'Ours' follows a woman in the 1830s who has the power to free enslaved people

NPR's Book of the Day

NPR

Books, Arts

4.2 • 672 Ratings

🗓️ 27 February 2024

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Phillip B. Williams' debut novel, Ours, is a sweeping story that takes place in the 19th century. It takes off with a conjuror named Saint who destroys plantations and enslavers, and creates a community of freed people, Ours, that grapples with mysticism, spirituality and liberation over the course of several decades. In today's episode, Williams speaks with NPR's Ari Shapiro about the different interpretations and experiences of freedom in the novel, and the importance of community in the story.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. Before we get into today show,
0:06.9	I want to tell you about a new offering we have here at Book of the Day. We have now launched
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0:22.4	Nothing is changing about our regular show, but Book of the Day Plus is another way to help
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0:33.7	You can find out more at plus.npr.org slash book of the day.
0:37.8	All right, on to today's show.
0:39.3	There's a couple interesting points about the craft of writing that come up in today's
0:43.3	episode.
0:44.0	It's with Philip B. Williams, whose novel, ours, is about a woman named Saint in the 1830s,
0:50.3	who has these special abilities that allow her to free enslaved people and make her own
0:55.9	secluded community of freed people. It's one of those big sprawling novels, a pretty
1:01.3	ambitious swing from a debut novelist. And Williams tells MPR's R. Shapiro in this interview
1:06.4	that the length is part of the message of the book, that the book's physical form is somehow
1:11.9	in conversation with the themes of the novel. And speaking of themes, the two also get to
1:17.3	talking about how there's a section of the book Williams was tempted to cut because it, quote,
1:22.8	telegraphed too much about the book's message. But at the end of the day, the section stayed in.
1:28.0	And you'll hear Williams' thinking behind that artistic choice after the break.
1:33.0	In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.
1:37.8	Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show, sourcesources and Methods. NPR reporters on the ground
1:45.6	bring you stories of real people helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.
	...

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