Song Yet Sung

By: James McBride

Narrated by: Leslie Uggams

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Good Lord Bird, winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction, Deacon King Kong, Five-Carat Soul, and Kill 'Em and Leave

In the days before the Civil War, a runaway slave named Liz Spocott breaks free from her captors and escapes into the labyrinthine swamps of Maryland’s eastern shore, setting loose a drama of violence and hope among slave catchers, plantation owners, watermen, runaway slaves, and free blacks. Liz is near death, wracked by disturbing visions of the future, and armed with “the Code,” a fiercely guarded cryptic means of communication for slaves on the run. Liz’s flight and her dreams of tomorrow will thrust all those near her toward a mysterious, redemptive fate.

Filled with rich, true details—much of the story is drawn from historical events—and told in McBride’s signature lyrical style, Song Yet Sung is a story of tragic triumph, violent decisions, and unexpected kindness.©2008 James McBride; (P)2008 Penguin

Critic reviews

“McBride keeps the suspense high as he raises troubling questions about slavery’s legacy, the price of freedom and what it means to be human.”—People

"McBride...can deliver the cauterizing power of anger without the corrosive effects of bitterness....It just might turn out to be balm for a wound that has so far stubbornly refused to heal."—The New York Times

"Gripping, affecting, and beautifully paced, Song Yet Sung illuminates, in the most dramatic fashion, a deeply troubled, vastly complicated moment in American history."—O, The Oprah Magazine

"Powerful...A complex, ever-tightening, increasingly suspenseful web."—The Washington Post Book World

"Engrossing."—The Seattle Times

"Let McBride's beautiful language carry you back to his version of Dorchester County, Maryland, in 1850.... Noble and profound."—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Prepare yourself for a thrilling ride."—Essence

"It's hard to imagine anyone being able to write to the caliber of Toni Morrison and Edward P. Jones, but James McBride does just that in Song Yet Sung....McBride's characters stick with you long after the novel is finished."—The Dallas Morning News

"A raw and captivating story of a runaway female slave and a slave catcher, both seeking freedom, forgiveness, and love."—Ebony

"Deceptively simple, the narrative is clean, spare, and relentless...Beautiful."—Portland Oregonian

Had my undivided attention from the 1st word!

This is my 1st James McBride book & it is thee best book that I’ve read (listened to) this year, and in a long time. Excellent story and engaging characters. I’m looking forward to getting more acquainted with this author’s storytelling.

So good, I listened to it twice!

This is definitely one of my top 3 James McBride books next to "The Good Lord Bird" and "The Heaven and Earth Store". I've listened to all of his books on Audible, but the is the first time ever that I felt compelled to listen to a book again directly after finishing it. And although I knew the ending, I still found myself so captivated that it was as if I was listening to it the first time. Ms. Leslie Uggams is INCREDIBLE as the narrator!

Spellbinding

I couldn't stop listening to this book! Leslie Uggams does such a great job narrating, that I felt I was right there in the story. The music was a good choice also. I was a little disappointed in the way it ended, but all-in-all it is a thoughtful, well written and well read book.

A Must Read.

This was a very good book. My son needed the book for a college English class and I ended up reading it with him. Excellent!

Beautiful and gripping

Fantastic nuanced depiction of slave era Maryland and fantastic narration that brings you right into the action.