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The Prophets

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The Prophets

Written by: Robert Jones Jr.
Narrated by: Karen Chilton
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Best Book of the Year
NPR • The Washington Post • Boston Globe • TIME • USA Today • Entertainment Weekly • Real Simple • Parade • Buzzfeed • Electric Literature • LitHub • BookRiot • PopSugar • Goop • Library Journal • BookBub • KCRW

• Finalist for the National Book Award
• One of the New York Times Notable Books of the Year
• One of the New York Times Best Historical Fiction of the Year
• Instant New York Times Bestseller

A singular and stunning debut novel about the forbidden union between two enslaved young men on a Deep South plantation, the refuge they find in each other, and a betrayal that threatens their existence.

Isaiah was Samuel's and Samuel was Isaiah's. That was the way it was since the beginning, and the way it was to be until the end. In the barn they tended to the animals, but also to each other, transforming the hollowed-out shed into a place of human refuge, a source of intimacy and hope in a world ruled by vicious masters. But when an older man—a fellow slave—seeks to gain favor by preaching the master's gospel on the plantation, the enslaved begin to turn on their own. Isaiah and Samuel's love, which was once so simple, is seen as sinful and a clear danger to the plantation's harmony.

With a lyricism reminiscent of Toni Morrison, Robert Jones, Jr., fiercely summons the voices of slaver and enslaved alike, from Isaiah and Samuel to the calculating slave master to the long line of women that surround them, women who have carried the soul of the plantation on their shoulders. As tensions build and the weight of centuries—of ancestors and future generations to come—culminates in a climactic reckoning, The Prophets fearlessly reveals the pain and suffering of inheritance, but is also shot through with hope, beauty, and truth, portraying the enormous, heroic power of love. Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction
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I can't say I've felt this way before but I almost feel like I need to read this book again. The language was so beautiful and the characters were so wonderfully fleshed out, but I worry that in all that I still may have missed some things. I felt lost at times and had to go back a re-read/re-listen to sections multiple times. I very much appreciate that, despite it being a book centred around two male characters, there were many female characters who were whole and really created the atmosphere surrounding the story.

Beautiful language and characters

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well read. the characters come alive through Karen. the writing puts you in the time and place. difficult to listen to in parts which is what it should be.

Tough read but worth it

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