Yonder

Starred review from October 11, 2021
Novelist and cultural critic Asim (We Can’t Breathe) delivers a searing and redemptive story of slavery and survival. Set in the antebellum South, it is narrated primarily by enslaved people who call themselves the “Stolen” and white people “Thieves.” To sustain themselves through the cruelties of their owner, Cannonball Greene, a philandering pseudo-intellectual planning a study of Africans in America, the Stolen rely on their rituals and bonds. Inspired by myths of the Buba Yalis, Zander, a teen, believes he will one day fly like his African ancestors. Cato eases the shattering grief of his lover’s death by adding her name to the seven words chosen by the elders for each Stolen at birth, in the belief that “words were mighty enough to change condition.” William doubts the power of all words, trusting action instead. When he stops Cupid, the plantation’s slave foreman, from bullying Zander one night, the two men fight. Cato steps in and kills Cupid, then helps William bury him in the woods. Faced with Greene’s rage, the others, heeding the promises of freedom offered by an itinerant Black preacher, consider a risky escape. Asim convincingly portrays what W.E.B. Du Bois would later term “double consciousness” among the Stolen: “All of us have two tongues,” an unnamed Stolen says, distinguishing between the “lament cloaked in deception” used for their enslavers and the rich, transgressive language used among themselves. At once intimate and majestic, the prose marries a gripping narrative with an unforgettable exploration of the power of stories, language, and hope. With a bold vision, Asim demonstrates his remarkable gifts. Agent: Joy Harris, Joy Harris Literary.

Starred review from November 15, 2021
A novel of enslaved people reaching for love and freedom. Asim's multifaceted oeuvre includes 12 books for children, a collection of poetry, acclaimed works of social criticism, and a short story collection. His majestic second novel is set in the mid-19th century on a plantation called Placid Hall, which is within a hundred miles of free soil. The slaves call themselves the Stolen, and White people, from plantation owners down to children, are referred to as Thieves. Despite living in a society determined to keep the Stolen uneducated and unaware of their surroundings, the enslaved people of Placid Hall hold on to as much of their humanity as possible. They dream of freedom, they fall in love despite knowing they could be separated from their partners or children at any moment, and they believe in the power of words and storytelling. "Our elders taught us that words were mighty enough to change our condition. They whispered seven words into the ears of every Stolen newborn before the child was given a name, seven words carefully chosen for that child alone." The seven words serve as part prayer and part talisman, but they also give each of the Stolen an identity apart from slavery. Told in quick chapters, many just two or three pages long, that alternate narrators among the Stolen, the novel manages to convey the horrors and vicissitudes of slavery while never compromising each character's humanity. William is strong and stubborn and hopelessly in love with Margaret. Cato is still grieving the death of his love but begins to see a new future with Pandora. These four, plus Little Zander--who's always practicing flying away--have to decide if they're ready to risk their lives for the dream of a better future. Asim demonstrates all a novel can be: soaring and grounded, personal and epic, thrilling and quiet. A wonder-filled novel about the power of words and stories to bring hope to the most difficult situations.

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Starred review from October 1, 2021
The Stolen--enslaved Blacks on "Cannonball" Greene's plantation--should know better: It is dangerous to even dream about freedom, much less actually break free. Every day they toil without rest as their master, part of the Thieves, spins political ambitions and is taken up with polygenism, a theory that argues that Blacks are a different species. The dynamics among the Stolen--William, Cato, Zander and Margaret, Pandora, and Cupid--play out against the grim backdrop of grueling plantation life, where violence is swift, and justice difficult to come by. Members of the Stolen take turns driving the plot; rich and vivid stories are their only saving grace; "Our language, our secret tongue, was our last defense," William says. Tales with African roots of guardian angels that can deliver justice add a mesmerizing touch of magical realism to the narrative. When an itinerant preacher promises the Stolen a free life "yonder," they must decide if the risk is worth the gain. Asim vividly captures the daily rhythms of the Stolen's lives, in which harshness is punctuated by brief spells of joy. As the enslaved embark on a soaring adventure in pursuit of freedom, a gripping and satisfying crescendo caps this lyrical story.

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