 First edition | |
| Author | Angela Flournoy |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical fiction |
| Set in | Detroit |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
| Publication date | 2015 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 320 |
| ISBN | 978-0-544-30316-4 |
| OCLC | 971095526 |
| Website | Official website |
The Turner House is a 2015 debut novel by Angela Flournoy. The novel was shortlisted for the National Book Award for Fiction and later won the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award.
Background
Though Flournoy's father's family is originally from Detroit, she had not lived in the city, so did considerable research to be able to depict the different 20th century periods of life in Detroit depicted in the novel.
Plot
The novel tells the story of a Detroit family with 13 children as it responds to the economic woes of the city, in both the 1940s, and then in 2008. The house that sees the changes in the family, also becomes a character in the family's saga.
Style
Flournoy gives considerable tribute to Zora Neale Hurston as an inspiration for her work, and reviewers made comparison of the novel to works like Hurston's Mules and Men.
Reception
The novel received strong positive reviews. Kirkus Reviews wrote that "Flournoy’s writing is precise and sharp, and despite several loose ends the novel draws readers to the Turner family almost magnetically." The Nation reviewer Hannah K. Gold focused on how the novel successfully explores the dispossessed African American family, and praises the novel writing that it is "a story transformed by intragenerational retelling rather than passed down. It’s quick and dirty mythmaking." Writing at The New York Times, Matthew Thomas called The Turner House a "assured and memorable novel."
BuzzFeed reported that The Turner House enjoyed strong sales in addition to positive critical reception: "According to Bookscan, which tracks around 70% of U.S. book sales, her book has sold over 15,000 copies in paperback and hardcover as of April ; anything over 10,000 is generally considered high for literary fiction."
Awards
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| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award | Fiction | Shortlisted | |
| Center for Fiction First Novel Prize | — | Shortlisted | ||
| National Book Award | Fiction | Finalist | ||
| 2016 | BCALA Literary Awards | First Novel | Won | |
| Hurston/Wright Legacy Award | Fiction | Longlisted | ||
| NAACP Image Awards | Debut Author | Shortlisted | ||
| Paterson Fiction Prize | — | Won | ||
| PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize | — | Shortlisted | ||
| VCU Cabell First Novelist Award | — | Won | ||
| Young Lions Fiction Award | — | Shortlisted | ||
| 2017 | International Dublin Literary Award | — | Longlisted |
References
- ^ Gleaves, Jeffery (June 4, 2015). "Haunting Houses: An Interview with Angela Flournoy". Paris Review Daily. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
- ^ "House of the Dispossessed". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
- Brown, Stacia L. (April 23, 2015). "'The Turner House' takes on mental health in black families". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
- "THE TURNER HOUSE by Angela Flournoy". Kirkus Reviews. February 1, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
- Thomas, Matthew (April 29, 2015). "'The Turner House,' by Angela Flournoy". The New York Times. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
- Shafrir, Doree (April 25, 2016). "Why America Is Ready For Novelist Angela Flournoy". BuzzFeed. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- Gwinn, Mary Ann (December 20, 2016). "'The Turner House' is the 2017 Seattle Reads pick". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
- "Angela Flournoy wins VCU Cabell First Novelist Award for 'The Turner House'". Richmond Times-Dispatch. July 26, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2017.