Song Yet Sung by James McBride (2009-01-06)

There is an amazing book of short stories from Eduardo Galeano called Book of Embraces (Norton Paperback). In one of the most amazing vignettes, "Celebration of the Human Voice 2", Galeano talks about life in a Uruguayan prison. Prisoners, unable to speak, invented their own communication system with fingers. Galeano writes, "When it is genuine, when it is born of the need to speak, no one can stop the human voice". I kept on thinking of that quote in James McBride's powerful, moving, amazing new book, "Song Yet Sung", for his characters, many of whom have no voice, still find ways to speak across the miles, and across the pages.

This novel starts with Liz, who is nicknamed the Dreamer, and her gift of seeing the future is well known and well feared in pre-Civil War Maryland. Captured by a notorious slave catcher named Patty Cannon, Liz meets an old woman who spins her own fantastic tale of "the Code", none of which makes sense either to us or Liz. Determined to escape from her attic confines, Liz makes a daring move and frees herself and everyone else in the attic, thus starting the rest of the story, which is a hunt for Liz.

Liz's former owner and secret paramour hires a succesful slave catcher himself, Denwood Long, unfortunately named "the Gimp", who has a haunted past himself. Along with him, Patty Cannon gathers her own posse of people to ruthlessly hunt Liz. There is even a backwoods "bogey man", called the Woolman, who comes into the story in a very believable and chilling way.

However, it's Liz where much of the theme of the story lies. It's in her dreams that began to intrigue me. Here we have a slave, on the run, who defies wanting to be put on the Underground Railroad because her dreams of life for African-Americans up north, she sees, isn't good at all. McBride's reflections on some aspects of black culture intrigue. Slaves so longed for their freedom, and yet, look at where it has lead some of them. (Coincidentally, I have started watching HBO's visionary series The Wire - The Complete First Season). Will Liz decide, against her visions of the future, to escape?

Secondly, McBride's description of "The Code" is simply amazing. I think this is the first novel that I've read where the path to the Underground Railroad was so brilliantly shown. It really was an amazing thing how the "Code" developed, and was known and understood by many. Simply by word of mouth, during a time of intense trial, people found their voice and sang in a way that saved many a life.

Song Yet Sung is not only a reflection of culture, of life in the slave south, and a gripping adventure story, but it also is a celebration of the human spirit. As the book draws to an end, you do feel as if you've spent time in another world. Rich with descriptions, deeply felt characters, tension, and tenderness, Song Yet Sung will be a book that shall be with us for years on end, and hopefully, discussed, examined, to unlock its deep, rich treasures.

I grabbed this disc at random from the library and was hooked from the first page. Just finished it today. Pretty sure I will buy the written version. Need I say more? I found myself sitting in my truck, late for work listening to the amazing story. The "Gimp" will stay with me for a long time, as well as the scene where Patty looses her boot in the swamp.
I did find myself having to turn the volume down when stopped at a light or parking, as I received 'odd' looks when the characters in the story belted out their 1859 every day words with conviction or hatred.
Final comment, I was a constantly amazed, not just at the story, but at the collection of phrases/slang the author had interjected into the story. Can't wait till I get the chance to say "That's baling hay with the devil"

James McBride writes like the superb jazz musician that he is; the words flow with the sinuous enchantment of an inspired saxophone lick.

McBride has opened a channel into the minds of slaves, slave catchers, and others along Maryland's eastern shore circa 1850. The swamps are choked with intrigue and suspense as runaways struggle to escape from the hands of their callous, greedy pursuers.

One slave hunter is a woman. McBride draws an incredible picture of evil that is somehow tricked out with a few admirable qualities. Very few, but enough to give readers a glimmer of our own conflicted emotions.

The central figure, Liz the Dreamer, possesses a tragic gift. She can see the future and she sees her people will still be enslaved, even today.

McBride has penned a work for the ages.

SONG YET SUNG by James McBride tells the story of the Dreamer, a stolen slave whose real name is Liz. Liz is captured by Patty, a white woman who steals slaves and sells them in the Deep South, but before she does, she puts them in an attic in her house under the care of Little George, who breaks them. Liz had a bullet wound to the head and it caused her to sleep a lot. While asleep, she dreamed there was a metal spike in the floor near her. When she awoke, she found herself biting away the wood around the spike. Little George comes to rape her, as he does all the women, even the Old Woman Without a Name, and Liz pulls the spike up and thrusts it into Little George's neck. The other slaves see an opportunity; they attack Little George also and all of them escape. Liz is found by another slave who treats her wound and nurses her back to health, but since her head wound, Liz can see deep into the future.

Kathy Sullivan, a white woman who lives far out on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, lost her husband and a slave to the Chesapeake Bay six months ago. She, nor Mary, the slave's wife, believe they drowned and look for them each day. Amber, a tall, good looking slave and brother to Mary, finds Liz and hides her away. The action really begins as Woolman, a mythical runaway to the white people and a reality to the black ones, begins to cause havoc on the Eastern Shore. Woolman is a huge man with wild wooly hair that hangs to his back. With extraordinary strength, and being quick on his feet he can disappear into the swamp causing even the believers to doubt their eyes. The two plots begin to blend, making for an exciting ending.

James McBride has penned a fantastic novel about slaves in the 1850s. The characters are well-developed and even though there are many of them, the two plots blend together and each person stands out on his/her own. It is a novel that should be read by all. I highly recommend it.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

McBride has done it again -- even more powerfully, more musically, than he has ever done before. This is a gripping, page-turning masterpiece of lyric prose.

In this penetrating view of the most shameful period of our history, written in a language so authentic it creates pictures in our mind, we learn what it is to live with chronic fear, to live beyond the fear, to live so that the human spirit transcends the fear.

I'd love this book to be required reading in schools and colleges; it's a blend of history, thriller, and exquisite literature.

I loved reading this book, because it toke you back into time, I felt like I was taking the adventure with Liz "The Dreamer". Liz meets different characters in the book and they are all interesting; I was not happy about the ending, but overall it is a great book, especially if you are into folklore tales, as you read at the end the authors says that he got his inspiration from Harriet Tubman.

Another winner by James McBride! I was a bit hesitant in the beginning as I am not a fan of "time travel" and science fiction....but was immediately won over by McBride's close attention to historical detail and unforgettable characters! He has woven a storyline that will soon not be forgotten! It will be hard picking up another book as the characters will haunt me well past the last page!!!

A gripping, thoughtful and ultimately touching story of black and white characters finding redemption in pre-Civil War Maryland. Leslie Uggams does a wonderful job of bringing the situations and characters to life in an audiobook with outstanding production values. Highly recommended, and well worth a listen even if you've already read the book.

Get ready to be transported to a different time. You have to change your thinking to hear the accents of the time period. James McBride does a great job in giving the details needed to take you into the mind of a slave. There are moments of really long passages of thought that take a double reading to understand.

I've read several novels dealing with slavery, and was most impressed with Song Yet Sung. First, I love the title. The story, more important, was quite compelling, and featured wonderful dialogue, memorable characters, and several plot twists. I recommend this fine novel.

A fascinating tale from start to finish; you will be sitting on the edge of your seat for the entire read. I was initially intrigued by the premise that the slaves may have used codes to communicate with each other but quickly became hooked by the characters in the story. The character development is so complete that you will be thinking about all of the characters days after you finish the book.

Thank you, James McBride, for this beautifully written story. The details, the exquisitely written prose, the gritty truth, the compelling story -- what an amazing book. Rare that I've found something so earthy and heavenly in one. God bless you.

I randomly picked three books off my shelf and checked there publisher's page. All three mentioned that it was a first printing. This book did not. So I don't know if this really is a first edition and I am unhappy that it has a Used sticker on it.