Cover of Sing, Unburied, Sing

Book · 2017 · FICTION / African American / General

Sing, Unburied, Sing

by Jesmyn Ward · Recommended by 10 people on 1 podcast

Why people recommend it

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward is a powerful Mississippi-set novel that functions simultaneously as a raw road trip narrative and a haunting ghost story. The book has received extensive praise across multiple episodes of The Book Review. On The Book Review, Tina Jordan recommended the novel as an effective background companion piece to American Prison, while Gilbert Cruz included it among the standout books of 2017. Lauren Christensen also recommended the Mississippi novel during a listeners' questions episode, and Jennifer Szalai discussed choosing the work for its unique blend of a road trip setup with ghostly elements. Alexander Alter and John Williams both highlighted Jesmyn Ward's prestigious National Book Award win for the fiction category, with Williams noting that he anticipated the author would take home the prize prior to the official ceremony. Additionally, Pamela Paul proudly announced the title as the very first selection for a participatory book club launch, and Alexander Alter previously noted the immense critical acclaim the novel garnered among long-standing literary figures. The widespread discussion across these various episodes underscores the novel's lasting emotional resonance and its prominent place in contemporary American fiction, cementing Jesmyn Ward's extraordinary reputation as a vital voice in modern literature.

Who recommended it

Pamela Paul — 5 mentions
Book club
“so this is really a participatory book club and we're super excited to announce the first author on the book club on the first book Choice which is Jasmine Wards sing unburied sing”
Discussed
“well there was recently as you know Jasmine Ward's Sing unburied Sing which continues her look also at African-American South”
Discussed
“um but yeah so that's another reason that writing create nonfiction is really hard for me because I I avoid in my writing and so you know it's up to my my friends and my you know my editor um to read what I've written to really push me towards you know writing about these things that I'm that I'm”
Discussed
“tell us what this book Sing unburied Sing is about okay Sing uned Sing follows a family from the Mississippi G Coast up into the heart of Mississippi to to the Delta to Parchman as they journey to Parchman prison to pick up one of the members of the family from the jail”
Book club
“so this is really a participatory book club and we're super excited to announce the first author on the book club on the first book Choice which is Jasmine Wards sing unburied sing”
Gilbert Cruz — 2 mentions
Book club
“so this is really a participatory book club and we're super excited to announce the first author on the book club on the first book Choice which is Jasmine Wards sing unburied sing”
Recommended
“Sing unburied Sing by Jasmine Ward”
Jennifer Szalai — 1 mention
Discussed
“And so there was a book that I picked, Sing Unburied, Sing by Jessine Ward, which is really road trip novel turned into a ghost story.”
Alexandra Alter — 1 mention
Discussed
“and the winner of the fiction category this year was Jasmine Ward who won for her novel Sing unburied Sing which was absolutely you know one of I think every critic's top books of the year it seems like at this point”
John Williams — 1 mention
Discussed
“I went to the National book awards sty last night with uh several people including yourself and I had a sense that Jasmine Ward would be one of the favorites for the fiction award for her novel sing un buried sing her second novel to win the prize”
Alexander Alter — 1 mention
Discussed
“what about among the Oldtimer nov oldtimers we have um Jasmine mards Sing unburied Sing which has gotten incredible critical praise”
Lovia Gyarkye — 1 mention
Discussed
“and and then I'm also reading Sing unburied Sing by jusmine Ward which we just reviewed twice”
Tina Jordan — 1 mention
Recommended
“Shane Bower 2 is a book that um fans of Jasmine Wards Sing unburied Sing might turn to for background”
Greg Cole — 1 mention
Discussed
“why don't I start off by talking about Jasmine Wards sing unburied sing”
Lauren Christensen — 1 mention
Recommended
“and another novel that I had thought of was sing unburied Singh Jasmine Ward's Mississippi novel”

Also mentioned in the same episodes

Other mentions (4: passing, ad reads, own books)
Passing
“the novelist Jasmine word she was there to talk about her upcoming novel sing unburied sing”
Passing
“Jasmine Ward will be here to discuss her new novel Sing unburied Sing why five new books about Darwin now the sample we have here that we look at in the review is representative in some ways of the more readable books”
Passing
“Jasmine Ward joins us now from San Francisco where she is on tour for her new novel Sing unburied Sing Jasmine thanks for joining us”
Passing
“the book is called Sing unburied Sing by Jasmine Ward it's just been longlisted for the national book award”