{"title":"Dorothy West","description":"\u003cp\u003eDiscover the literary elegance of Dorothy West, an influential voice in 20th-century American literature. Born in 1907 and recognised as one of the key figures of the Harlem Renaissance, West's writing offers a profound exploration of African American life and culture during a transformative period in history. Her works often reflect themes of race, class, and identity, providing a nuanced perspective on societal dynamics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOne of her most celebrated novels, \u003cem\u003eThe Wedding\u003c\/em\u003e, exquisitely captures the complexities of love and expectations within a prominent African American family in Martha's Vineyard. West's storytelling is characterised by its vivid characters and insightful commentary, making her works timeless pieces that continue to resonate with readers today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBrowse our Dorothy West collection to immerse yourself in narratives that not only entertain but also enlighten, offering a window into a pivotal era through the eyes of one of its most talented chroniclers. Whether you are revisiting her stories or discovering them for the first time, West's profound literary contributions are certain to leave a lasting impression.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-wedding-by-dorothy-west-9780349012049","title":"The Wedding","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eWith a new introduction by DIANA EVANS\u003c\/b\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003e'Timelessly cinematic, with painterly visual descriptions and pitch-perfect dialogue that ranges across class, region, race, age, and gender' Emma Garman, \u003ci\u003eParis Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSet on a bucolic Martha's Vineyard in the 1950s, \u003ci\u003eThe Wedding\u003c\/i\u003e tells the story of life in the Oval, a proud, insular community made up of the best and brightest of the East Coast's black bourgeoisie. Within this inner circle of 'blue-vein society', we witness the prominent Coles family gather for the wedding of their loveliest daughter, Shelby, who could have chosen from 'a whole area of eligible men of the right colours and the right professions.' Instead, she has fallen in love with and is about to be married to Mead Wyler, a white jazz musician from New York. A shock wave breaks over the Oval as its longtime members grapple with the changing face of its community.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNot just the story of one wedding, but of many, this compelling story offers insights into issues of race, prejudice, and identity while maintaining its firm belief in the compensatory power of love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThrough a delicate interweaving of past and present, North and South, black and white, \u003ci\u003eThe Wedding\u003c\/i\u003e unfolds outward from a single isolated time and place until it embraces five generations of an extraordinary American family. It is an audacious accomplishment, a monumental history of the rise of a black middle class, written by a writer who lived it. Wise, heartfelt, and shattering, it is Dorothy West's crowning achievement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46832962306284,"sku":"9780349012049","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/6574013482312.jpg?v=1758420571"},{"product_id":"the-wedding-by-dorothy-west-9780349020846","title":"The Wedding","description":"\u003cb\u003eINTRODUCED BY DIANA EVANS \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A writer of huge compassion and acute observation, and also of dazzling style . . . Her work is more relevant than ever' \u003c\/b\u003eDIANA EVANS\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Timelessly cinematic, with painterly visual descriptions and pitch-perfect dialogue that ranges across class, region, race, age, and gender' \u003c\/b\u003eEMMA GARMAN, \u003ci\u003ePARIS REVIEW\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'It's as though we've been invited not so much to a wedding as to a full-scale opera . . . She brings down the house' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eYou're on the brink of turning your back on your family, your community, your race, all for some white-bread fantasy you don't half understand.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOn a summer weekend in 1953, the residents of the Oval - an exclusive middle-class Black community on Martha's Vineyard - are gathering for the wedding of Shelby Coles. The loveliest daughter of the Oval's most prestigious family, Shelby could have chosen any number of eligible men 'of the right colours and the right professions'. Instead she has fallen in love with a white jazz musician from New York - creating a shockwave that ripples across five generations of family history.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWeaving together past and present, North and South, black and white, \u003ci\u003eThe Wedding\u003c\/i\u003e is an audacious, wise and shattering portrait of American identity.","brand":"Gardners Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47289037783276,"sku":"9780349020846","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/eb0450f2ebf02bdeaec6b53860976b24.jpg?v=1770601856"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/dorothy-west.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}