About the book
“A brave triumph of a novel that readers won’t forget long after finishing it.”—The New York Times Book Review
Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Year by Good Morning America * Essence* Esquire * The Root * Bustle * Ebony * PopSugar * Ms. * The Millions
Finalist for the Reading the West Book Award
Longlisted for the 2023 Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award
Bear it or perish yourself. Those are the words Helen Jean hears that fateful night in her cousin’s outhouse that change the trajectory of her life.
Spanning decades, Perish tracks the choices Helen Jean—the matriarch of the Turner family—makes and the way those choices have rippled across generations. We meet four members of the Black Texan family: Julie B., a woman who regrets her wasted youth and the time spent under Helen Jean’s thumb; Alex, a police officer grappling with a dark and twisted past; Jan, a mother of two who yearns to go to school and leave Jerusalem, Texas, behind for good; and Lydia, a woman whose marriage is falling apart because her body can’t seem to stay pregnant.
Called home to say goodbye to their mother and grandmother, each family member is forced to confront long-kept secrets and ask themselves important questions about who is deserving of forgiveness and who bears the cross of blame. Set in vividly drawn Texas, this beautiful yet heart-wrenching novel explores the intricacies of family and the ways bonds can be made, maintained, or irrevocably broken.
“This novel will serve as a hand extended through the darkness to a great many of its readers.”—Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
“Like Walker’s The Color Purple and Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Perish lures readers past the pain with a spellbinding, buoyant use of language.”—Texas Monthly
“Miraculous and moving, light glimmers at the edges of this wise novel.”—Esquire
Editions of Perish
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780593185919
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780593185926
- EBook
- ISBN 9780593185933
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780593585337
- AudioStreaming
- ISBN 9780593585344
Read an Excerpt
“A brave triumph of a novel that readers won’t forget long after finishing it.”—The New York Times Book Review
Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Year by Good Morning America * Essence* Esquire * The Root * Bustle * Ebony * PopSugar * Ms. * The Millions
Finalist for the Reading the West Book Award
Longlisted for the 2023 Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award
Bear it or perish yourself. Those are the words Helen Jean hears that fateful night in her cousin’s outhouse that change the trajectory of her life.
Spanning decades, Perish tracks the choices Helen Jean—the matriarch of the Turner family—makes and the way those choices have rippled across generations. We meet four members of the Black Texan family: Julie B., a woman who regrets her wasted youth and the time spent under Helen Jean’s thumb; Alex, a police officer grappling with a dark and twisted past; Jan, a mother of two who yearns to go to school and leave Jerusalem, Texas, behind for good; and Lydia, a woman whose marriage is falling apart because her body can’t seem to stay pregnant.
Called home to say goodbye to their mother and grandmother, each family member is forced to confront long-kept secrets and ask themselves important questions about who is deserving of forgiveness and who bears the cross of blame. Set in vividly drawn Texas, this beautiful yet heart-wrenching novel explores the intricacies of family and the ways bonds can be made, maintained, or irrevocably broken.
“This novel will serve as a hand extended through the darkness to a great many of its readers.”—Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
“Like Walker’s The Color Purple and Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Perish lures readers past the pain with a spellbinding, buoyant use of language.”—Texas Monthly
“Miraculous and moving, light glimmers at the edges of this wise novel.”—Esquire
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Perish about?
“A brave triumph of a novel that readers won’t forget long after finishing it.”—The New York Times Book Review
Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Year by Good Morning America * Essence* Esquire * The Root * Bustle * Ebony * PopSugar * Ms. * The Millions
Finalist for the Reading the West Book Award
Longlisted for the 2023 Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award
Bear it or perish yourself. Those are the words Helen Jean hears that fateful night in her cousin’s outhouse that change the trajectory of her life.
Spanning decades, Perish tracks the choices Helen Jean—the matriarch of the Turner family—makes and the way those choices have rippled across generations. We meet four members of the Black Texan family: Julie B., a woman who regrets her wasted youth and the time spent under Helen Jean’s thumb; Alex, a police officer grappling with a dark and twisted past; Jan, a mother of two who yearns to go to school and leave Jerusalem, Texas, behind for good; and Lydia, a woman whose marriage is falling apart because her body can’t seem to stay pregnant.
Called home to say goodbye to their mother and grandmother, each family member is forced to confront long-kept secrets and ask themselves important questions about who is deserving of forgiveness and who bears the cross of blame. Set in vividly drawn Texas, this beautiful yet heart-wrenching novel explores the intricacies of family and the ways bonds can be made, maintained, or irrevocably broken.
“This novel will serve as a hand extended through the darkness to a great many of its readers.”—Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
“Like Walker’s The Color Purple and Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Perish lures readers past the pain with a spellbinding, buoyant use of language.”—Texas Monthly
“Miraculous and moving, light glimmers at the edges of this wise novel.”—Esquire
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Perish?
Fiction > Fiction: literary and general non-genre
Where can I read a sample of Perish?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780593185919
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Perish?
LaToya Watkins
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Perish is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780593185919) and paperback(ISBN 9780593185926) and ebook(ISBN 9780593185933) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780593585337) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780593585344)
Where can I buy Perish online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Perish from below