Daughters of Muscadine: Stories

In Monic Ductan's debut collection, nine stories are connected by the 1920s lynching of Ida Pearl Crawley and the 1980s drowning of Lucy Boudreaux, shaping Muscadine, Georgia, in the foothills of Appalachia. The stories explore the lives of Black Southern women, rural women, Appalachian women, and working-class women, presenting their extraordinary nature in the tradition of Alice Walker, Deesha Philyaw, James McBride, and Dorothy Allison.

Format: Hardback
Length: 144 pages
Publication date: 14 November 2023
Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky

In Monic Ductan's stunning debut, nine interconnected stories are woven together by two pivotal events that leave an indelible mark on the people and landscape of Muscadine, Georgia, nestled in the foothills of Appalachia. The daughters of Muscadine, Black Southern women who often face marginalization and estrangement from those they care about, navigate the complexities of their lives. A remorseful woman embarks on a journey to reconnect with the child she relinquished for adoption, while another, consumed by loneliness, forms an unexpected connection with a violent felon. Despite their differences, two sisters share a deep bond that transcends understanding. In a poignant moment, a little girl witnesses her father's slow demise, gaining a newfound awareness of her power and limitations. Meanwhile, a single woman navigates the exhilarating and challenging world of online dating. Spanning a century, these stories shed light on the voices that have been silenced and erased for far too long—Black women, rural women, Appalachian women, and working-class women. Ductan's writing, reminiscent of the works of Alice Walker, Deesha Philyaw, James McBride, and Dorothy Allison, presents the extraordinary nature of everyday lives in a captivating, engrossing, and exhilarating new voice.

Weight: 350g
Dimension: 147 x 227 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781950564330