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Title details for Africaville by Jeffrey Colvin - Available

Africaville

A Novel

by Jeffrey Colvin
Robin Miles
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available

A ferociously talented writer makes his stunning debut with this richly woven tapestry, set in a small Nova Scotia town settled by former slaves, that depicts several generations of one family bound together and torn apart by blood, faith, time, and fate.
Vogue : Best Books to Read This Winter


Structured as a triptych, Africaville chronicles the lives of three generations of the Sebolt family—Kath Ella, her son Omar/Etienne, and her grandson Warner—whose lives unfold against the tumultuous events of the twentieth century from the Great Depression of the 1930s, through the social protests of the 1960s to the economic upheavals in the 1980s.

A century earlier, Kath Ella's ancestors established a new home in Nova Scotia. Like her ancestors, Kath Ella's life is shaped by hardship—she struggles to conceive and to provide for her family during the long, bitter Canadian winters. She must also contend with the locals' lingering suspicions about the dark-skinned "outsiders" who live in their midst.

Kath Ella's fierce love for her son, Omar, cannot help her overcome the racial prejudices that linger in this remote, tight-knit place. As he grows up, the rebellious Omar refutes the past and decides to break from the family, threatening to upend all that Kath Ella and her people have tried to build. Over the decades, each successive generation drifts further from Africaville, yet they take a piece of this indelible place with them as they make their way to Montreal, Vermont, and beyond, to the deep South of America.

As it explores notions of identity, passing, cross-racial relationships, the importance of place, and the meaning of home, Africaville tells the larger story of the black experience in parts of Canada and the United States. Vibrant and lyrical, filled with colorful details, and told in a powerful, haunting voice, this extraordinary novel—as atmospheric and steeped in history as The Known World, Barracoon, The Underground Railroad, and The Twelve Tribes of Hattie—is a landmark work from a sure-to-be major literary talent.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    December 10, 2019

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780062957634
      • File size: 363425 KB
      • Duration: 12:37:08

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      September 23, 2019
      Inspired by Africville,
      a neighborhood in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Colvin’s intriguing and memorable debut shines a light on a little-known black experience: the freed slaves from the Caribbean and U.S. who established a community in Canada in the 1800s. This family saga extends from 1918 to 1992 and focuses on descendants of the Sebolt and Platt families, who are joined when Omar Platt has an affair with Kath Ella Sebolt in 1936 right before his accidental death. She gives birth to a son and leaves Halifax for Montreal to further her education, meeting her future husband there, a white man who adopts baby Omar, renaming him Etienne. Etienne moves to Alabama in the 1960s, passes for white, marries a white woman, and ignores the black side of his family to such an extent that his own son, Warner, doesn’t find out about his black heritage until after his father’s death. Colvin expertly weaves in the subject of owning one’s heritage as Warner comes to terms with his Canadian past and the tragedies that dogged the Sebolts and Platts. The book covers much territory—the black experience in a small enclave in Canada and Etienne’s and Warner’s grappling with their racial identity—and sometimes these varying plots feel like they belong in two different books, making for a novel that feels diffuse. Nevertheless, this is a penetrating, fresh look at the indomitable spirit of black pioneers and their descendants.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      This novel is set in a little known Nova Scotian community of transplanted Jamaicans and individuals of African descent (which is based on the real community of Africville). The story also moves to Montreal, Alabama, and Vermont and spans most of the twentieth century. Robin Miles's narration smooths the sometimes abrupt transitions between episodes so listeners can experience the narrative in a steadier fashion. The story centers on three generations of the Sebolt family. Through Miles's expressive portrayals of the grandmother, Kath Ella, a teacher; her son, Omar/Etienne, a college administrator; and her young grandson, Warner, listeners sense the strong pull of family bonds, as well as the debilitating power of racism upon one's identity. Splendid depictions of secondary characters, including Kath Ella's strong-willed sister, Louella, and her spirited childhood friend, Kiendra, add vibrancy. M.J. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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