John Woman

By Walter Mosley

Book Overview

A convention-defying novel by bestselling writer Walter Mosley, John Woman recounts the transformation of an unassuming boy named Cornelius Jones into John Woman, an unconventional history professor--while the legacy of a hideous crime lurks in the shadows.

At twelve years old, Cornelius, the son of an Italian-American woman and an older black man from Mississippi named Herman, secretly takes over his father's job at a silent film theater in New York's East Village. Five years later, as Herman lives out his last days, he shares his wisdom with his son, explaining that the person who controls the narrative of history controls their own fate. After his father dies and his mother disappears, Cornelius sets about reinventing himself--as Professor John Woman, a man who will spread Herman's teachings into the classrooms of his unorthodox southwestern university and beyond. But there are other individuals who are attempting to influence the narrative of John Woman, and who might know something about the facts of his hidden past.

Engaging with some of the most provocative ideas of recent intellectual history, John Woman is a compulsively readable, deliciously unexpected novel about the way we tell stories, and whether the stories we tell have the power to change the world.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802129684
• ISBN13: 9780802129680
• Release Date: July 2019
• Publisher: Grove Press
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.6" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Brilliant Author

Abandonment, Control, deceit, lies, judgment, manipulation, and power. Mosley brilliantly capture the characters emotions integrated them all in this novel. A skilled writer who challenge your intellect while offering entertainment. He offers his reader an opportunity to explore critical thinking while delivering underlying messages. You will be drawn into the character of John Woman (CC) as he unpacks his students idealism of history. Bravo Mr Mosley a book that deserves a second read!!