New Jesmyn Ward Novel LET US DESCEND Coming in October

Jesmyn Ward fans, rejoice! We officially have a title and release date for her next novel. Let Us Descend is slated for an October 3rd release from Scribner, a Simon & Schuster imprint.

The book will tell the story of enslaved teenage girl Annis, turning an unflinching eye at the terrifying reality of a life violently robbed of physical agency. “It took years and multiple drafts to understand how Annis and enslaved people might have retained their sense of self, their sense of hope, in a time and place that attempted to negate both, day in and out,” Ward said in a statement from Scribner. Let Us Descend is described as “a blend of magical realism, historical narrative and Dante’s ‘Inferno.'”