The Book of Night WomenThe Book of Night Women
Score Modern
What it's about
Lilith is born into slavery on a Jamaican sugar plantation at the end of the eighteenth century, with green eyes and a temper she can't control. The women who run the plantation's household, the night women, see a power in her and draw her into their secret plan for a revolt. Lilith has to decide where she stands.
Why it's worth reading
It was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. Marlon James, later a Booker winner, writes with fierce power in a voice drawn from Jamaican speech.
You'll love it if you liked
Beloved
Twelve Years a Slave
The Underground RailroadGood to know
It's extremely violent, with rape, torture and murder. It's written in Jamaican patois, which takes a few pages to settle into.
By the numbers
- Readers94 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics25 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller9 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #100 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #121 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #442 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #850 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic
More by Marlon James
A Brief History of Seven Killings
The DisappearersIf you like this, read next
Circe
A Tale for the Time Being
There There
The Snow Child
Cloud Cuckoo Land
BabelExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Book of Night Women worth reading?
Yes. It was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. It ranks #850 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 74.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Book of Night Women about?
Lilith is born into slavery on a Jamaican sugar plantation at the end of the eighteenth century, with green eyes and a temper she can't control. The women who run the plantation's household, the night women, see a power in her and draw her into their secret plan for a revolt. Lilith has to decide where she stands.
How long does it take to read The Book of Night Women?
About 11 hours (444 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Book of Night Women?
If you liked it, try Beloved by Toni Morrison, Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup or The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.