The Root Worker (Advanced Reading Copy/ARC)

Burton, Rainelle

ISBN 10: 1585671401 / ISBN 13: 9781585671403

Published by Overlook Pr, 2001

About this Item

Trade Paperback - VG - Book is clean and tight with light wear - ARC- 200 pages. Seller Inventory # 253629

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Root Worker (Advanced Reading Copy/ARC)

Publisher: Overlook Pr

Publication Date: 2001

Binding: Trade Paperback

Condition: Very Good

Edition: First Edition.

Book Type: Advanced Reading Copy (ARC)

About this title

Synopsis:

Rare Book

Synopsis:

A novel in the tradition of Toni Morrison and Alice Walker, THE ROOT WORKER marks the introduction of a sparkling new literary talent. It is a gracefully written and unforgettable novel. A remarkable debut novel that depicts the shadowy landscape between innocence and experience, THE ROOT WORKER is the riveting story of Ellen, an eleven-year-old black girl growing up in Detroit in the 1960s. In Ellen's eyes and voice, the world is a threatening place. She is afraid of her teachers, nuns at the Catholic school she attends, who instil in her a fear of punishment for sins she doesn't understand. She is afraid of her mother, who holds her responsible for her family's ills and is convinced that Ellen is possessed by evil spirits. But more than anything, she fears the Root Worker, a voodoo priestess who has Ellen's mother under her sway, who feeds her fears and insecurities, and ruthlessly torments Ellen in an effort to find a "cure" for her wickedness. Through all of these experiences, Ellen is in a constant search for a place of safety, where no one can touch her. She finds a way there when she meets Barbara, a neighbour who tries to restore her trust in people.

It will take a great deal, however, for Ellen to wrest herself from the people who have power over her.