Yes, this book is 790 pages. Yes, I thought that was more than a little daunting, but I’m so happy that I challenged my attention span and read this novel. Part coming-of-age story, part examination of racial injustice in higher education, part sweeping historical saga, and part family drama, The Love Songs of W.E.B Du Bois spans centuries yet somehow still feels so focused and pictorial. Apparently, Jeffers is an accomplished poet, and the language here definitely reflects that. I’m going to stop this blurb here because if I talk too much, I won’t be able to stop for 800 pages myself, but if you commit to this book, it won’t disappoint you.
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du BoisThe Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers, (List Price: $20, Harper Perennial, 9780062942951, May 2022)
Reviewed by Sam Edge, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina