The Book of Night Women

Marlon James

Feb 2009 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Robin Miles

About this audiobook

From the author of the National Book Award finalist Black Leopard, Red Wolf and the WINNER of the 2015 Man Booker Prize for A Brief History of Seven Killings

"An undeniable success.” — The New York Times Book Review

The Book of Night Women is a sweeping, startling novel, a true tour de force of both voice and storytelling. It is the story of Lilith, born into slavery on a Jamaican sugar plantation at the end of the eighteenth century. Even at her birth, the slave women around her recognize a dark power that they—and she—will come to both revere and fear.

The Night Women, as they call themselves, have long been plotting a slave revolt, and as Lilith comes of age and reveals the extent of her power, they see her as the key to their plans. But when she begins to understand her own feelings and desires and identity, Lilith starts to push at the edges of what is imaginable for the life of a slave woman in Jamaica, and risks becoming the conspiracy’s weak link.

Lilith’s story overflows with high drama and heartbreak, and life on the plantation is rife with dangerous secrets, unspoken jealousies, inhuman violence, and very human emotion—between slave and master, between slave and overseer, and among the slaves themselves. Lilith finds herself at the heart of it all. And all of it told in one of the boldest literary voices to grace the page recently—and the secret of that voice is one of the book’s most intriguing mysteries.

Ratings and reviews

It is hard to describe this book. Intense, is the first word that comes to mind. I could see every drop of blood and experiance every emotion that these enslaved people endured. Every day was a battle to survive. So many horrors were committed and endured silently, or with screams of agony. And yet, a silent strength prevails. As a "white" reader, I feel great sorrow and shame, for all these horrors that were committed. However, as a descendant of these same enslaved people, the pride and strength of the few drops of black blood hidden in my veins sings out with pride! I started to read the ebook but it is difficult to understand the patois. When I switched to the audio book, the language became hauntingly clear.Therefore, I highly recommend the audio version of this book. Robin Miles did a superlative job narrating this masterpiece. She deserves an award for her brilliant work here! Marlon James is a writer beyond compare. I am grateful to him and await his future work eagerly.

I love listening to the beautiful voice of the lady that gives the book a voice in the audio book. The story is sad and beautiful and magical.

love this book.. very vivid

About the author

Marlon James was born in Jamaica in 1970. His recent novel A Brief History of Seven Killings won the 2015 Man Booker Prize. It was also a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and won the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature for fiction, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for fiction, and the Minnesota Book Award. It was also a New York Times Notable Book. James is also the author of The Book of Night Women, which won the 2010 Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the Minnesota Book Award, and was a finalist for the 2010 National Book Critics Circle Award in fiction and an NAACP Image Award. His first novel, John Crow’s Devil, was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for first fiction and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, and was a New York Times Editors’ Choice. James lives in Minneapolis.

Robin Miles is a veteran of Broadway, classical plays, television, and film. She is an AudioFile Golden Voice, having won numerous Earphones Awards, ALA awards, and Audie Award nominations.