Description

Some Sing, Some Cry: A Novel by Ntozake Shange and Ifa Bayeza (2010, 1st ed.)

Some Sing, Some Cry is a sweeping, intergenerational epic that traces seven generations of the Mayfield family, beginning in the aftermath of emancipation. The story opens on Sweet Tamarind, a Sea Island plantation off the coast of South Carolina, where recently freed Bette Mayfield prepares to leave the only home her family has known and rebuild a life with her granddaughter Eudora in Charleston.

From Reconstruction through the Great Migration, the Harlem Renaissance, the World Wars, and into the modern day, Shange and Bayeza follow the Mayfield women as they navigate the shifting tides of American history. Their saga explores Gullah culture, colorism, property loss, spirituality, the power of music, and the enduring strength of Black women.

Music—spirituals, blues, jazz—forms the novel’s emotional backbone, illustrating how song becomes both a survival tool and a map of cultural memory across generations. Shange and Bayeza create a richly textured narrative of family, resilience, and the ongoing struggle for self‑definition.

Copyright: First Edition. This hardcover copy was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2010 with cover art including “‘RIVETING… ENGROSSING… MAGNETIZING.’ – BOOKLIST (STARRED)”

Condition: Good. Used. 

ISBN-10: 031219899X

ISBN-13: 9780312198992

Dewey Decimal: 813.6