Description
Book Synopsis*THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*
Four Hundred Souls is an epoch-defining history of African America, the first to appear in a generation, told by ninety leading Black voices -- co-curated by Ibram X. Kendi, author of the million-copy bestseller How To Be an Antiracist, and Keisha N. Blain, author of Set the World on Fire.
In chronological chapters, each by a different author and spanning five years, the book charts the four-hundred-year journey of African Americans to the present - a journey defined by inhuman oppression, visionary struggles and stunning achievements.
Contributors include some of today's leading writers, historians, journalists, lawyers, poets and activists. Together - through essays and short stories, personal vignettes and fiery polemics - they redefine America and the way its history can be told.
'A vital addition to the curriculum on race in America... Compelling' Washington Post
'A resounding history...that challenges the myths of America's past... Fresh and engaging' Colin Grant, Guardian
Trade ReviewAn impressive and illuminating collection that rejects Blackness in America as a singular experience and instead illustrates the range of Black experiences and voices * Time, 21 Most Anticipated Books of 2021 *
A polyphonic work that unites writers, historians, lawyers, poets and activists ... From Morgan Parker's poem Before Revolution to writer Bernice L McFadden's soaring exploration of Zora Neale Hurston's genre-defining writing, it's something quite incredible * Stylist *
Highly readable and far more compelling than a mere historical digest would have been ... This collection teaches us that nothing about the latest crisis is new ... a vital addition to that curriculum on race in America and should serve as a gateway to the solo works of all the voices in Kendi and Blain's impressive choir * Washington Post *
A provocative, stirring anthology . . .
Four Hundred Souls weaves a tapestry of unspeakable suffering and unexpected transcendence * O: The Oprah Magazine, 20 of the Best Books of February 2021 to Fall in Love With *
