51 pages • 1 hour read
Jesmyn WardMen We Reaped
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2013A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
In her 2013 memoir Men We Reaped, Jesmyn Ward pays tribute to five young Black men from her hometown of DeLisle, Mississippi. She honors their lives and untimely deaths in individualized chapters while exploring her personal and family history amid grief. Ward seeks to understand the societal forces leading to their deaths and chronicles the impact on her life and community. Sensitive topics include violence, systemic racism, substance use, mental health struggles, and parental infidelity with underage individuals.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward is widely praised for its powerful and emotive prose, highlighting the personal and communal impact of systemic racism and poverty. Critics commend Ward's raw and honest storytelling, though some find the narrative structure challenging. Overall, it's acknowledged as a moving and important memoir that fosters significant reflection.
Who Should Read Men We Reaped?
Readers who would enjoy Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward are those interested in emotionally powerful memoirs that explore themes of race, loss, and resilience. Fans of The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls and Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates will appreciate Ward's poignant storytelling and intimate narrative style.