Africville
Audio only

Africville

A NovelBy Jeffrey ColvinNarrated by Robin Miles
Length12h 37m

About this audiobook

This debut novel is the richly woven story of a town settled by former slaves on the outskirts of Halifax, Nova Scotia, known as Africville, and of the Sebolt family, who moves there in the 1930s. Teenager Kath Ella Sebolt wants desperately to escape the town that she equates with deprivation and lack of opportunity. Months after her boyfriend is killed during a clash between young people in the village and Halifax constables, she moves with her infant son to Montreal. After attending college as a single mother, and ultimately marrying a white man, she discovers that as much as she tries, severing ties to her former village is not easy. Kath Ella’s son Etienne puts even more distance between himself and the village, first moving across the border to Vermont, and then farther south to Alabama, where he passes for white. Etienne’s son Warner finds his standing in his all-white community compromised by the sudden revelation that he has black grandparents. As the story comes full circle, Warner travels to Africville to get to know his black relatives. They, however, are suspicious of his motivations. The family saga unfolds against the backdrop of Africville, based on a real place that has become a symbol not only of Black Canadian identity, but also of how the human spirit remains resilient in the face of adversity, tragedy and change. This beautifully written novel delves into a little-known aspect of the history of enslaved peoples. It will find a place on bookshelves next to other novels about place, such as George and Rue by George Elliot Clarke and The Known World by Edward P. Jones; cross-racial relationships, like Any Known Blood by Lawrence Hill; the multigenerational saga Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi; and the Canadian modern classic The Book of Negroes.

Audiobook details

GenreGeneral Fiction, Historical Fiction
Length12 hrs 37 mins
Narrated byRobin Miles
FormatAudiobook
Publish dateDec 10, 2019
LanguageEnglish

More from Jeffrey Colvin

You may also like

Africaville
AfricavilleJeffrey Colvin12h 37m$33 · $0.00
Barn Cat
Barn CatKyoko Mori58m$14.10 · $0.00
Benjamin Banneker and Us
Benjamin Banneker and UsRachel Jamison Webster12h 2m$23 · $0.00
The Orphan Keeper
The Orphan KeeperCamron Wright8h 16m$20
The Perfumist of Paris
The Perfumist of ParisAlka Joshi11h 45m$29 · $0.00
The Library at Wagtail Ridge: the new small-town romance and 2023's Ruby award winner. A heartwarming novel about family, belonging and love, perfect for readers of Karly Lane.
The Library at Wagtail Ridge: the new small-town romance and 2023's Ruby award winner. A heartwarming novel about family, belonging and love, perfect for readers of Karly Lane.Janet Gover9h 33m$29 · $0.00
The Bookshop of Yesterdays
The Bookshop of YesterdaysAmy Meyerson11h 40m$29 · $0.00
Felix Holt, the Radical
Felix Holt, the RadicalGeorge Eliot15h 38m$1 · $0.00
The California Dreamers
The California DreamersAmy Mason Doan10h 34m$29 · $0.00
Animal Dreams
Animal DreamsBarbara Kingsolver11h 50m$29 · $0.00
The Sea Garden
The Sea GardenMarcia Willett9h 56m$23 · $0.00
Lady Sunshine
Lady SunshineAmy Mason Doan9h 52m$29 · $0.00
Son of a Hundred Kings
Son of a Hundred KingsThomas B. Costain$2 · $0.00
The Longest Trip Home
The Longest Trip HomeJohn Grogan10h 43m$29 · $0.00
Shining Ferry
Shining FerryArthur Quiller-Couch7h 13m$1 · $0.00
That’s That
That’s ThatColin Broderick8h 47m$20 · $0.00
The Library of Lost and Found
The Library of Lost and FoundPhaedra Patrick10h 29m$29 · $0.00
Flores and Miss Paula
Flores and Miss PaulaMelissa Rivero10h 5m$29 · $0.00
Krindlesyke
KrindlesykeWilfrid Wilson Gibson2h 51m$1 · $0.00
Severe and Unusual Weather
Severe and Unusual WeatherJessie Ann Foley5h 14m$24 · $0.00