Daughters of the Dust

Praise

Praise for the novel: 

“A compelling portrait…told through the lyrical stories of its strong and complicated women.”—Chicago Tribune

“In its beautiful storytelling and richly cultural sense of place and time, Daughters of the Dust the novel meets the high standards of Daughters of the Dust the film…giving us the stuff we’ve clamored for since the first hypnotic images flickered across movie screens—more, more, more.”—Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Brings to mind Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison…unique voices singing the strength of African American heroines.”—The Oregonian

“Rich in the language and traditions of the Gullahs…a testimony to the strength of all women bonded through kinship and friendship.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch 

“Elegantly combines sultry descriptions with evocations of oral tradition, cultural theory with a sincere reverence for Gullah esthetics and experience.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Comes alive in the anecdotes told in the dialect of the many marvelously varied characters and in its descriptions of the overwhelming beauty of the Geechee language and the lushness of the land.”—Washington Post Book World

“A portable feast, well spiced with colorful, delicious condiments from Africa and the Black South…Evokes humor and tragedy with an equally clear eye…a riveting family saga by a writer not afraid to use her imagination.”—Norfolk Virginian-Pilot

“A touching story about self-preservation, a family’s struggle to keep its culture intact, and a young woman’s personal struggle to understand how her family’s past has shaped her life and the lives of her mother and grandmother…about holding on, letting go, and going home.”—Florida Times-Union

“With tremendous detail and historical information, Dash creates a world full of ritual and tradition of which the reader becomes an intimate part.”—Emerge

“A heady tale of family and heritage.”—Entertainment Weekly 

“Daughters of the Dust is an epic tale steeped in the beauty of an Africa-infused American island and its divine women.”—Vibe

“This heartwarming novel based on elemental human values shows Dash to be as fine a storyteller as she is a filmmaker.”—Booklist

“A fascinating novel.”—Chattanooga Times

“Dazzles with the complex beauty of island culture…lyrical and layered.”—Nashville Tennessean 

“A lush and lyrical story…exploring a background rich in hardship, strength, passion, and joy.”—Louisville Courier-Journal 

“In her new novel, Dash reacquaints us with her marvelous characters and extends their tale in greater and even more compelling ways.”—Macon Courier