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The Longest Memory

By Fred D'aguiar
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3.76 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 1,912 ratings, 162 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Longest Memory by Fred D'aguiar is a powerful narrative set on a Virginian plantation in the early 19th century. The story unfolds through multiple perspectives, exploring the harrowing lives of enslaved individuals and the brutal realities of slavery. Themes of memory, loss, and the struggle for dignity are central to the narrative.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this poignant and powerful narrative if you're drawn to stories exploring the emotional and psychological depths of slavery. It offers rich, lyrical prose and multiple perspectives, intertwining themes of memory, pain, and resilience in the face of human suffering.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The tragic story of a rebellious, fiercely intelligent young slave who breaks all the rules: in learning to read and write; in falling in love with a white girl, the daughter of his owner, and finally in trying to escape and joining her in the free North.

Remarkable for its keenness of observation, subtlety, and restraint, The Longest Memoryheralds the arrival of a major new voice in the contemporary literature of the African diaspora.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Longest Memory is described by the Independent on Sunday as 'A gripping lyric exploration of the life of Whitechapel, a slave on an 18th century Virginia plantation... a brilliant - and beautiful - achievement.'

Written in taut, poetic language, The Longest Memory is set on a Virginian plantation in the 19th century and tells the tragic story of a rebellious, fiercely intelligent young slave who breaks all the rules—learning to read and write, falling in love with a white girl who is the daughter of his owner, and finally, attempting to escape and join her in the free North.

For his attempt to flee, he is whipped to death in front of his family, and this brutal event is the pivot around which the story evolves.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Longest Memory by Fred D'Aguiar is lauded for its emotive depth and powerful portrayal of slavery. Reviewers praise its concise yet impactful narrative, with a storytelling style that is both compassionate and compelling. The novel is celebrated for its haunting and resonant simplicity, leaving a lasting impression on readers.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780099462217

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 July 1995

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 8.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 106g

Pages: 144

Collections

Fiction Fred D'aguiar General Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books

About the Author

Fred D'Aguiar was born in London in 1960 and raised in Guyana and south-east London. He now lives in Florida, where he teaches English at the University of Miami. Author of four novels and four books of poetry, he has been awarded the University of Kent's T.S. Eliot prize for poetry, the Guyanese National Poetry Award and the Malcolm X prize for poetry. He also won the 1994 Whitbread First Novel Award and the David Higham Award for The Longest Memory.

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