51 pages 1 hour read

Marlon James

The Book of Night Women

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2009

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Part 3Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 3: “Nightwomen”

Part 3, Chapter 20 Summary

It is October, which means it is crop time at Montpelier. That means five months of work that will kill one-fifth of the enslaved people working in the field and worry everyone else.

While delivering Isobel’s breakfast, Lilith sees Isobel’s clothes for a man and dirty boots on the ground when Wilson asks to come in. Lilith hides the clothes for Isobel and then continues to clean the clothes and polish her boots every night. She sees Isobel pour a flask into her tea and smells something more than alcohol in the flask and on her clothes. Lilith hears Wilson reject Isobel’s advances, and Isobel says she is no better than a whore and she at least wants some pleasure. Wilson starts to avoid Isobel’s room.

Lilith comes upstairs one morning to Quinn and Homer eating together. Quinn says that he will take Lilith to live with him.

Part 3, Chapter 21 Summary

The chapter begins with the narrator describing all the horrifying actions of white people. Then they describe how naturally the people receiving the abuse get tired of it and fight back. In 1784 they tried to rebel and trapped