Perish A Novel
Perish A Novel by LaToya Watkins is a reprint edition published by Penguin on August 1, 2023. This 336-page work delves into the life of Helen Jean, the matriarch of the Turner family, whose choices resonate through generations. Set against the backdrop of Texas, the narrative explores the complexities of family dynamics and the impact of long-held secrets on the lives of four family members as they confront their past during a poignant farewell.
Readers will find a rich tapestry of experiences as the story unfolds through the perspectives of Julie B., Alex, Jan, and Lydia, each grappling with their own struggles and desires. The novel addresses themes of forgiveness and blame, inviting reflection on the intricacies of familial bonds. With its focus on African American and Southern experiences, Perish presents a literary exploration of identity and legacy that resonates deeply within the context of contemporary fiction.
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“A brave triumph of a novel that readers won’t forget long after finishing it.”—The New York Times Book Review
Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Year by Good Morning America * Essence* Esquire * The Root * Bustle * Ebony * PopSugar * Ms. * The Millions
Finalist for the Reading the West Book Award
Longlisted for the 2023 Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award
Bear it or perish yourself. Those are the words Helen Jean hears that fateful night in her cousin’s outhouse that change the trajectory of her life.
Spanning decades, Perish tracks the choices Helen Jean—the matriarch of the Turner family—makes and the way those choices have rippled across generations. We meet four members of the Black Texan family: Julie B., a woman who regrets her wasted youth and the time spent under Helen Jean’s thumb; Alex, a police officer grappling with a dark and twisted past; Jan, a mother of two who yearns to go to school and leave Jerusalem, Texas, behind for good; and Lydia, a woman whose marriage is falling apart because her body can’t seem to stay pregnant.
Called home to say goodbye to their mother and grandmother, each family member is forced to confront long-kept secrets and ask themselves important questions about who is deserving of forgiveness and who bears the cross of blame. Set in vividly drawn Texas, this beautiful yet heart-wrenching novel explores the intricacies of family and the ways bonds can be made, maintained, or irrevocably broken.
“This novel will serve as a hand extended through the darkness to a great many of its readers.”—Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
“Like Walker’s The Color Purple and Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Perish lures readers past the pain with a spellbinding, buoyant use of language.”—Texas Monthly
“Miraculous and moving, light glimmers at the edges of this wise novel.”—Esquire
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