Ours

A Novel

By: Phillip B. Williams

Narrated by: Joniece Abbott-Pratt

Chosen as a Most Anticipated Book of 2024 by Oprah’s Book Club, Elle, Reader's Digest, The Rumpus, Kirkus Reviews, The Millions, Lit Hub, and more

“An inventive ode to self-determination and also a surrealistic vision of Black life as forged within the crucible of American history . . . [written in] lush, ornamental prose.” —New Yorker

“Fans of The Underground Railroad, The Water Dancer, and Let Us Descend will devour this lyrical and surreal saga.” —Oprah Daily

From a writer of singular voice and vision, a mesmerizing epic that reimagines the past to explore the true nature of freedom

In this ingenious, sweeping novel, Phillip B. Williams introduces us to an enigmatic woman named Saint, a fearsome conjurer who, in the 1830s, annihilates plantations all over Arkansas to rescue the people enslaved there. She brings those she has freed to a haven of her own creation: a town just north of St. Louis, magically concealed from outsiders, named Ours.

It is in this miraculous place that Saint’s grand experiment—a truly secluded community where her people may flourish—takes root. But although Saint does her best to protect the inhabitants of Ours, over time, her conjuring and memories begin to betray her, leaving the town vulnerable to intrusions by newcomers with powers of their own. As the cracks in Saint’s creation are exposed, some begin to wonder whether the community’s safety might be yet another form of bondage.

Set over the course of four decades and steeped in a rich tradition of American literature informed by Black surrealism, mythology, and spirituality, Ours is a stunning exploration of the possibilities and limitations of love and freedom by a writer of capacious vision and talent.

©2024 Phillip B. Williams (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“[An] ambitious debut . . . In lush, ornamental prose, Williams, who is also a poet, traces many characters’ entwined journeys as they seek to understand the forces that assemble and separate them. The novel is an inventive ode to self-determination and also a surrealistic vision of Black life as forged within the crucible of American history.” —The New Yorker

“Phillip Williams’s Ours is a radical re-creation of our pasts. With a keen eye to historical detail and the expansive imagination of a poet, Williams has constructed a jewel of a novel, a deeply felt exploration of the strengthening ties and broken cords of kith and kin under the weight of complicated histories. In the uncertain future that awaits us, Ours illuminates a greater understanding of what it means to be human and the complex, tangled lives and afterlives of enslavement.” —Kaitlyn Greenidge, author of Libertie

“A beautifully written and ambitious epic about the complexity of freedom. Williams crafts an expansive, original world filled with characters who linger long after the final page.” —Brit Bennett, New York Times–bestselling author of The Vanishing Half

Absolutely Incredible & Worth Every Page!!

One of the best books, from start to finish! I absolutely enjoyed this novel and the fullness of it. The author did a brilliant job of weaving the characters together and tying up all loose ends that may have appeared. The story itself is beautifully narrated, as Ms. Abbott-Pratt never disappoints! This is most certainly a must read! So glad I did!!!

too much

Honestly this could have been a richer story with less words. What seems to be a good story or idea really groans on to long, then abruptly ends.

Amazing voice performance

The voice actress was amazing! She made the story, which was already beautifully written, come alive.

peerless narration

I could listen to Joneice Abbott-Pratt reading the dictionary. Here, though, her attention to character and nuance do justice to an already lovely, unique story.

Beautiful and poetic

Well done. So much to unpack in this epic tale of the town of "Ours". The writing, the story, the poetry was magical in every way!