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The Revisioners
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
26 posts | 26 read | 43 to read
Following her National Book Award-nominated debut novel, A Kind of Freedom, Margaret Wilkerson Sexton returns with this equally elegant and historically inspired story of survivors and healers, of black women and their black sons, set in the American South In 1925, Josephine is the proud owner of a thriving farm. As a child, she channeled otherworldly power to free herself from slavery. Now, her new neighbor, a white woman named Charlotte, seeks her company, and an uneasy friendship grows between them. But Charlotte has also sought solace in the Ku Klux Klan, a relationship that jeopardizes Josephine's family. Nearly one hundred years later, Josephine's descendant, Ava, is a single mother who has just lost her job. She moves in with her white grandmother Martha, a wealthy but lonely woman who pays her grandchild to be her companion. But Martha's behavior soon becomes erratic, then even threatening, and Ava must escape before her story and Josephine's converge. The Revisioners explores the depths of women's relationships--powerful women and marginalized women, healers and survivors. It is a novel about the bonds between a mother and a child, the dangers that upend those bonds. At its core, The Revisioners ponders generational legacies, the endurance of hope, and the undying promise of freedom.
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Soubhiville
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Pickpick

Multiple time lines follow several members of a family. In 1924 Josephine is a landowner who escaped enslavement. We hear her story as a child working with her parents and also as an adult running her own farm.
In 2017 Ava, Josephine‘s granddaughter, has decided to take the position of caregiver to her other elderly grandmother, who is white. Ava and her son King move in and have to adapt to Martha‘s fall into dementia.
Complicated, emotional.

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Hooked_on_books
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Pickpick

Ava is a single mom in 2017, struggling after job loss, when her wealthy white grandmother asks for her help as she suffers dementia (and her racism starts becoming more visible). Ava‘s ancestor Josephine is born into slavery then later runs a successful farm. We follow both their stories as they work hard to live within their times and race. This is really good. And I think the cover is gorgeous! (And the pic is thanks to a power outage.)

Jee_HookedOnBookz I loved this too! And I agree the cover is gorgeous! 3y
vivastory I hope your power is back on soon! 3y
Hooked_on_books @vivastory It was out all night! It looks like there was a pole down, I don‘t know if from rain or it being hit. At least the milk didn‘t spoil! 3y
44 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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JackieGreco
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
Pickpick

I really enjoyed this book. The main character had to grapple with her mixed ancestry and try to find her place in all of it while living with her white grandmother. 4/5

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Sreckess
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Pickpick

This book will stick. Author Sexton does a powerful job of linking slavery, Jim Crow, and current incidents of microaggressions against Black people to show they are all rooted in the same thing: white supremacy. I think if I read that sentence before I read the book I would have thought “yeah, that‘s obvious” but Sexton‘s storytelling is on point. The cover quote is misleading. This story isn‘t about racial tension; it‘s about white supremacy.

blurb
derr.liz
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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If this book were a movie, it would be directed by Jordan Peele.

9 likes1 stack add
quote
Pinta
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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^^ What‘s a miracle? There‘s a cost to that truth. —Josephine to Charlotte

review
Pinta
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Mehso-so

Ava, biracial single mother in need, turns to white grandmother in contemporary New Orleans. Ancestor Josephine‘s mother led the Revisioners, slaves whose prayers, intentions & songs had miraculous powers. Deep connections over generations from Josephine to Ava. Strong characters, but structuring seemed off w/ interesting ideas left to drop. Reflects dulling of memory, spaces in family history left unexplained & unknowable? Fierce motherhood. 2019

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8little_paws
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
Pickpick

MWS is so good at creating suspense! Like her 1st novel, this also follows a family over generations. This one has a modern storyline about a biracial woman living with her white grandmother, her greatx4 grandmother on her mother's side as a child and as an adult. All storylines visit the relationship between Blacks and whites, all three are quite different. There were elements missing in the modern story that I wished to have seen visited.

8little_paws @TheAromaofBooks forgot to tag you in my #doublespin ! 4y
TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Great progress!! 4y
27 likes2 comments
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monalyisha
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Pickpick

It took me a bit to get into this, & especially to settle into Josephine‘s voice (in the 1924 & 1855 sections), but once I did it went quickly.

It‘s racism captured with a thread of horror: mental illness, dementia, & hallucinations; Spanish moss swinging from trees, shaped like dead bodies; & most gruesome of all, the KKK. They are the terrifying ghosts, while unseen spirits are more of a calming, steady presence, offering strength & vision.👇🏻

monalyisha 1/2: There‘s modern racism, too. Subtle, underlying, unexamined racism; well-intentioned, liberal racism; white privilege; white savior narratives; cultural appropriation; & festering, outward racism. The author plumbs the past *&* shows that this is not a problem that lives only in the past. 4y
monalyisha 2/2: Some book club members felt that the end was too sudden & not fully-fleshed out. But I think it was perfect: hopeful, & centered in the power of women — specifically Black women — focusing on their ability to form both a powerful Self & a powerful community. (edited) 4y
sarahbarnes Great review! 4y
monalyisha Thanks, @sarahbarnes! It‘s the meatiest book I‘ve read in *months,* so I‘m just glad I was able to formulate coherent thoughts. 😅 4y
68 likes2 stack adds4 comments
quote
monalyisha
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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“Those stones I toss, nothing special about them. Pick them off the ground and smooth them, burn sage and say a prayer, make them holy. Anything you can touch, you can make holy.”

Meaw_catlady Did you collect those!??? 🖤 4y
monalyisha @Meaw_catlady No. I wish! They‘re so hard to find. It‘s like a practice in extreme patience & mindfulness. 4y
Meaw_catlady @monalyisha I found one last month and it‘s so beautiful! 🖤😭 4y
See All 7 Comments
monalyisha @Meaw_catlady What a superstar! Congrats on your highly advanced powers of perception! 4y
Meaw_catlady @monalyisha hahahahaha I just looked into the river and pulled it out... same thing happened on Valentine‘s Day I pulled a pink rose quartz out of the river . Just put my hand in the water and it was there 4y
monalyisha @Meaw_catlady Revised (Ha. “The Revisioners”): congrats on your highly advanced powers of attraction! 4y
Meaw_catlady @monalyisha hahaha thank you!!!! For both compliments ! 🖤😭🖤 but maybe it was dumb luck 4y
56 likes1 stack add7 comments
quote
monalyisha
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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“You were a slave, weren‘t you?”
I raise my head. “More like they were enslavers, girl.”

CaffeineAndCandy ❤❤❤ 4y
68 likes1 comment
blurb
monalyisha
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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I was shopping for my match. These socks weren‘t in their size but they *were* in mine, soooo...🙈🎃

Can you blame me?!
#spookyseptember

Trying to finish this book before Book Club at 8. Taking pictures of my feet isn‘t helping. 😆

Clare-Dragonfly Those socks are amazing! 4y
MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm 😂🤣 No judgement here! 4y
75 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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monalyisha
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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My morning is booked. 📚

Mug choice inspired by @ferskner & her “Gilmore Girls” obsession.

Featuring: Library Mouse (‘cause she‘s so gosh-darn cute & she never gets any screen time).

alisiakae 😍 😍 😍 Love that mug! 4y
Clare-Dragonfly Oh my gosh, she is cute! 😍 4y
monalyisha @Clare-Dragonfly Right?! My friends & I found a seller on Etsy who makes these little mice for every occasion/mood (like, curlers in your hair mouse, for instance!). We were dying laughing at this artist‘s very specific creative vision & passion. And then they surprised me with her at my Bridal Shower. 😆 4y
MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Love the little library mouse!! Too cute! 😍 4y
ferskner I love it!!!! I'm not a coffee drinker but Gilmore anything makes me excited. 4y
89 likes1 stack add5 comments
blurb
ElishaLovesBooks
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Up next.

Sunshine and a book. ☀️📚☀️📚 #thebest

TracyReadsBooks Looks lovely! 4y
ElishaLovesBooks @TracyReadsBooks ♥️♥️♥️ 4y
38 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Nitpickyabouttrains
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Pickpick

Josephine was born a slave but works to become a land owner and community staple. In the future, her many greats granddaughter still deals with many of the same issues as she did.

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SW-T
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Pickpick

Exquisite atmosphere. Excellent buildup of tension. The stories of Josephine and Ava are both compelling. Hope, freedom, and survival. Definitely recommend.

Hooked_on_books Hooray, I just bought it! And what a cover. 😍 5y
SW-T @Hooked_on_books That cover is awesome! Hope you enjoy. Happy reading! ☺️ 5y
30 likes2 comments
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Jee_HookedOnBookz
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Pickpick

Three strong, resilient women whose lives are connected through their family and stories spanned over a century, are told through Ava and her great-great-great grandmother Josephine. A heartbreaking yet powerful and compelling story of racism, motherhood, love and loss.

This is the kind of book you'd want to savor!

Full review: https://bit.ly/2SBKvBu

Jee_HookedOnBookz @arubabookwoman this book was really good, Deborah! 😊 5y
Reviewsbylola I stacked this one after hearing Jami Attenberg talk about it. 5y
Jee_HookedOnBookz @Reviewsbylola hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 😊 this the kind of book which you can read in one sitting but at the same time you wanna savor it! 5y
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arubabookwoman Adding it to my WL, especially since I enjoyed her earlier book so much. I'm still thinking about The Garden of Evening Mists.😀 5y
Jee_HookedOnBookz @arubabookwoman what's WL? So glad you enjoyed Evening Mists too! Did you know it has been made into a movie?? https://m.imdb.com/title/tt8434152/ 5y
arubabookwoman WL = Wishlist Books--books I'm on the lookout for at the Library, bookstores, etc., as opposed to TBR (to be read)---books I already own, on my Kindle or physical book shelf, waiting to be read. 5y
Jee_HookedOnBookz @arubabookwoman ahhhhhh! Got it! Thank you!💕 5y
52 likes4 stack adds7 comments
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Mitch
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Pickpick

Multi generational stories that centre on a families courage, spirit & endurance. It's written beautifully, poetic - with as much written between the lines than on them. There's so much tension on the page, at times I was definitely reading holding my breath. The voices feel authentic, characters full of complexity & the time & location is created with a lightness of touch. Loved it - I'm definitely diving into her previous novel soon.

61 likes5 stack adds
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Mitch
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Starting my new book today - sent from the lovely @DGRachel Love that it matches my tree! 🥳

eraderneely That cover😍 5y
DGRachel 💖💖 Enjoy! 5y
Cinfhen Great cover 5y
Mitch @eraderneely @Cinfhen it‘s so lovely! 5y
Mitch @DGRachel Thanks love. Treated myself to the first few chapters tonight. Mr K is out and it‘s cats, a fire and some smarties! Perfect reading eve ♥️ 5y
65 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Mitch
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Christmas has come early. I can‘t thank you enough @DGRachel A beautiful book that I‘ve read so much positive press about - signed ! And a beautiful home made festive bookworm. My heart is full. Thank you sweet friend xxxxx

DGRachel 😘😘 I hope it lives up to the press and that you enjoy it. Thanks for being such an amazing pen pal. 5y
AmyG 💕 5y
Soubhiville I really liked her first book. I hope you‘ll like this one! 5y
See All 7 Comments
Eggbeater I love the crocheted bookworm! Did you do that yourself? @DGRachel 5y
DGRachel @Eggbeater - Yes. 😁 I wanted to do little gifts for my work book club and since I have no drawing skills, I found YouTube videos with the crocheted bookworm/curlicue. My crochet skills are...questionable...but I think they turned out pretty well. I did adjust the pattern a little because I wanted a wider “tail“ to actually stick in a book. 5y
Eggbeater @DGRachel I crochet and I think it looks great! I may steal the idea. 5y
DGRachel @Eggbeater Please do! There cannot be enough bookworm bookmarks in the world. The one above starts with a chain of 60, then you do 3 dc in each loop for 20 chains. The youtube pattern stops there, but I sc in all the rest of the chain stitches to the end, just so it would be a little wider. Leaving just the chain looked too much like a rat tail for my taste. 😊 5y
62 likes7 comments
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Mitch
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Blaire Yes, I stacked it based on that review. 5y
61 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Jee_HookedOnBookz
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Aren't bookmails the best! This really made my day! Thank you #CounterpointLLC for this pleasant surprise! Can't wait to dive in! ❤️ #bookmail

Hooked_on_books Good cover 5y
Jee_HookedOnBookz @Hooked_on_books I totally agree! 💕 5y
43 likes2 comments
review
SoManyBooksNotEnoughTime
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Pickpick

“I don‘t like to compare people. It is like slamming God for making petunias and roses…”

An oddly enjoyable book. I have read tons of stories on slavery that are extremely tough reads due to the heartbreaking content. While this story was tough & upsetting at times, the author does a great job of interspersing the tragedy with love & understanding. Ava & Josephine are so powerful. I found the book to be sad at points but uplifting overall.

56 likes1 stack add
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Pelican71
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Bookzombie Great photos! 5y
24 likes2 comments
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Bookalong
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Pickpick

5/5🌟 In a word.....REMARKABLE!!
Sexton's newest novel hits you right in the gut! Remarkable writing and storytelling.
In this multigenerational novel we meet two mothers at different stages in their lives, both deeply affected by racism and white privilege. This was one of the best books I have read this year hands down! Beautiful and affecting. Your going to want to read this noteworthy novel ASAP Its out Nov 5th! #bookreview #bookstagram

15 likes1 stack add
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Liberty
The Revisioners | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Life is a hot mess this week, but at least my book mail is 🔥💯🙌🏻.

readordierachel That cover 😍 5y
Jas16 Hope the rest of your week is better. 5y
88 likes4 stack adds2 comments