His third work of fiction and second short story collection, All Aunt Hagar’s Children, is truly remarkable and every bit as good as its predecessors. Just like his first collection, Lost in the City, the stories in this collection are predominantly set in Washington, D.C. Some of the stories, such as the outstanding “Root Worker,” have southern beginnings or returns, even if it's just across the Potomac.

These stories span a wide range of experiences and times, from the late 19th century all the way to contemporary times. “Root Worker” tells the captivating story of a highly intelligent and successful doctor who is unable to slow her mother's declining health. It is only when the mother's aide convinces the family to postpone a vacation to Massachusetts and instead take a trip south to North Carolina to visit a legendary root worker that a glimmer of hope emerges.

Implicit in this story and in others, like “In the Blink of God’s Eye,” is the powerful pull of home that calls endlessly. In “In the Blink of God’s Eye,” the young wife struggles to fit in Washington as her husband moves her across the river. While D.C. welcomes the husband, his wife and their found child (who was literally discovered wrapped in a bundle dangling from a tree in Virginia before they left for the city) face alienation. The wife makes excuses to return to Virginia and eventually decides to stay there. D.C. is this complex and alluring city of opportunity for African Americans, but it comes at the high cost of dislocation.

Jones is an exceptional writer, skillfully depicting complex relationships and histories in concise and impactful stories that both disturb and inspire. His ability to bring these characters and their experiences to life on the page is truly a testament to his talent.

This book truly solidified my profound love for the short stories of Edward P. Jones.

The collection is a treasure trove that includes one of my absolute favorites, \\"Old Boys, Old Girls.\\" Interestingly, it serves as a kind of sequel to \\"Young Lions\\" found in Lost in the City.

The other stories within this collection cover a wide range of African American life in Washington, DC, over the past half century. Each and every story is real and moving in its own unique way.

Jones has an incredible ability to bring the characters and their experiences to life, making the reader feel as if they are right there in the midst of it all.

The stories are not only entertaining but also offer deep insights into the human condition and the challenges and joys of life.

Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone who appreciates great literature and wants to explore the rich tapestry of African American life in Washington, DC.

IQ
He was wearing an undershirt, and it hung on him in a way that did not threaten the way those shirts seemed to on other men. The bare muscular arms were simply bare muscular arms, not possible weapons. It was a small moment in the kitchen, but she was to think of those arms years later as she stood naked and looked down at the bare arms of her husband as the red light of the expensive German clock shone down on him. A night-light.

'Bad Neighbors'
I 100% need to read this several more times. Unfortunately, I got this book from the library. (I also wish I knew it continued stories from Lost in the City because I would have read that first.) This is one of those books that makes me really regret not taking more English classes in college. (I need to find some free ones online.) There's so much I don't understand about short stories, so much I want to probe because the stories all seem deceptively simple. In fact, it says a lot about my reading comprehension level when I say that my favorite story was the title story. That being said, I still don't understand the purpose of the Yiddish woman. If the story is named after Hagar, a slave and concubine, the Yiddish woman could be a symbol of Sarah, Abraham's wife, which would mean that she was connected to the main character. Perhaps her role was to point out that Black people and Jewish people were both oppressed? But that explanation still feels like a reach and underscores how woefully unprepared I was/am to tackle this collection properly. I understood a bit about what the PI thought she said (a moll, a rabbit, and his sin), but the actual translation left me baffled unless Abraham is the rabbi and she is the wife. But she's an immigrant woman in America and the PI is a Black American, so I don't understand why Jones made her an immigrant. And now I'm going in circles. Someone help. Of course, I understood common themes. All the stories involve working families who move to DC from the South. They all face tragedies of some sort, and there is no such thing as a happy marriage. (I knew this of course, but damn, we just can't win in this collection.)

Jones also tends to center his stories around young children. Maybe because children are innocent and make a lot of stray observations. They notice things that adults may not, but they don't have the vocabulary or life experience to articulate what they have seen, which allows the author to play with the interpretation of events. Children can also cause the adults in their lives to behave irrationally because they will do anything to protect them, and that can explain certain behaviors. Furthermore, what children experience growing up will impact them, and Jones explores how these childhood encounters or traumas influence our adult behavior, usually in sad ways. Aside from the title story and "Bad Neighbors," another story I enjoyed immensely was "Root Worker." In "Root Worker," Glynnis and her family turn to the work of a 'root worker,' and to do so, they must return to their roots. They leave DC and participate in a reverse migration back down South to ensure her mother receives proper treatment, which turns out to be nonscientific. The benefit of ALL AUNT HAGAR'S CHILDREN being set in DC was that a lot of the street names stuck out and seemed familiar, which was nice and why I picked up the book in the first place. It seemed like a good way to get to know my new city to read one of its most acclaimed authors.

Anyway, I would love for someone to point my way to a study guide or some such. But ultimately, this is a powerful short story collection where each story reads like a novel, with fully developed characters, appropriate endings, and a strong sense of non-political/media DC, a character in and of itself with its own ghosts to deal with.

Edward P. Jones is truly one of my most beloved authors.

His works have a unique charm that always manages to captivate me. This particular book is an outstanding compilation of his short stories.

It serves as a wonderful showcase of his literary talent and style. Through these stories, the reader can gain a deep understanding of why he is so highly lauded for his written words.

Each story is carefully crafted, with vivid characters and engaging plots that draw the reader in and keep them hooked until the very end.

Jones has a remarkable ability to bring the lives and experiences of his characters to life on the page, making them feel real and relatable.

This book is a must-read for anyone who appreciates great literature and wants to discover the genius of Edward P. Jones.

Edward P. Jones is an incredibly amazing writer.

In a relatively short space, he manages to create and vividly show us a whole universe.

This book consists of 14 stories, and it just keeps getting better and better as I read. (I'm currently only on page 149, but I can already tell.)

The fact that it is set in Washington, D.C. adds a local interest that makes it even more engaging.

I just finished reading this morning.

I truly admire how the last story, "Tapestry," neatly swings around to connect with both the first story and the dedication "to the multitudes who came up out of the South for something better, something different."

But in fact, there is so much that I admire in each and every one of these stories. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that every single page has something remarkable to offer.

Jones' writing is a masterclass in storytelling, and this collection is a must-read for anyone who loves literature.

Liked it, but not as much as The Known World.

February 2014 - Re-read for Busboys and Poets book group. I heard the author explain in an interview that these stores are a continuation, in a way, of the stories in Lost in the City. Each story is paired; the story in this book takes a character from the story in Lost in the City and tells us more.

For example, Young Lions is about Caesar, Manny, Sherman, and Carol, and a scam Caesar pulls; Old Boys, Old Girls shows us Caesar years later, in prison and out of prison. An Orange Line Train to Ballston is about a mother and her children traveling on Metro; in A Poor Guatemalan Dreams of a Downtown in Peru, one of the children finds an adult friend who understands her and helps her.

I loved visiting all these characters again and wandering their streets in Washington, DC. The author's vivid descriptions bring the city and its people to life.

I like: p33 "She came from a long line of Washingtonians who saw education as a right God had given their tribe the day after he gave Moses the Ten Commandments." from Spanish in the Morning. This line really stood out to me as it shows the importance of education in the characters' lives.

My favorite stories in this book are Adam Robinson Acquires Grandparents and a Little Sister, Bad Neighbors, Tapestry. These stories are engaging, thought-provoking, and full of heart. They explore themes such as family, identity, and community in a way that is both touching and relatable. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading short stories that offer a unique perspective on life in Washington, DC.

“All Aunt Hagar’s Children” is an outstanding collection of stories that are both blistering and mesmerizing. The settings span across Washington D.C. throughout the entire 20th century. Each story is filled with unsettling revelations that bring about adversity and change in the lives of numerous unforgettable characters. These characters face complex moral struggles that put their ability to overcome the destabilizing forces of sadness, emptiness, and loss to the test. Jones explores territory that is as disturbing as the horrors of violence and as sublime as the inexplicability of miracles. Heartfelt and haunting, these beautifully envisioned tales do not shy away from insurmountable hardship. Jones conjures up immense emotional power through his signature use of a spare and simple style. He is a master at uncovering the disturbing truths hidden within the human psyche.

This collection is a harsh, uneasy, and stunning one that grabs hold of the human condition like a vise and uses a visionary compass to map out the difficult path towards healing and grace. It offers a profound and thought-provoking look at the human experience, making it a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the depths of the human soul.

I put this book down a few weeks ago and haven't picked it up again. So, now I am taking it back to the library. For some reason, I find the stories in this book quite confusing. They seem to have an abundance of characters and a great deal of action happening simultaneously. In fact, they are almost like mini-novels within the larger book. I struggle to keep track of all the details and take it all in. It's as if my mind gets overwhelmed by the complexity of the stories. Maybe it's because I'm not used to this style of writing or perhaps the author's approach is a bit too intricate for me. Whatever the reason, I have decided to return the book and look for something that is a bit more straightforward and easier to understand.

It always surprises me when I realize that I expect the authors I read to be white.

As I started reading this book of short stories, a light went on. Oh, this is about black folks.

The stories are well written and thoughtful. They all revolve around Washington D.C. in some way.

It's interesting to see the different perspectives and experiences of the characters in these stories.

The author does a great job of bringing the city to life and showing how it affects the lives of the people who live there.

I'm enjoying this book and it's making me think about my own assumptions and expectations when it comes to reading.

Maybe I need to be more open-minded and explore different types of literature and authors.

Overall, this is a great read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys short stories and wants to learn more about the black experience in Washington D.C.

I read this book over the summer, and although some details are hazy in my memory, it's crystal clear that this book deserves a 5-star rating.

I have a strong hunch that Edward P. Jones will be widely read for a very long time.

This collection of stories is as rich and engaging as a full-length novel. In fact, each of these stories, which are hardly what one would consider "short," feels more like a novella. They are filled with rich characterizations, and even the minor characters have compelling and often tragic backstories.

Each story is set in Washington, D.C., and focuses on the experiences of African-Americans in that city. The city itself seems to take on a life of its own and becomes like a character in the stories.

Interestingly, no actual characters overlap from one story to the next, and Jones also employs a variety of points-of-view. So, these aren't strictly "linked stories."

I found myself longing for each story to be longer. In fact, some of them ended a bit abruptly or ambiguously, which might frustrate a "plot-driven" reader. However, this is not a criticism. The ending of "Adam Robinson Acquires Grandparents and a Little Sister" was particularly moving, and it did feel closer to the sort of ending we might expect.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading short stories or literature in general. It's a truly remarkable collection that will stay with you long after you've finished reading.

I still don't truly have a great affection for short story compilations.

Just when I start to get really engaged and buy into the story, suddenly it's over.

Although there are some stories within the compilation that manage to make their point effectively and are well-executed.

I loved certain ones, but there were also some that I really disliked.

The author is indeed a fabulous writer.

His works are definitely worth reading, yet this particular short story compilation is not my absolute favorite.

Perhaps it's because I prefer a more in-depth and sustained narrative that allows me to fully immerse myself in the story world for a longer period of time.

Nonetheless, I can still appreciate the talent and skill that went into creating these short stories.

Maybe in the future, I'll give short story compilations another chance and see if my opinion changes.

Jones is an extremely romantic writer who beautifully captures the warmth of the community, spanning from the early 1900s all the way to recent-day D.C.

I have a strong preference for this collection compared to Lost in the City. The reason being that in this collection, the stories that completely engrossed me and made me not want to stop reading far outnumbered those that were just mediocre.

In contrast, I feel the opposite is true for his first collection of short stories.

The author pours out a great deal of love for the precious, flawed, and multi-dimensional black boys and girls in a city that both knows them and shapes them.

Among all the stories, my absolute favorites were Rich Man, In the Blink of God's Eye, and Bad Neighbors. These stories had a unique charm and depth that really resonated with me and made this collection a truly memorable one.

Overall, Jones' writing in this collection is a wonderful exploration of the human experience within the context of a specific community and time period.