Africaville A Novel
Africaville A Novel by Jeffrey Colvin, published by HarperCollinsPublishers in 2019, is a debut work that intricately weaves the story of the Sebolt family across three generations. Set in a small Nova Scotia town established by former slaves, this novel explores the complexities of family ties, identity, and the impact of historical events from the Great Depression through the social protests of the 1960s and into the economic challenges of the 1980s. With 371 pages, this edition presents a rich narrative that delves into the lives of its characters against the backdrop of their struggles and triumphs.
Readers will find a detailed exploration of the Sebolt family’s experiences, particularly focusing on Kath Ella, her son Omar, and her grandson Warner. The narrative addresses themes such as racial prejudice, the significance of place, and the meaning of home, as each generation grapples with their identity and the legacy of Africaville. The novel captures the essence of the black experience in both Canada and the United States, offering a vibrant and lyrical portrayal of life shaped by hardship and resilience. This edition invites readers to reflect on the enduring connections to heritage and the complexities of belonging.
Official synopsis Publisher
2020 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award Nominee-Debut Fiction
A ferociously talented writer makes his stunning debut with this richly woven tapestry, set in a small Nova Scotia town settled by former slaves, that depicts several generations of one family bound together and torn apart by blood, faith, time, and fate.
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Structured as a triptych, Africaville chronicles the lives of three generations of the Sebolt family–Kath Ella, her son Omar/Etienne, and her grandson Warner–whose lives unfold against the tumultuous events of the twentieth century from the Great Depression of the 1930s, through the social protests of the 1960s to the economic upheavals in the 1980s.
A century earlier, Kath Ella’s ancestors established a new home in Nova Scotia. Like her ancestors, Kath Ella’s life is shaped by hardship–she struggles to conceive and to provide for her family during the long, bitter Canadian winters. She must also contend with the locals’ lingering suspicions about the dark-skinned “outsiders” who live in their midst.
Kath Ella’s fierce love for her son, Omar, cannot help her overcome the racial prejudices that linger in this remote, tight-knit place. As he grows up, the rebellious Omar refutes the past and decides to break from the family, threatening to upend all that Kath Ella and her people have tried to build. Over the decades, each successive generation drifts further from Africaville, yet they take a piece of this indelible place with them as they make their way to Montreal, Vermont, and beyond, to the deep South of America.
As it explores notions of identity, passing, cross-racial relationships, the importance of place, and the meaning of home, Africaville tells the larger story of the black experience in parts of Canada and the United States. Vibrant and lyrical, filled with colorful details, and told in a powerful, haunting voice, this extraordinary novel–as atmospheric and steeped in history as The Known World, Barracoon, The Underground Railroad, and The Twelve Tribes of Hattie–is a landmark work from a sure-to-be major literary talent.
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