Books on Tap met on September 5 to discuss Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward. Ward, a Professor of Creative Writing at Tulane University, is the first woman author and the first Black American author to win the National Book Award twice.  Sing, Unburied, Sing was the 2017 winner for Fiction.

Ward admits to having a love-hate relationship with her hometown in Alabama.  She was the first of her family to attend college.  Her first novel, Where the Line Bleeds was written in memory of her brother who was killed by a drunk driver.

Most readers agreed that it was a hard read, often depressing, but well worth it.  Some felt that it was a bit cluttered and might have been stronger with less disorder.  One reader thought there were too many ghosts.  Ghosts are an integral part of the storyline, though there are only two until the last few chapters.  There was unanimous agreement that there was a lot packed into those last two chapters. 

This novel tries to shine a light on the history of Parchman prison.  One reader did some research on the prison and felt it really helped explain the inclusion of the ghost.  Boys as young as 13 or 14 were incarcerated there.  One person described it as slavery by another name.  The scene where Pop finally tells Jojo the full story of his time at Parchman, including his relationship with Richie (then a young boy, now a ghost) is the only time Pop shows vulnerability.  Readers felt the revelation of Pop’s tortured past allowed Pop to become human. It was his moment of reckoning. It is also when Jojo really comes of age, recognizing that being an adult doesn’t mean always being strong.  As one reader put it, when you realize parents are fallible, you see the reality of life. 

The relationship between Leonie and her children, Jojo and Kayla, is a major component of the novel.  Leonie was unable to express love and seemed to completely lack any maternal instinct.  It’s telling that during the road trip Jojo has to steal food to feed Kayla while the adults in the front seat are eating and not sharing with the children.

Jojo and Kayla were largely raised by Pop and Mam, Leonie’s parents.  Opinions were divided on whether Jojo was a sympathetic character.  Some felt that Leonie was a tortured girl who had messed up and made bad decisions and deserved more sympathy from Jojo. One reader, who did not like Jojo, sincerely empathized with Leonie saying parenting is hard and we all wound our children.  Others thought that given the neglect and way Leonie had treated him, Jojo’s reactions were normal for his age.  He’s been damaged by his past and is also angry on behalf of his little sister, Kayla.  Some felt that it was Leonie’s actions that forced Jojo into a parental role.                                               

Many of the readers had a hard time fully connecting with the characters.  It was hard to see Jojo’s personality beyond the obvious damage.  Others couldn’t understand where some characters were coming from and didn’t understand their reasons for the choices they were making.  One attendee suggested it might have been good to have a chapter from Pop’s perspective.

In addition to ghosts, the themes of spiritualism, second sight, and herbalism are important in the book.  One person observed that Leonie’s drug addiction was almost a perversion of the herbalism her mother tried to teach her as she was growing up.

The question of what the title means generated some lively discussion.  Kayla likes to hear Jojo sing.  It’s comforting for her.  But the song is also a universal song of creation.  The ghosts, because of their trauma, couldn’t access the tune.  Until they can join the song, they can’t pass on to the afterlife.  They needed someone to sing for them.  Richie, one of the two main ghosts in the book explained it:

New Animal book group starting at Central Library:

Second Tuesdays at 5:30, September – December.

If you love reading and animals, Animal Book Club is for you! Through the lens of novels and nonfiction books, we’ll explore the ethics and emotions of our complex relationships with all creatures great and small.

• October 8: The Good Good Pig by Sy Montgomery
• November 12: West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
• December 10: My Beloved Monster by Caleb Carr