The chosen place is Bourneville, a remote, devastated part of a Caribbean island; the timeless people are its inhabitants—black, poor, inextricably linked to their past enslavement. When the advance team for an ambitious American research project arrives, the tense, ambivalent relationships that evolve, between natives and foreigners, black and whites, haves and have-nots, keenly dramatize the vicissitudes of power.   “An important and moving book . . . Marshall is as wise as she is bold, for in compromising neither her politics nor her understanding of people, she makes better sense of both.”—Village Voice

Chosen Place, the Timeless People

Marshall, Paule

Literature & Fiction

Vintage Contemporaries

The Chosen Place, the Timeless People

The chosen place is Bourneville, a remote, devastated part of a Caribbean island; the timeless people are its inhabitants—black, poor, inextricably linked to their past enslavement. When the advance team for an ambitious American research project arrives, the tense, ambivalent relationships that evolve, between natives and foreigners, black and whites, haves and have-nots, keenly dramatize the vicissitudes of power. “An important and moving book . . . Marshall is as wise as she is bold, for in compromising neither her politics nor her understanding of people, she makes better sense of both.”—Village Voice

The Chosen Place, The Timeless People

United States

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

While on her annual Caribbean cruise, Avey Johnson, a Black, middle-aged widow, finds her comfortable life unraveling and embarks on another voyage, an odyssey in search of spiritual and cultural regeneration

Praise-Song for the Widow

Humor & Entertainment

Movies

Putnam Adult

From the acclaimed author of Daughters and Brown Girl, Brownstones comes a “work of exceptional wisdom, maturity, and generosity, one in which the palpable humanity of its characters transcends any considerations of race or sex”(Washington Post Book World). Avey Johnson—a black, middle-aged, middle-class widow given to hats, gloves, and pearls—has long since put behind her the Harlem of her childhood. Then on a cruise to the Caribbean with two friends, inspired by a troubling dream, she senses her life beginning to unravel—and in a panic packs her bag in the middle of the night and abandons her friends at the next port of call. The unexpected and beautiful adventure that follows provides Avey with the links to the culture and history she has so long disavowed. “Astonishingly moving.”—Anne Tyler, The New York Times Book Review

Praisesong for the Widow

Plume

Daughters

One of America's eminent black novelists tells the story of a young black woman living in New York and her struggle to understand herself and her parents back home in the West Indies. Reprint. 50,000 first printing. Tour.

Daughters (Plume Contemporary Fiction)

In Triangular Road, famed novelist Paule Marshall tells the story of her years as a fledgling young writer in the 1960s. A memoir of self-discovery, it also offers an affectionate tribute to the inimitable Langston Hughes, who entered Marshall's life during a crucial phase and introduced her to the world of European letters during a whirlwind tour of the continent funded by the State Department. In the course of her journeys to Europe, Barbados, and eventually Africa, Marshall comes to comprehend the historical enormity of the African diaspora, an understanding that fortifies her sense of purpose as a writer.
In this unflinchingly honest memoir, Paule Marshall offers an indelible portrait of a young black woman coming of age as a novelist in a literary world dominated by white men.

Triangular Road: A Memoir

Biographies & Memoirs

Community & Culture

Civitas Books

In Triangular Road, famed novelist Paule Marshall tells the story of her years as a fledgling young writer in the 1960s. A memoir of self-discovery, it also offers an affectionate tribute to the inimitable Langston Hughes, who entered Marshall's life during a crucial phase and introduced her to the world of European letters during a whirlwind tour of the continent. In the course of her journeys to Europe, Barbados, and eventually Africa, Marshall comes to comprehend the historical enormity of the African diaspora, an understanding that fortifies her sense of purpose as a writer.
In this unflinchingly honest memoir, Paule Marshall offers an indelible portrait of a young black woman coming of age as a novelist in a literary world dominated by white men.

History

"An unforgettable novel, written with pride and anger, with rebellion and tears." — Herald Tribune Book Review"Passionate, compelling . . . an impressive accomplishment." — Saturday Review"Remarkable for its courage, its color, and its natural control." — The New Yorker Selina's mother wants to stay in Brooklyn and earn enough money to buy a brownstone row house, but her father dreams only of returning to his island home. Torn between a romantic nostalgia for the past and a driving ambition for the future, Selina also faces the everyday burdens of poverty and racism. Written by and about an African-American woman, this coming-of-age story unfolds during the Depression and World War II. Its setting — a close-knit community of immigrants from Barbados — is drawn from the author's own experience, as are the lilting accents and vivid idioms of the characters' speech. Paule Marshall's 1959 novel was among the first to portray the inner life of a young female African-American, as well as depicting the cross-cultural conflict between West Indians and American blacks. It remains a vibrant, compelling tale of self-discovery.

Brown Girl, Brownstones

Dover Publications

Literary

While on her annual Caribbean cruise, Avey Johnson, a Black, middle-aged widow, finds her comfortable life unraveling and embarks on another voyage, an odyssey in search of spiritual and cultural regeneration

E.P. Dutton/Obelisk

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Marshall, Paule. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Marshall, Paule

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Marshall, Paule. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Chosen Place, the Timeless People

The Chosen Place, The Timeless People

Praise-Song for the Widow

Praisesong for the Widow

Daughters (Plume Contemporary Fiction)

Triangular Road: A Memoir

Triangular Road: A Memoir

Brown Girl, Brownstones

Praisesong for the Widow

Praisesong for the Widow