The Fisher King

Paule Marshall

Apr 2011 · Recorded Books · Narrated by Robin Miles

About this audiobook

In 1949, jazz pianist Sonny-Rhett Payne left New York for Paris, to be free from racism and his family's disapproval. Now Sonny's grandson has come to New York for a memorial concert. There, the 8-year-old begins to understand the forces that drove Sonny into exile. Paule Marshall is an award-winning author and distinguished professor of creative writing at New York University.

About the author

Paule Marshall was born on April 9, 1929 in Brooklyn, New York. She received a B.A. in English literature from Brooklyn College in 1953. She worked briefly as a librarian before joining Our World magazine. Her first novel, Brown Girl, Brownstones, was published in 1959. Her other novels include The Chosen Place, the Timeless People; Daughters; and The Fisher King. She is also the author of two collections of short fiction: Soul Clap Hands and Sing, which received the National Institute of Arts Award, and Reena and Other Stories. She has received several awards including the John Dos Passos Prize for Literature and the Columbus Foundation American Book Award for Praisesong for the Widow in 1983. Paule Marshall passed away on August 12, 2019 at the age of 90.