Where Did You Sleep Last Night?: A Personal History

Senna, Danzy

ISBN 10: 1433271435 ISBN 13: 9781433271434

Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks, 2009

Synopsis

The author traces the story of her parents' turbulent marriage and divorce, describing how their mixed-race union was originally seen as a barrier-breaking symbol of hope before its deterioration.

About this title

Review:

Praise for" Where Did You Sleep Last Night?"
"Senna is masterly at relaying--and, more important, withholding--information . . . every lead, every twist, begs for a page-flip."--David Matthews, "The New York Times Book Review""In her courageous portrait of the tumultuous union between her Boston Brahmin mother and her enigmatic black father, Danzy Senna offers a powerfully personal take on the progress of American race relations since the civil rights movement. "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" reminds us of the consequences of our origins and our inescapable desire to make sense of them."--Bliss Broyard, author of "One Drop: My Father's Hidden Life--A Story of Race and Family Secrets"
"Senna's spare style allows her to maintain control of this emotionally painful material. . . . [The narrative's] energy never flags. Her descriptive skills are precise, with humor and humanity shining through at unexpected moments. An impressive feat, packing so much into a short book."

Praise for""Where Did You Sleep Last Night?"A keen examination of a utopian-minded marriage scarred by America's racially divided past." --"Vogue" "Stirring . . . Caught between her parents' divergent histories, Senna finds her own identity at odds with itself, despite having been cultivated in a sort of bohemian 'new world order.' Senna relates these winding, uncertain stories with a sense of quiet devastation. She's as fiercely driven to unearth her parents' pasts as they were eager to rise above them." --Eryn Loeb, "Time Out New York""" "Senna's spare style allows her to maintain control of this emotionally painful material. . . . Her descriptive skills are precise, with humor and humanity shining through at unexpected moments. An impressive feat, packing so much into a short book." --Ariel Gonzalez, "Miami Herald""" "[Senna is] masterly at relaying--and more important, withholding--information, so that every lead, every twist, begs for a page-flip . . . The author propels these early chapters along with the kind of snappy knockout prose Ross Macdonald might have employed, had he been given to long ruminations on race and identity in American culture . . . Her observations are often nod-inducingly brilliant." --David Matthews, "The New York Times Book Review""" "Wistful yet bitter-toned . . . a haunting, introspective meditation on race and family ties that tackles the tricky questions involved in constructing identity." --"Publishers Weekly," Pick of the Week, March 9 "Senna, author of "Caucasia" and "Symptomatic," offers a stunningly rendered personal heritage that mirrors the complexities of race, class, and ethnicity in the U.S." --"Booklist," starred review "Quietly reflective and gorgeously written." --"Kirkus Reviews"

"There are stories we need to find, and stories that must be told. In this masterful work of seeking and telling, hoping and letting go, Danzy Senna stalks her ancestral past like an attorney assembling the case of a lifetime. Her closing remarks prove that as improbable as it sounds, the people of this great country we call America really are indivisible; we truly are one. This book is a great gift. Read it."--Rebecca Walker, author of "Black, White, and Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self"""

"In her courageous portrait of the tumultuous union between her Boston Brahmin mother and her enigmatic black father, Danzy Senna offers a powerfully personal take on the progress of American race relations since the civil rights movement. "Where Did You Sleep Last Night? "reminds us of the consequences of our origins and our inescapable desire to make sense of them."--Bliss Broyard, author of "One Drop: My Father's ""Hidden Life"--"A Story of Race and Family Secrets"

Praise for Danzy Senna
"Senna's dynamic storytelling illuminates personal revelations that are anything but black and white." --"Entertainment Weekly
""Senna throws everything into her literary stew-ambition, love, obsession, jealousy, and race." --"Elle
"Praise for Danzy Senna's "Caucasia
""Senna's remarkable first novel [will] cling to your memory . . . Senna tells this coming of age tale with impressive beauty and power." --"Newsweek
""[An] absorbing debut novel . . . Senna superbly illustrates the emotional toll that politics and race take." --"New York Times Book Review"

Stirring . . . Caught between her parents' divergent histories, Senna finds her own identity at odds with itself, despite having been cultivated in a sort of bohemian 'new world order.' Senna relates these winding, uncertain stories with a sense of quiet devastation. She's as fiercely driven to unearth her parents' pasts as they were eager to rise above them.--Eryn Loeb "Time Out New York "

Senna's spare style allows her to maintain control of this emotionally painful material. . . . Her descriptive skills are precise, with humor and humanity shining through at unexpected moments. An impressive feat, packing so much into a short book.--Ariel Gonzalez "Miami Herald "

[Senna is] masterly at relaying--and more important, withholding--information, so that every lead, every twist, begs for a page-flip . . . The author propels these early chapters along with the kind of snappy knockout prose Ross Macdonald might have employed, had he been given to long ruminations on race and identity in American culture . . . Her observations are often nod-inducingly brilliant.--David Matthews "The New York Times Book Review "

There are stories we need to find, and stories that must be told. In this masterful work of seeking and telling, hoping and letting go, Danzy Senna stalks her ancestral past like an attorney assembling the case of a lifetime. Her closing remarks prove that as improbable as it sounds, the people of this great country we call America really are indivisible; we truly are one. This book is a great gift. Read it.--Rebecca Walker, author of Black, White, and Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self

In her courageous portrait of the tumultuous union between her Boston Brahmin mother and her enigmatic black father, Danzy Senna offers a powerfully personal take on the progress of American race relations since the civil rights movement. Where Did You Sleep Last Night? reminds us of the consequences of our origins and our inescapable desire to make sense of them.--Bliss Broyard, author of One Drop: My Father s Hidden Life A Story of Race and Family Secrets"

A keen examination of a utopian-minded marriage scarred by America's racially divided past. "Vogue"

Stirring . . . Caught between her parents' divergent histories, Senna finds her own identity at odds with itself, despite having been cultivated in a sort of bohemian new world order.' Senna relates these winding, uncertain stories with a sense of quiet devastation. She's as fiercely driven to unearth her parents' pasts as they were eager to rise above them. Eryn Loeb, "Time Out New York"

Senna's spare style allows her to maintain control of this emotionally painful material. . . . Her descriptive skills are precise, with humor and humanity shining through at unexpected moments. An impressive feat, packing so much into a short book. Ariel Gonzalez, "Miami Herald"

[Senna is] masterly at relaying--and more important, withholding--information, so that every lead, every twist, begs for a page-flip . . . The author propels these early chapters along with the kind of snappy knockout prose Ross Macdonald might have employed, had he been given to long ruminations on race and identity in American culture . . . Her observations are often nod-inducingly brilliant. David Matthews, "The New York Times Book Review"

Wistful yet bitter-toned . . . a haunting, introspective meditation on race and family ties that tackles the tricky questions involved in constructing identity. "Publishers Weekly, Pick of the Week, March 9"

Senna, author of "Caucasia" and "Symptomatic," offers a stunningly rendered personal heritage that mirrors the complexities of race, class, and ethnicity in the U.S. "Booklist, starred review"

Quietly reflective and gorgeously written. "Kirkus Reviews"

There are stories we need to find, and stories that must be told. In this masterful work of seeking and telling, hoping and letting go, Danzy Senna stalks her ancestral past like an attorney assembling the case of a lifetime. Her closing remarks prove that as improbable as it sounds, the people of this great country we call America really are indivisible; we truly are one. This book is a great gift. Read it. Rebecca Walker, author of Black, White, and Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self

In her courageous portrait of the tumultuous union between her Boston Brahmin mother and her enigmatic black father, Danzy Senna offers a powerfully personal take on the progress of American race relations since the civil rights movement. Where Did You Sleep Last Night? reminds us of the consequences of our origins and our inescapable desire to make sense of them. Bliss Broyard, author of One Drop: My Father s Hidden Life A Story of Race and Family Secrets"

"A keen examination of a utopian-minded marriage scarred by America's racially divided past." --Vogue

"Stirring . . . Caught between her parents' divergent histories, Senna finds her own identity at odds with itself, despite having been cultivated in a sort of bohemian 'new world order.' Senna relates these winding, uncertain stories with a sense of quiet devastation. She's as fiercely driven to unearth her parents' pasts as they were eager to rise above them." --Eryn Loeb, Time Out New York

"Senna's spare style allows her to maintain control of this emotionally painful material. . . . Her descriptive skills are precise, with humor and humanity shining through at unexpected moments. An impressive feat, packing so much into a short book." --Ariel Gonzalez, Miami Herald

"[Senna is] masterly at relaying--and more important, withholding--information, so that every lead, every twist, begs for a page-flip . . . The author propels these early chapters along with the kind of snappy knockout prose Ross Macdonald might have employed, had he been given to long ruminations on race and identity in American culture . . . Her observations are often nod-inducingly brilliant." --David Matthews, The New York Times Book Review

"Wistful yet bitter-toned . . . a haunting, introspective meditation on race and family ties that tackles the tricky questions involved in constructing identity." --Publishers Weekly, Pick of the Week, March 9

"Senna, author of Caucasia and Symptomatic, offers a stunningly rendered personal heritage that mirrors the complexities of race, class, and ethnicity in the U.S." --Booklist, starred review

"Quietly reflective and gorgeously written." --Kirkus Reviews

"There are stories we need to find, and stories that must be told. In this masterful work of seeking and telling, hoping and letting go, Danzy Senna stalks her ancestral past like an attorney assembling the case of a lifetime. Her closing remarks prove that as improbable as it sounds, the people of this great country we call America really are indivisible; we truly are one. This book is a great gift. Read it." --Rebecca Walker, author of Black, White, and Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self

"In her courageous portrait of the tumultuous union between her Boston Brahmin mother and her enigmatic black father, Danzy Senna offers a powerfully personal take on the progress of American race relations since the civil rights movement. Where Did You Sleep Last Night? reminds us of the consequences of our origins and our inescapable desire to make sense of them." --Bliss Broyard, author of One Drop: My Father's Hidden Life--A Story of Race and Family Secrets

About the Author:

Danzy Senna is the author of the novels Caucasia and Symptomatic.

About this edition

• Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1433271435
• ISBN 13: 9781433271434
• Binding: Audio CD