The first novel fromNational Book Awardwinner & author ofSing, Unburied, SingJesmyn Ward, a timeless Southern fable of brotherly love & familial conflict—“a lyrical yet clear-eyed portrait of a rural South & an African American reality that are rarely depicted” (The Boston Globe).Where the Line BleedsisJesmyn Ward’sgorgeous first novel & the first of three novels set inBois Sauvage—followed bySalvage the Bones&Sing, Unburied, Sing—comprising a loose trilogy about small town sourthern family life. Described as “starkly beautiful” (Publishers Weekly, starred review), “fearless” (Essence), & “emotionally honest” (The Dallas Morning News), it was a finalist for theHurston/Wright Legacy Award& theVirginia Commonwealth University Cabell First Novelist Award.Joshua&Christopheare twins, raised by a blind grandmother & a large extended family in ruralBois Sauvage, on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. They’ve just finished high school & need to find jobs, but after Katrina, it’s not easy. Joshua gets work on the docks, but Christophe’s not so lucky & starts to sell drugs. Christophe’s downward spiral is accelerated first by crack, then by the reappearance of the twins’ parents:Cille&Sandman.°°°“Let’s be honest,Salvage the Boneswas really Ward’s breakthrough. ButWhere the Line Bleedsis where she lays all the groundwork for what is to come. It’s the perfect example of an author digging deep into her obsessions: sibling relationships, class & race, & a profound exploration of setting, in this case the fictional town ofBois SauvageinMississippi, which will continue as a central piece ofWard’stwoNational Book Award–winning novels, the aforementionedBones&Sing, Unburied, Sing. It’s a beautiful debut, quieter & calmer than her later books, but with so much to teach every aspiring writer about crafting a world & finding your voice.”— Alejandro Puyana,World Literature Today