Courtney Thorsson Popular Books
Courtney Thorsson Biography & Facts
Praisesong for the Widow is a 1983 novel by Paule Marshall that takes place in the mid-1970s, chronicling the life of Avey Johnson, a 64-year-old African-American widow on a physical and emotional journey in the Caribbean island of Carriacou. Throughout the novel, there are many flashbacks to Avey's earlier life experiences with her late husband, Jerome Johnson, as well as childhood events that reconnect her with her lost cultural roots. The book was reissued in 2021, part of McSweeney's "Of the Diaspora" series highlighting important works in Black literature. Explanation of the title There is a reference here to the African heritage of Avey Johnson, to which she reconnects during the course of the novel. Through the use of song and remembrances of the past, Avey is able to come to terms with the death of her husband. Plot summary The opening begins with Avey "Avatara" Johnson packing her bags aboard her 17-day cruise on the Bianca Pride, during the late 1970s. The reason for her sudden departure began three nights before, when she had a dream about her great-aunt Cuney and a disturbing encounter in the Versailles dining-room with a peach parfait. Her first since the 1960s, the dream consists of Avey's aunt in Tatem attempting to convince Avey to follow her down the road in Tatem, South Carolina, a childhood vacation spot. When Avey resists, the two have a physical brawl. The next morning, Avey wants nothing more than to be alone, and yet cannot get away from anyone on the cruise ship, no matter where she goes. At this point, she makes the decision to leave the ship. The next morning, she packs her bags and leaves to the next port-of-call, which is the island of Grenada. On Grenada, the atmosphere seems to be festive, as people dressed in bright clothing, carrying packages, are getting onto boats. Confused, Avey Johnson is later informed by her taxi driver that it is the annual excursion to Carriacou, a nearby island. At the hotel, the sick feeling in Avey's stomach returns, and Avey spends her last moments of consciousness painfully reminiscing about her relationship with her late husband, Jerome "Jay" Johnson, and for the first time in four years, she mourns his loss. Avey wakes up the next day in the home of Rosalie Parvay, the widow daughter of Lebert Joseph. Along with Milda the maid, Rosalie washes Avey and feeds her a typical Carriacou breakfast, during which Lebert enters the home to see how Avey is feeling. Despite her sickness of the previous day, Avey decides to go to the dances that will take place that night. That night, Avey, Rosalie, Milda, and Lebert all go to the "Big Drum" dances. There, Avey is at first happy merely to be a bystander and watch Lebert and other elders of the community sing and dance for the ancestors. However, by the end of the night, Avey is dancing along with the other people celebrating their cultural roots to Africa. The next morning, Avey leaves on a plane back to New York, but decides to sell her home that she no longer needs and move to Tatem, in the home left for her by aunt Cuney. There, she will demand that her grandchildren come to see her, so that she may teach them about their heritage, like Cuney did for her. Characters Avey "Avatara" Johnson: Around 64 years of age, Avey is an African-American widow living in North White Plains, New York. She raised three girls in both Brooklyn and North White Plains, moving from the apartment when she and her late husband, Jerome "Jay" Johnson, changed economic status twenty years previously. She was raised in Harlem and has three brothers. Marion Johnson: The youngest of Avey's three girls, Marion was the only child to oppose Avey's cruise. Seemingly more aware of her cultural roots, Marion teaches in a small community school and helps volunteer at a church in Harlem. Annawilda: Avey and Jerome's middle child, Annawilda is a bright individual and through academic success is now an intern at Meharry Hospital. She thinks that Avey's cruise with the other women is a good vacation idea, and supports her mother. Sis: The oldest daughter, Sis was very helpful to Avey during the hard and easy times in the Harlem apartment by caring for her sisters. Now married with two children, Sis hopes the cruise will take Avey's mind off Jerome Johnson's death. Jerome "Jay" Johnson: Avey's husband of many years, Jerome died four years before the beginning of the novel. During their married life, Jerome worked as a stock boy in a department store, in addition to later getting jobs as a vacuum cleaner salesman, and a certified accountant, through going back to school. Thomasina Moore: A longtime friend of Avey and her traveling companion, Thomasina is widow as well, but has no children. She becomes very upset when she learns that Avey is leaving the cruise early, showing her typical short temper and outspokenness. Clarice: Avey's other cruise ship partner, Clarice is much more passive in her reaction to Avey's leaving the ship. An overweight divorcee, Clarice is the youngest of the three African-American friends and has one son. Lebert Joseph: The owner of the small rum shop on Grenada which Avey enters on the beach, Lebert is a very old man with one short, gimp leg. He has a daughter named Rosalie Parvay who lives on Carriacou, and many grandchildren who live in the states. He is proud to direct his African heritage to the Chamba tribe, for which he knows the ritual song and dance. Rosalie Parvay: The widow daughter of Lebert Joseph, Rosalie lives on Carriacou with her maid, Milda. Aunt Cuney: A major figure in the childhood of Avey, Aunt Cuney is a woman who tells stories to Avey about African slaves when Avey visits her in Tatem, South Carolina, as a child. Major themes The cultural significance of language: Avey's inability to speak Patois widens the barrier between her and the out-islanders going on the excursion. The cab driver asserts that those venturing to Carriacou only talk in the Creole dialect one weekend a year and the rest of the time speak in the “King’s English” (76). The language, despite being virtually useless in the daily lives of the out-islanders, enforces the deep ties they have to their ancestral past. Avey's lack of comprehension in Patois ultimately magnifies her cultural ineptness and her isolation from those around her. However friendly the out-islanders may be, she feels uncomfortable and awkward around them as their cultural traditions, traditions that should be hers as well, only confuse her. Dance: Throughout the novel, dancing becomes a spiritually freeing act for Avey. Not only does Avey recall meeting her late husband at a dance, but also reminisces with great fondness about the nights the couple spent unwinding from their long days by dancing in their apartment on Halsey Street. On these nights, she recollects feeling “centered and sustained… restored to her proper axis” (254). Dance clearly plays an important part in her life even before her journey to Carriaco.... Discover the Courtney Thorsson popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Courtney Thorsson books.
Best Seller Courtney Thorsson Books of 2024
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Knock Knock
Chris Merritt⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘ Wow. I absolutely loved this book!... I was not able to put it down from the moment I started it, so much so that I devoured it in just two days .’ Goodreads reviewer Natas...
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The Girls on Chalk Hill
Alison BelshamThey lie on the hillside, wearing matching white dresses, tiaras in their blonde hair. Each of them clutches a red rose. They could be sleeping, but frost shines on the lashes of t...
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Just One Time
Samantha BacaThere are worse things than turning forty.    However, I can't seem to evade my worry of my biological clock, and my fear that time is running out. I've...
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Secrets of the Cottage by the Sea
Rebecca Alexander‘Heartwrenching… a delightful page turner’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I loved this’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Absolutely spectacular’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Heartbreaking… stunning’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐   As Ellie stood on the boat, watching...
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Opal
Freya BarkerWhen Opal goes undercover in a youth center several teenagers have disappeared from, she’s shocked to find a ghost of her own traumatic past at the helm. However, her worry for the...
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Pride and Prejudice
Jane AustenAn Apple Books Classic edition. Jane Austen’s beloved classic opens with this witty and very memorable line: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possessio...
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Tongue Twisters for Kids
Riley Weber"Rubber baby buggy bumpers" Say this three times as fast as you can.  How about, try saying " Loopy lizards lying lazily aloft a little lane of logs,"...
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Close to the Ridge
Lexy TimmsClimb the mountain so you can see the world, not so the world can see you. In the end, all I learned was how to be strong. Alone. Lincoln is a former Navy Seal, hiding away in the ...
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Doubly Claimed
C.D. GorriWill this curvy redhead find her match with two smexy shifters? Needing a break from her nightmare boss, Ginger is more than ready for the Freeman sisters' annual vacation. Sh...
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Love Notes
Lexy TimmsWe're not here to take part, we're here to take over… I stood in the elevator, all my things in a cardboard box. Surrounding me, nearly every other employee clutched thei...
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Moby Dick
Herman MelvilleAn Apple Books Classic edition. Herman Melville’s classic begins with one of the most famous opening lines in world literature: “Call me Ishmael.” Moby Dick was a commercial failur...
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Holy Bible
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsThe 2013 edition of the Holy Bible contains all of the study aids contained in the 1979 edition and includes revisions to the study aids, several new photos, updated maps, and adju...
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Collided
Portia MooreAlex I want Madison the moment I lay eyes on her. But I’ve got my work cut out for me because someone before me broke her heart and destroyed her trust. She's my friend, that&...
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10-Minute Social Psychology
Albert RutherfordWould you like to instantly catch people's thoughts, emotions, motivations, and intentions through mere observation? If yes, you've come to the...
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Enemies With Benefits
Roxie NoirI don’t love him. I don’t even like him. I just want him. Eli Loveless was my nemesis from the first day of kindergarten until we graduated high school. Everything I did, he had to...
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The Three Little Pigs
Mark LeskyClassic fairy tales, legends and folk stories in short version without violence retold with lovely illustrations in simple language. Perfect for reading aloud to small chi...
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Silenced Girls
Roger Stelljes“ Wow wow wow! Grips you in a choke hold and does not let go … Oozes suspense and bonechilling twists and turns . Astonishing … One of those rare books you stay up all night to rea...
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You Are Kind
Michael GordonA little kindness goes a long way. How can you help encourage your kids to be kind from a young age? Teach kindness to preschoolers Acts of kindness can be fun, easy, and make a ...
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The Duke Who Knew Too Much
Grace CallawayA #1 National Bestselling Regency Romance He's a rake accused of murder. She's the spinster accusing him. Enemies make the hottest lovers. "Readers looking for a goo...
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Teach Me The Ropes
Vanessa ValeMeet the Manning brothers in this steamy small town cowboy series from USA Today Bestselling author Vanessa Vale! A bachelor auction. I was in a fing bachelor auction. I wasn'...
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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Arthur Conan DoyleAn Apple Books Classic You get not one, not two, but 25 gripping mysteries in Arthur Conan Doyle’s first of five collections of Sherlock Holmes short stories. Follow the brilliant ...
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The Odyssey
HomerAn Apple Books Classic edition. Homer’s eighthcentury epic poem is a companion to The Iliad . It tells the story of Odysseus, who journeys by ship for 10 years after the Trojan War...
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Anna Karenina
Leo TolstoyAn Apple Books Classic edition. “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Thus begins what many consider the world’s greatest novel. Leo Tolst...
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Ice Crown
Kay L MoodyThe competition could save her life... But only if she wins. Talise can manipulate the elements with ease. Water, air, earth, and fire all bend to her will. As a citizen of the Sto...
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Beautiful Storm
Barbara Freethy“ "Barbara Freethy’s Romantic Suspense books are explosively good!"  –New York Times bestselling author Toni Anderson. From #1 NY Times Bestsel...
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No Room For Regret
Janeen Ann O'ConnellThe movement of the ship seals his fate. He could be sailing anywhere, anytime, but he's not, he's going to the other side of the world. He could be anyone, but he's...
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Silent Scream
Angela MarsonsFive figures gather round a shallow grave. They had all taken turns to dig. An adult sized hole would have taken longer. An innocent life had been taken but the pact had been made....
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The Wedding Bet
Susan HatlerA fun and uplifting story that will make you swoon and smile as two best friends fall in love. Kennedy needs to slow down, which is why her last boyfriend broke up with her. No mat...
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Scorned Queen
Lisa Renee JonesThe protégé king wants the king unseated but it will be war, and a bloody one. And you can only push a future queen so far before she says enough, and proves she's as worthy f...
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Frankenstein
Mary ShelleyAn Apple Books Classic edition. Mary Shelley was just 18 when she had a nightmare vision: “I saw the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together. ...
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The Power of Unlimited Faith
Kynan BridgesTake The Limits Off Your Faith! Do you ever hear people talk about “getting more faith” or “increasing their faith?”  When we buy into this idea, we never have enough. Tho...
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Dark Psychology and Manipulation
Margaret MorrisonTHE MENTAL MANIPULATOR WILL NO LONGER KEEP SECRETS FROM YOU! Are you fed up with the wool being pulled over your eyes?Are you prepared to stand up to those who believe they can man...
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Dream Psychology
Sigmund FreudAn Apple Books Classic edition. Written by the founding father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud’s 1899 book is the definitive text on learning to interpret dreams. Freud’s groundbr...
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Mischief after Midnight
Jennifer BernardBartender Toni Del Rey is the quickwitted queen of the Olde Salt Saloon, famous for trading barbs with grizzled fishermen and putting rowdy customers in their place. Independent an...
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If I Break
Portia Moore~THIS BOOK IS BEST ENJOYED WHEN YOU DON'T READ ANY REVIEWS OR SPOILERS BEFORE READING. GOING IN BLIND IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I PROMISE!~ Cal effin' Scott. Hell in a Arman...
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Serendipity
Carly PhillipsHe’s from the wrong side of the tracks. She lived in the house on the hill. Now their fortunes have reversed…but their longago attraction still burns. From high school golden girl ...
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Through the Looking-Glass
Lewis CarrollAn Apple Books Classics edition. Travel back to Wonderland in Lewis’s acclaimed sequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland . When Alice’s game of “Let’s pretend” turns real, she fi...
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The Holy Bible - King James Version
King JamesHoly Bible King James Version Few Sample Paragraphs from The Holy Bible eBook, Genesis (OT) 1 Gen. 1 IN the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was with...
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Sunrise at Crystal Bay
Mia KentA decadelong secret. A devastating betrayal. And a chance to return to the placeand the boyshe left behind. Leah Turner had it alla happy marriage of twentyfive years, two grown ch...
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The Next Girl
Carla KovachIF YOU ONLY READ ONE BOOK THIS YEAR, MAKE IT THE NEXT GIRL... You thought he’d come to save you. You were wrong. ‘ Absolutely the best thriller I’ve read this year! ’ Goodreads Rev...
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Meditations
Marcus AureliusWritten in Greek by the only Roman emperor who was also a philosopher, without any intention of publication, the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius offer a remarkable series of challen...
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The Good Knight
Sarah WoodburyDON'T MISS THE SALE ON THE NEXT BOOKS IN THE SERIES! When a king is murdered on the way to his wedding, Gareth & Gwen join forces in their first mystery together! Five...
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A Tempest of Discovery
Sarah M. Cradit“Absolutely riveting!” "Cradit's delivery of mystery and intrigue is flawless." "Be still my heart. Nicolas Deschanel is back and better than ever." “A mus...
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The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel HawthorneAn Apple Books Classic edition. Hester Prynne lives in infamy. After committing adultery and bearing a child with a man whose name she refuses to divulge, the heroine of Nathaniel ...
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Beautiful Darkness
Autumn GazeYou can have anything you want in life... You just can't have everything you want... Gareth is Fae. Sort of. His mother was a Nymph, and with that cross, he finds himself to b...
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Heartbreaker
Melody GraceDiscover the steamy smalltown romance now a USA Today bestseller! Perfect for fans of Elsie Silver and Lucy Score. They say that time heals a broken heart, but you try moving on w...
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A Light in the Window
Marion KummerowMargarete stumbles out of the bombedout house, the dust settling around her like snow. Mistaking her for the dead officer’s daughter, a guard rushes over to gently ask her if she i...
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When the Night is Over
Lily FosterAre the bonds of our first true love as strong as they feel when we’re young, innocent and consumed with the promise of forever? The last time Charlotte Mason saw Simon Wade, he wa...
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The Count of Monte Cristo
Alexandre DumasAn Apple Books Classic edition. Alexandre Dumas’ classic paints a portrait of Edmond Dantès, a dark and calculating man who is willing to wait years to exact his perfect plan for r...
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Brush With Death
Mia HallMy first year at the Dreadmore Academy. What can go wrong? How long do you have? The list of stuff that can go right is much, much shorter.  I'm probably going to fai...