Sing, Unburied, Sing

Sing, Unburied, Sing is Southern Gothic embodied. Jesmyn Ward brings a modern truth to her novels that rivals Tennessee Williams and William Faulkner. With a gift that enables her to cross class and race lines, Ward takes us on a journey with a poor Mississippi family in which every member tries to navigate their relationships with each other and with themselves. Jojo is a young teenager who is devoted to his sister Kayla, a toddler who cries only for him. Their mother, Leonie, is ruled by her drug addiction and her ferocious love for her boyfriend, Michael, who is in jail on drug-related charges. Mam and Pop, Leonie’s parents, are the real guardians of Jojo and Kayla, showing them the unconditional love their mother and father cannot. When Michael is released from prison, Leonie takes the kids on a harrowing journey to Parchman to collect their father. This is a beautiful and truthful look at a family struggling to find meaning in life, love, and family.