The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois. Honoree Fanonne Jeffers. 2021. Harper. 801 pages. [Source: Public library.]
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois is an early contender for my favorite read of 2022. It recounts the history of the Pinchard family through the juxtaposition of modern-day experiences of its protagonist, Ailey Garfield, and flashbacks to the lives of her ancestors as far back as Africa during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Throughout the book, Jeffers pulls the reader forward and backward through centuries, giving snapshots of the family’s experiences in and around the rural town of Chicasetta, Georgia.
Clocking in at just over 800 pages, Love Songs is a substantive read, not only in length but also in breadth. Jeffers addresses a wide range of topics related to slavery in the U.S., and by centering the small town she’s able to dig into topics like racism, segregation, and colorism. Jeffers’ approach obviously centers the enslavement of Black members of the Pinchard family, but in doing so, she also examines the complicated relationships that included indigenous people — the Creek who predated plantations — and the white families that established plantations.
As the title alludes to, the scholarship of W.E.B. Du Bois is central to Jeffers’ book. Each section features an excerpt of Du Bois’ from several of his works, and he is a peripheral character in the story, even if only second-hand. I found this particularly salient given the references to education of Blacks, arguments around classism, and how those two ideas play out in the former tenant-farming family. The excerpts set the stage for flashbacks and more modern points of the story, and his principles and actions factor in frequently.
Although not at all shocking given the topic of Love Songs, there are some parts that may be triggering for some readers. Jeffers addresses drug addiction, pedophilia, and sexual abuse. This is not a comfortable read by any streth of the imagination. Nonetheless, this is an honest portrayal of the realities that this fictional family — and countless actual families — endured. These experiences, however, make a compelling story in how the people who endured these tragedies fought for resilience in insurmountable circumstances for themselves or those who would come later.
Ailey is the main character of the book, and it is through her perspective most of the modern action is seen. Her earliest appearance is at the age of 4, but theLove Songs ends with her in her 30s. Through her eyes over time, the reader sees primarily the lives of women in her life, as told through their romantic and familial relationships, work, education, and leisure. This is really her coming of age story, as she reflects on her family’s annual summer trip from their home in “the City” up north back to where her maternal extended family resides in rural Georgia. She continues to show life back at home in the nameless city — could it be Washington, D.C.? Maybe Chicago? New York? One is never sure, but it’s inconsequential. It’s not Chicasetta and is a world away.
In Ailey’s journey, the reader is exposed to small life in a town that hasn’t quite let go of it’s past. But what also figures prominently is a local university that has seen generations of Pinchard women come through its doors. It is here that Jeffers brings richness to Ailey, her mother, sister, and other women who influence their experiences. From finding ones place among campus political/social heirarchy to navigating new friendships and sexual relationships, this is a place of growth, of learning, and at times pain.
As someone heavily into genealogy, I was particularly interested in how Ailey researched the Pinchard family’s roots. The complicated, tangled branches of her tree are the root of this entire story and I was captivated as she started her research journey in earnest. Moreover, her research illustrates the complicated nature of many Black families with indigenous and/or plantation roots. Tracing the ancestry of a family that includes formerly enslaved ancestors or those without documented history is complicated at best, impossible at worst. Yet Jeffers captures the difficulty in this research and the sometimes serendipitous nature of new discoveries. It is through this research and discovery process that Ailey experiences particular growth, and I loved seeing her find a passion in this.
Simply put, this book gets my strongest recommendation. It is both a book I couldn’t put down yet wanted to savor over time. The story is rich, its characters enduring, and is a history that while fictional, felt real at very turn.
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