Zeal A Novel
Zeal A Novel by Morgan Jerkins, published by HarperCollins Publishers in 2025, is a multi-generational narrative that explores the legacy of slavery and the enduring power of romantic love. Set against the backdrop of Harlem in 2019 and Natchez in 1865, the story follows Ardelia and Oliver as they navigate their engagement amidst a complex family history, while Harrison and Tirzah confront the challenges of love and freedom in a post-Civil War America. This 416-page edition is presented in English.
Readers will find an intricate tapestry of interconnected lives, spanning over a hundred and fifty years, as the characters grapple with their pasts and the choices that shape their futures. The novel delves into themes of family life and the impact of historical events on personal relationships, particularly during the Great Migration. Through the lens of these star-crossed lovers and their descendants, Jerkins crafts a narrative that examines how the weight of history influences contemporary connections, making Zeal a profound exploration of love and legacy.
Official synopsis Publisher
Named a Most Anticipated Book by Washington Post, People, Time
“A beautiful tale.” –Jason Reynolds, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Twenty-four Seconds from Now
The New York Times bestselling author of This Will Be My Undoing and Caul Baby returns with an epic, multi-generational novel that illuminates the legacy of slavery and the power of romantic love.
Harlem, 2019. Ardelia and Oliver are hosting their engagement party. As the guests get ready to leave, he hands her a love letter on a yellowing, crumbling piece of paper . . .
Natchez, 1865. Discharged from the Union Army as a free man after the war’s end, Harrison returns to Mississippi to reunite with the woman he loves, Tirzah. Upon his arrival at the Freedmen’s Bureau, though, he catches the eye of a woman working there, who’s determined to thwart his efforts to find his beloved. After tragedy strikes, Harrison resigns himself to a life with her.
Meanwhile in Louisiana, the newly free Tirzah is teaching at a freedmen’s school, and discovers an advertisement in the local paper looking for her. Though she knows Harrison must have placed it, and longs to find him, the risks of fleeing are too great, and Tirzah chooses the life of seeming security right in front of her.
Spanning over a hundred and fifty years, Morgan Jerkins’s extraordinary novel intertwines the stories of these star-crossed lovers and their descendants. As Tirzah’s family moves across the country during the Great Migration, they challenge authority with devastating consequences, while the legacy of heartbreak and loss continues on in the lives of Harrison’s progeny.
When Ardelia meets Oliver, she finds his family’s history is as full of secrets and omissions as her own. Could their connection be a cosmic reconciliation satisfying the unfulfilled desires of their ancestors, or will the weight of the past, present and future tear them apart
Sweeping, textured, and meticulously researched, Zeal is both a story of how one generation’s choices reverberate through the years and an indelible portrait of an enduring love.
Author
Publisher
Topics
FAQ
What is “Zeal A Novel” about?
Who is the author of “Zeal A Novel”?
When was “Zeal A Novel” published?
What is the ISBN for “Zeal A Novel”?
What are the book details (language, pages, edition)?
