The Homewood Trilogy

Meer over het boek

Edgar Wideman’s The Homewood Books comprises two novels, Hiding Place and Sent for You Yesterday, along with the short story collection Damballah, all set in the Homewood section of Pittsburgh, where Wideman grew up. In his introduction, Wideman emphasizes that these works explore not just a physical location but a culture and perspective on identity. Hiding Place features three central voices: Bess, who mourns her son lost to war and lives a reclusive life; Tommy, a man wrongfully accused of murder; and Clement, a young boy delivering goods to Bess. Damballah presents a powerful collection of interrelated stories that span a century in Homewood, celebrating a community that supports one another with grace and dignity amid adversity. Sent for You Yesterday, awarded the 1984 PEN/Faulkner Award, follows the narrator Doot as he recounts the interconnected lives of Homewood's residents—Lucy, Brother Tate, Albert Wilkes, Carl French, and their families—tracing their experiences from the blues-infused 1920s to the drug-affected 1970s. Together, these works provide a rich tapestry of life in Homewood, revealing the resilience and complexity of its community.