Where the Line Bleeds is the debut novel by Jesmyn Ward, author of Sing, Unburied, Sing. Set in rural Mississippi, the book follows twin brothers Joshua and Christophe the Summer after they graduate from high school. They live with their blind grandmother and both spend their days applying for any jobs they can find. The reappearance of their absent Mother and their addict Father bring challenges to the boys lives, which have for the first time ever, veered off in different directions.

Not a whole lot happens in the book, the real pull is Ward’s amazing, detail rich, languorous writing. I felt the thick humid air of rural Mississippi Gulf Coast and was completely transported to another place. Ward gives the reader a rare and honest look into rural Southern poverty, addiction, and family life. Not my favorite of Ward’s books, but her huge talent was already obvious in this first novel.