In 'Sing, Unburied, Sing,' Jesmyn Ward presents an evocative exploration of the American South through the eyes of thirteen-year-old Jojo, as he embarks on a charged journey riddled with personal and historical ghosts. Born into a mixed-race family fragmented by incarceration, addiction, and deep-seated racial tensions, Jojo seeks to understand manhood and his place in the world. With his Black grandfather as a steadying presence and the specter of estranged White relatives, Jojo's quest for identity is entwined with his mother Leonie's turbulent struggle to reconcile motherhood with her own demons. When his White father's release from prison precipitates a trip to Parchman Farm, Mississippi's infamous penitentiary, the family confronts a legacy of violence and love that stretches across life and death. Ward's lyrical narrative weaves a tale of hope, struggle, and the indelible impact of the past on the present.