The Revisioners. Margaret Wilkerson Sexton

Margaret Wilkerson Sexton won both the Crooks Corner Prize and the First Novelist Award from the Black Caucus of the American Libraries Association, and was longlisted for the National Book Award for her debut novel, A Kind of Freedom . Here she returns with her much-anticipated second novel, written with her signature eye for historical accuracy and movingly rendered interest in the intergenerational experiences of Black lives in America Already named among the Most Anticipated Books of 2019 by Electric Literature («one of 48 books by women and nonbinary authors of color to read in 2019») Sexton lives in the Bay Area, CA and is from New Orleans, LA, and maintains strong connections in both communities Major national tour to include independent bookstores, libraries, museums, literary festivals, and cultural centers across the country Robust Indie Next and LibraryReads campaigns Lexile Measure: 820L Praise from Booksellers “The past informs the present in The Revisioners by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton. The contemporary story of Ava, who moves in to help her white grandmother, alternates with the story of her ancestor, Josephine. Born into slavery, but ultimately a free, land-owning woman, Josephine contains an almost mystical power. The evil legacy of slavery, however, will impact the lives of both women regardless of their internal strength. Sexton's novel is reminiscent of the works of playwright August Wilson and will leave an indelible mark upon each reader's soul.” —Pamela Klinger-Horn, Excelsior Bay Books (Excelsior, Minnesota) «Sexton's writing is gorgeous; her rich characters and vivid descriptions pull the reader through this intense multigenerational narrative. Time feels malleable, even fragile, while emotions feel more concrete; hope and fear are carried forward by new generations in a tale that is both haunting and lovely.» —Amy Van Keuren, Bank Square Books (Mystic, CT) «Beautifully told from two perspectives in time—Josephine, formerly enslaved, and her descendant Ava. What this really captures are the voices of those who don’t traditionally have a voice, the ones whose presence has been erased in time, as well as the difficult history as to what those voices say. Despite being separated by generations, both women are united in parental love, as well as problematic relations with white people who subconsciously (or not) attempt to exert power over them.» —Audrey Huang, Belmont Books (Belmont, MA) "Margaret Wilkerson Sexton’s The Revisioners is a tribute, a prayer, a triumphant cry of gratitude to those who came before us. The intergenerational memories and desire for freedom and survival push Ava forward when things get hard. Moving into her grandmother’s house with her son seems to be a temporary fix, but she has no idea the legacy she has inherited. The Revisioners honors with reverence the histories of those who had no voice." —Rachel Watkins, bookseller at Avid Bookshop (Athens, GA) " The Revisioners is a multigenerational story that spans more than 150 years, tracing the ancestral connection between contemporary mother Ava and her several times great-grandmother, Josephine. Ava is a single mother who moves in with her grandmother, a white woman, whose son, Ava’s father, has been largely absent from her life due to Ava’s tenuous position as his biracial child. The tensions between Ava and her grandmother are mirrored through the story of Josephine, a woman who was born enslaved but who is able, alongside her husband, to slowly buy their own land. Ava is connected to the women in her family through her ability to nurture, particularly her desire to become a doula, a gifted spiritual guide in the process of childbirth. Sexton weaves a powerful tale exploring the meaning of motherhood in the face of treacherous and undeniable obstacles, whether they be the desire for freedom in pre–Civil War Louisiana, the violence of the Klan in the post–Red Summer South, or the difficult navigation of identity in a very much not postracial America. Sexton’s novel is a testament to the unique strengths of women and their determination to leave a lineage that lasts." —Morgan McComb, The Raven Book Store (Lawrence, KS) " The Revisioners is a captivating read about multiple generations of intriguing women. Margaret Wilkerson Sexton tackles big subjects with such nuance; her incisiveness is striking. This combined with the fact that she never lets her characters lose their truth makes her a powerful storyteller whom everybody should be reading." —Consuelo Hacker, BookPeople (Austin, TX) «Margaret Wilkerson Sexton writes her characters with such clarity and moving spirit, infusing them with power and insight. The storytelling was literally breathtaking—more than once I gasped, hand to my chest as past and present collided, as Ava and her great-great-grandmother Josephine navigated the seen and unseen. A tribute to women, to history on repeat, and to the desire for freedom across time.» —Susan Bernhard, Belmont Books (Belmont, MA) "Margaret Wilkerson Sexton returns to the fertile ground of multigenerational New Orleanian family stories in her superb second novel, The Revisioners . Alternating in time between Josephine and her great-great-granddaughter Ava, The Revisioners reveals the nuances of historical and contemporary mother-son relationships and is especially adept at illustrating the insidiousness of white women's casual and intimate racism towards black women. Ultimately, The Revisioners offers an empowering story perfect for book clubs and fans of Jesmyn Ward, Suzan-Lori Parks, and Angela Flournoy." —E. R. Anderson, Charis Books (Decatur, GA) «A story focused on two women and set in 1855, 1924, and 2017. Ava is a modern single mother with a teenage son and is divorced from the white son of Grandma, her ex-mother-in-law. Down on her luck, she moves in as a caretaker for her, and the lingering racism from Grandma becomes more pronounced as her mind begins to fail her. Ava's grandmother's great-grandmother, Josephine, is portrayed as a child slave, and later in life as the widowed owner of a three-hundred-acre farm. Ava and Josephine both have the ability to revision, seeing into others' souls and guiding them to a different place, at times to save their own lives. Sexton does a beautiful job of developing her characters while accurately describing the racism that is never far away no matter the time period and circumstances. No matter the progress, white reprisal is never far away. After beginning the book, I cancelled my plans and devoured it in less than a day. This story is loving and devastating in the best way, and a timely reminder that we need much more work if we are ever to become a post-racial society.» —Todd Miller, Arcadia Books (Spring Green, WI) "Josephine, one of the main characters in this excellent novel, says that the stories she told her grandson about her days as a slave on a Mississippi plantation are 'bedtime stories.' Does that mean they shouldn't be shared in the daylight or simply that there might be some magic being practiced in them? This is the question that haunts those in The Revisioners—Margaret Wilkerson Sexton's story of Ava in 2017 and Josephine, her great-great-grandmother, in 1855 and 1924. Even in the twenty-first century, when we would like to think we have moved past such horrific actions such as slavery and the degradation of others, we cannot let the stories of racism and the mistreatment of others be relegated to bedtime, to tall tales, to the night. They must be told now, in the open, through books such as The Revisioners , in the hope that people will chose to act out of love rather than continue to be chained and bowed by hate." —Christine Havens, BookPeople (Austin, TX) "The dynamics between generations and histories in The Revisioners are tightly drawn. Sexton has a solid grasp of the views and feelings held by the very different people in this family and gives voice to their stories with compassion." —Christie M. Schaefer, Octavia Books (New Orleans, LA) " The Revisioners is an intensely moving and sharply engaging novel that spotlights the generational trauma that is the living legacy of American slavery. Josephine, the beating heart of Sexton's masterpiece, is born on a plantation in 1845 and, as a free woman, goes on to marry, own land, have a family, and live long enough to witness firsthand the horrors of the Jim Crow South. Single mom Ava, the product of an interracial marriage and Josephine's great-great-granddaughter, anchors the 2017 end of this multigenerational story set in and around New Orleans. Sexton pulls no punches and makes no apologies in her vilification of whiteness writ large, and it was this honesty, in part, that drove her story and characters so deep inside my soul. I just forced this into a coworker's hands yesterday so I would have someone to talk to about it ASAP. READ THIS BOOK. Okay, I'm done." —Kat Leach, Novel (Memphis, TN) "Margaret Wilkerson Sexton is a master of family stories, someone who weaves the African American experience across generations with ease and grace. The Revisioners is a book that propels the reader through history with confidence, and in Josephine and Ava, Wilkerson has created characters who are universal while being so singularly unique. I can't wait to sell this book!" —Jamie Thomas, Women & Children First (Chicago, IL) " The Revisioners is a multigenerational, multicultural story of women caught up in the tides of history and cultural change. It’s a moving story as well as a minihistory and should be an excellent candidate for book group discussions. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in how we got here and where we’re going." —Linda Bond, Auntie's Bookstore (Spokane, WA) "I couldn't put The Revisioners down once I picked it up last week! It's an intergenerational tale focusing on the women of a black Louisiana family, from Ava in 2017 to her great-great-grandma Josephine in 1924, and then to ten-year-old Josephine in 1855, who is still a slave. Sexton highlights the cyclical nature of history and family, the connections between generations, and a natural magic that infuses the prose as well as the characters. I loved the fierce loyalty the women show each other and themselves throughout their various ordeals with racism and 'well-meaning' (emphasis mine, not Sexton's) white people. The Revisioners is both a warning and a beacon of hope for a country that hasn't healed or overcome its white supremacy. It's definitely one of my 2019 faves!" —Sara Wigglesworth, Green Apple Books (San Francisco, CA) «The novel weaves together the stories of Ava, a young biracial woman who has moved with her son into the house of her white grandmother, and Josephine, her ancestor who escaped slavery as a child and, in 1924, owns her own farm in Louisiana. It is a beautifully written, wise novel about how the strength of one’s forebears can give power to those facing racism today.» —Lia Lent, WordsWorth Books (Little Rock, AR)