Gathering of Waters: A Novel
(Kindle Book, OverDrive Read)
Author:
Published:
Akashic Books 2025
Format:
Kindle Book, OverDrive Read
Status:
Available from OverDrive
Description
Following her best-selling, award-winning novel Glorious, McFadden produces a fantastical historical novel featuring the spirit of Emmett Till.
—One of Essence's "Best Books of the Decade" —A New York Times Notable Book of 2012 —Gathering of Waters was a finalist for a Phillis Wheatley Fiction Book Award. "McFadden works a kind of miracle—not only do [her characters] retain their appealing humanity; their story eclipses the bonds of history to offer continuous surprises . . . Beautiful and evocative, Gathering of Waters brings three generations to life . . . The real power of the narrative lies in the richness and complexity of the characters. While they inhabit these pages they live, and they do so gloriously and messily and magically, so that we are at last sorry to see them go, and we sit with those small moments we had with them and worry over them, enchanted, until they become something like our own memories, dimmed by time, but alive with the ghosts of the past, and burning with spirits." —Jesmyn Ward, New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice "Read it aloud. Hire a chorus to chant it to you and anyone else interested in hearing about civil rights and uncivil desires, about the dark heat of hate, about the force of forgiveness." —Alan Cheuse, All Things Considered, NPR
Gathering of Waters is a deeply engrossing tale narrated by the town of Money, Mississippi—a site both significant and infamous in our collective story as a nation. Money is personified in this haunting story, which chronicles its troubled history following the arrival of the Hilson and Bryant families. Tass Hilson and Emmet Till were young and in love when Emmett was brutally murdered in 1955. Anxious to escape the town, Tass marries Maximillian May and relocates to Detroit. Forty years later, after the death of her husband, Tass returns to Money and fantasy takes flesh when Emmett Till's spirit is finally released from the dank, dark waters of the Tallahatchie River. The two lovers are reunited, bringing the story to an enchanting and profound conclusion.
Gathering of Waters mines the truth about Money, Mississippi, as well as the town's families, and threads their history over decades. The bare-bones realism—both disturbing and riveting—combined with a magical realm in which ghosts have the final say, is reminiscent of Toni Morrison's Beloved.
—One of Essence's "Best Books of the Decade" —A New York Times Notable Book of 2012 —Gathering of Waters was a finalist for a Phillis Wheatley Fiction Book Award. "McFadden works a kind of miracle—not only do [her characters] retain their appealing humanity; their story eclipses the bonds of history to offer continuous surprises . . . Beautiful and evocative, Gathering of Waters brings three generations to life . . . The real power of the narrative lies in the richness and complexity of the characters. While they inhabit these pages they live, and they do so gloriously and messily and magically, so that we are at last sorry to see them go, and we sit with those small moments we had with them and worry over them, enchanted, until they become something like our own memories, dimmed by time, but alive with the ghosts of the past, and burning with spirits." —Jesmyn Ward, New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice "Read it aloud. Hire a chorus to chant it to you and anyone else interested in hearing about civil rights and uncivil desires, about the dark heat of hate, about the force of forgiveness." —Alan Cheuse, All Things Considered, NPR
Gathering of Waters is a deeply engrossing tale narrated by the town of Money, Mississippi—a site both significant and infamous in our collective story as a nation. Money is personified in this haunting story, which chronicles its troubled history following the arrival of the Hilson and Bryant families. Tass Hilson and Emmet Till were young and in love when Emmett was brutally murdered in 1955. Anxious to escape the town, Tass marries Maximillian May and relocates to Detroit. Forty years later, after the death of her husband, Tass returns to Money and fantasy takes flesh when Emmett Till's spirit is finally released from the dank, dark waters of the Tallahatchie River. The two lovers are reunited, bringing the story to an enchanting and profound conclusion.
Gathering of Waters mines the truth about Money, Mississippi, as well as the town's families, and threads their history over decades. The bare-bones realism—both disturbing and riveting—combined with a magical realm in which ghosts have the final say, is reminiscent of Toni Morrison's Beloved.
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More Details
Street Date:
07/01/2025
Language:
English
ISBN:
9781617751103
ASIN:
B006MGL6NQ
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Citations
APA Citation (style guide)
Bernice L. McFadden. (2025). Gathering of Waters: A Novel. Akashic Books.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)Bernice L. McFadden. 2025. Gathering of Waters: A Novel. Akashic Books.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)Bernice L. McFadden, Gathering of Waters: A Novel. Akashic Books, 2025.
MLA Citation (style guide)Bernice L. McFadden. Gathering of Waters: A Novel. Akashic Books, 2025.
Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
Copy Details
| Library | Owned | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Shared Digital Collection | 1 | 1 |
| East Hampton Public Library | 0 | 0 |
Staff View
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API Extraction Dates
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Date Added:
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Date Updated:
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Nov 05, 2025 04:04:49
Last Availability Change:
Nov 05, 2025 04:04:49
Last Grouped Work Modification Time:
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