 | This December 2007 needs additional citations for verification. (December 2007) |
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| Author | Paule Marshall |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Social realism novel |
| Publisher | Plume, Penguin Group |
Publication date | February 14, 1983 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 256 pp |
| ISBN | 0-399-12754-2 (hardcover) (1st edition) |
| OCLC | 8626833 |
| 813/.54 19 | |
| LC Class | PS3563.A7223 P7 1983 |
Praisesong for the Widow is a 1983 novel by Paule Marshall that takes place in the mid-1970s, chronicling the life of Avey Johnson, a 64-year-old African-American widow on a physical and emotional journey in the Caribbean island of Carriacou. Throughout the novel, there are many flashbacks to Avey's earlier life experiences with her late husband, Jerome Johnson, as well as childhood events that reconnect her with her lost cultural roots. The book was reissued in 2021, part of McSweeney's "Of the Diaspora" series highlighting important works in Black literature.