An Essence Most Anticipated Book of Fall 2021 A Bustle Most
Anticipated Book of September 2021 Blending mythology and memory,
Saga Boy follows a young Black immigrant's vibrant personal
metamorphosis. Growing up as a clever, willful boy in a tiny
village in the tropical forests of Trinidad -- raised by his
indomitable grandmother, Miss Excelly, and her King James Bible --
Antonio Michael Downing is steeped in the legacies of his scattered
family, the vibrant culture of the island, and the weight of its
colonial history. But following Miss Excelly's death, everything
changes. The eleven-year-old Downing seems to fall asleep in the
jungle and to wake up in a blizzard: he is sent to live with his
devoutly evangelical Aunt Joan in rural Canada, where they are the
only Black family in a landscape starkly devoid of the warm
lushness of his childhood. Isolated and longing for home, Downing
begins a decades-long journey to transform himself through music
and performance. A reunion with his birth parents, whom he has
known only through story, closes more doors than it opens. Instead,
Downing seeks refuge in increasingly extravagant musical
personalities: "Mic Dainjah," a boisterous punk rapper; "Molasses,"
a soul crooner; and, finally, an eccentric dystopian-era pop star
clad in leather and gold, "John Orpheus." In his mid-thirties,
increasingly addicted to escapism, attention, and sex, Downing
realizes he has become a "Saga Boy"--a Trinidadian playboy
archetype--like his father and grandfather before him. When his
choices land him in a jail cell, Downing must face who he has
become. Harnessing the lyricism of an evangelical childhood into a
flourishing and unforgettable prose all its own, Saga Boy is a
poignant journey of overcoming, belonging, and becoming one's own
self.
General
Imprint: |
Milkweed Editions
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
September 2021 |
Authors: |
Antonio Michael Downing
|
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
344 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-57131-191-7 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-57131-191-2 |
Barcode: |
9781571311917 |
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