African American Women Writers' Historical Fiction

This volume explores African American historical fiction written by women in the last four decades of the twentieth century. Nunes' approach to the texts aims at emphasizing the narrative and thematic achievements of individual novels set in the context of the main trends and developments of the contemporary African American historical novel.

"While there is no dearth of scholarship on the work of contemporary African American women writers, Nunes emphasizes intertextuality, making unlikely connections to encourage her readers to think differently about both the individual works and the tradition itself. African American Women Writers Historical Fiction is thoughtfully researched, articulate, straightforward in structure, and surprising in places. Nunes articulates a rich context for each work she examines and concludes by exploring the theme of social responsibility each author has embraced in crafting a historical novel that, as Nunes quotes James Baldwin, makes the present coherent. " - Elizabeth Beaulieu, Dean, Core Division, Champlain College

"Nunes s sensitive and detailed reading of each novel - Jubilee, Corregidora, Dessa Rose, Beloved, and Stigmata­ - points out the writers female perspective of African American history, specifically the experience of slavery, and the innovative narrative strategies rehearsed in their texts. The latter defy a hegemonic tradition, rescuing silenced voices and attempting to represent the unrepresentable. African American Women Writers Historical Fiction will make an important contribution to the fields of American and African American studies, Women studies, and cultural studies. " - Isabel Caldeira, University of Coimbra

"This study will add greatly to our understanding of African American women s writing, of African American writing in general, of the American novel, and of the novel itself." - Ron Callan, Lecturer, University College Dublin

Ana Nunes is Research Fellow at the University of Coimbra, Portugal.