Reading Your Way Through Jesmyn Ward

Salvage the Bones immerses readers in the lives of the Batiste family as they brace for Hurricane Katrina on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Through the eyes of Esch, a pregnant teenager, Ward weaves a gutsy, tender tale of survival that showcases her lyrical prose and unflinching portrayal of rural Southern life. This National Book Award-winning novel serves as an ideal introduction to Ward's work, highlighting her ability to find beauty in struggle and resilience in the face of overwhelming odds.

"Sing, Unburied, Sing" follows Jojo, a biracial teen in rural Mississippi, as he navigates adolescence while caring for his younger sister and drug-addicted mother. When his father is released from prison, the family embarks on a turbulent road trip that serves as a metaphor for the confinement of poverty. Ward's award-winning novel, drawing comparisons to Faulkner and Morrison, masterfully explores the weight of history and family dysfunction through multiple narrators, blending the physical and supernatural to confront the ghosts of race and trauma.

Unlike her fictional works, Men We Reaped draws directly from Ward's own experiences. This raw narrative covers the tragic deaths of five young men from her community over the span of just a few years, offering a searing exploration of race, poverty, and systemic injustice in the rural South. If you admire Ward's poetic depictions and are ready for an impeccably-researched picture of the relentless brutality of racism in the South, this is where to start.

"Let Us Descend", aptly named after Dante's inferno, is Ward's most recent work. It centers on Annis, a young enslaved girl from the West African warrior kingdom of Dahomey. Through Annis's harrowing journey from the Carolinas to New Orleans, Ward lays bare the brutal reality of chattel slavery in the Deep South, offering an indispensable reckoning with the foundational roots of modern racism. This novel, described by NPR's Gabino Iglesias as "angry, beautiful, raw, visceral, and heartfelt," is a powerful historical narrative that resonates with contemporary urgency, further cementing Ward's status as a literary force.

Ward's debut novel follows twin brothers Joshua and Christophe as they come of age in a small Mississippi town, grappling with limited opportunities and the allure of escape amid the simmering tensions of poverty. Ward brings to life the struggles of everyday existence in the Deep South, from the stifling heat of summer to the relentless grind of manual labor. In none of her other works is her writing as restrained, yet striking, as it is here.

As editor of this powerful anthology, Ward brings together essays and poems from diverse voices, including Claudia Rankine, Edwidge Danticat, and Kiese Laymon, to illuminate the persistent complexities of race in today's America. Drawing inspiration from Baldwin's The Fire Next Time, this collection sparks essential conversations about racial justice, police brutality, and cultural identity, serving as both a testament to literature's power as a tool for change and a rallying cry for action.

Ward's inspiring (second) memoir, drawn from her Tulane commencement speech, is a meditation on the contrast and development of life in the rural South to her esteemed career in academia and writing. Her heartfelt wisdom is paired with stunning, colorful illustrations depicting the tenacity and humility required of Ward as she navigates her changing environment. Navigate Your Stars serves as a stirring call to action, empowering readers to navigate life’s challenges with courage, resilience, and unwavering determination.