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
Paule Marshall is the author of Brown Girl, Brownstones, The Chosen Place, The Timeless People, Praisesong for the Widow, Soul Clap Hands and Sing, Reena and Other Stories, and Daughters. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, she is now Professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. View titles by Paule Marshall

About

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

Author

Paule Marshall is the author of Brown Girl, Brownstones, The Chosen Place, The Timeless People, Praisesong for the Widow, Soul Clap Hands and Sing, Reena and Other Stories, and Daughters. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, she is now Professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. View titles by Paule Marshall

Books for Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Every May we celebrate the rich history and culture of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Browse a curated selection of fiction and nonfiction books by AANHPI creators that we think your students will love. Find our full collection of titles for Higher Education here.

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