to remember.

Feared from birth for her vivid green eyes, which her fellow slaves believe to be evidence of her dark powers, young slave Lilith is both revered and avoided throughout her childhood and becomes a key to the success of a long-planned slave revolt. Reprint.

Daryl Houston

This is such a good book. It's hard to read, as it describes very graphically the horror inflicted upon slaves in Jamaica in the late 18th century. But it's also beautiful and offers a much more complex and rich story than the genre tag "slave narrative" suggests. There's mystery and intrigue and maybe magic and even humor here. There's despair and family feeling and turpitude and breathtaking resilience. It's one to read again later.

The Book of Night Women

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