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The Darling: A Novel Paperback – October 11, 2005

by Russell Banks (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 129 ratings
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A New York Times Notable Book • National Bestseller

“Russell Banks’s work presents without falsehood and with tough affection the uncompromising moral voice of our time. You find the craziness of false dreams, the political inequalities, and somehow the sliver of redemption.”—Michael Ondaatje

Set in Liberia and the United States from 1975 through 1991, The Darling, from acclaimed author Russell Banks, is the story of Hannah Musgrave, a political radical and member of the Weather Underground.

Hannah flees America for West Africa, where she and her Liberian husband become friends of the notorious warlord and ex-president, Charles Taylor. Hannah's encounter with Taylor ultimately triggers a series of events whose momentum catches Hannah's family in its grip and forces her to make a heartrending choice.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    391 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Ecco
  4. Publication date
    October 11, 2005
  5. Dimensions
    5.31 x 0.91 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0060957352
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0060957353
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Russell Banks’s work presents without falsehood and with tough affection the uncompromising moral voice of our time. You find the craziness of false dreams, the political inequalities, and somehow the sliver of redemption. I trust his portraits of America more than any other—the burden of it, the need for it, the hell of it.” — Michael Ondaatje

“Russell Banks’s twentieth-century Liberia is as hellish a place as Joseph Conrad’s nineteenth-century Congo. The only creatures that behave with humanity are the apes. A dark and disturbing book.” — J. M. Coetzee

“Banks’s novel is a vivid account of a time of terror, exposing the secrets of the soul.” — O magazine

“A former American radical returns to war-torn Liberia to look for the sons she left behind ten years earlier. In this disquieting book—something of a thematic sequel to Cloudsplitter, his 1988 novel about avenging abolitionist John Brown—Banks takes on Charles Taylor, Western idealism, and the moral consequences of looking the other way.” — Details

“Powerful and evocative.” — Newsweek

“Banks creates a heroine every bit as complex and flawed as someone out of Jane Austen.” — Hartford Courant

“The real achievement here is the creation of Hannah; she’s one of the few recent literary characters I expect I’ll remember, and the book itself is the most engaging one I’ve read all year.” — Charlotte Observer

“Extraordinary...Hannah offers a first person narrative so moving, so pitiless, so rare in contemporary fiction that it embodies Aristotelian catharsis... Banks is that rare epic novelist.” — Baltimore Sun

“Hannah’s story shows why Banks ranks among our boldest artists.” — Boston Globe

“Admirable, compelling, always surprising and never clichéd.” — New York Times Book Review

“In The Darling, he is working at full strength, and his readers are in his debt.” — Washington Post Book World

“Once again, he has produced a novel that is searing, demanding and unforgettable.” — Newsweek

“Banks has written a novel that is utterly accessible, forcefully wrought and undeniably passionate.” — Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers

“Banks’ mastery of his material makes this a compelling and important book.” — Orlando Sentinel

“Extraordinary. . . Banks is the rare epic novelist.” — Virginian Pilot

From the Back Cover

Set in Liberia and the United States from 1975 through 1991, The Darling is the story of Hannah Musgrave, a political radical and member of the Weather Underground.

Hannah flees America for West Africa, where she and her Liberian husband become friends of the notorious warlord and ex-president, Charles Taylor. Hannah's encounter with Taylor ultimately triggers a series of events whose momentum catches Hannah's family in its grip and forces her to make a heartrending choice.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ecco (October 11, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 391 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0060957352
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0060957353
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.3 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 0.91 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 129 ratings

About the author

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Russell Banks

Russell Banks

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Russell Banks is the author of sixteen works of fiction, many of which depict seismic events in US history, such as the fictionalized journey of John Brown in Cloudsplitter. His work has been translated into twenty languages and has received numerous international prizes, and two of his novels-The Sweet Hereafter and Affliction-have been made into award-winning films. His forthcoming novel, The Reserve, will be published in early 2008. President of the International Parliament of Writers and former New York State Author, Banks lives in upstate New York.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
129 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Diane Woodard
5.0 out of 5 stars A challenging story that makes you think
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2013
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I purchased and re-read this book after recommending it to a book club. There are so many references to real people and events, the story keeps you close. It is not easy to relate to "The Darling" -- for one thing, whose darling is she? While popular fiction often gives you a hero or heroine you understand fairly easily, Hannah/Dawn is not that character. And yet you are drawn into the raging rapids that seem to be her life happening to her. Decisions made without a great deal of consideration. I think she represents American Foreign Policy at its worst. Well-intentioned, but pretty much from another world. Relevant, possibly in respect to how "Arab Spring" will turn out for the world. Fledgling democracies sometime morph out of control.
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cagey
4.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing story of an American woman in Africa
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2005
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I will not write a full synopsis of this novel since there is one written by the Amazon reviewer. This is basically the story of Hannah Musgrave, an American woman who comes of age in the 1960s and gets involved in the counterculture. She has to flee to Africa to avoid a federal indictment and gets involved in the turbulent politics of Liberia while also becoming attached to the chimpanzees she encounters in a research lab where she works.

It is true that it is a little difficult to sympathize with Hannah and it is clear that she is confused and throughout her life she is searching for her identity. She is also trying to determine where she belongs, which country is hers. She seems to have a problem of being too detached from those who are close to her. Yet she is strong-willed, very independent and idealistic, perhaps, to a fault.

Russell Banks writes wonderful prose and the passages dealing with Hannah's farm in the beginning are quite absorbing. There is just one slightly slow portion when Hannah takes road trip in Liberia to meet her potential in-laws. But apart from that the book moves quite fluidly. The story moves quickly in the second half of the book and the final 15-20 pages are quite dark and thought provoking.

This was the first book I've read by this author. I had seen the film adaptation of "The Sweet Hereafter" which I thought was quite interesting, and I am planning to read that in the near future, as well as other books by Russell Banks.
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Anthony W. Olbrich
5.0 out of 5 stars "Liberia is a permanently haunted land..."
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2014
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At a time when Liberia is back in the headlines, this time as the focal point for the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa, it's fascinating to be reminded, or possibly learn for the first time, of the country's tragic history - its founding by former American slaves, and its tumultuous civil wars in the early and late 1980s. Russell Banks, writing in the voice of a multi-faceted - and multi-named - woman, tells Liberia's story in clear, brutal, and sometimes lyrical form. Although published ten years ago, reading about Liberia now seems very timely.
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K
3.0 out of 5 stars The Darling - a worth while read for those who like a engaging story
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2013
Verified Purchase
This is the fourth book by Russell Banks and like the others I enjoyed the read (would have given it 3 1/2 stars, but could not figure out how to do that on this web site). His style of writing is very descriptive and portrays an honest picture of what he is writing about - in this case the story of a women's lifetime trials and tribulations. Some have indicated that they see his writing as dark and depressing - that may be true, but the words on the pages of his books tell a truth that other authors might miss. His books, including this one, are what I would describe as literature, not just a good story and a fast read. This book was also interesting, in that for me, it told the story of a country - Liberia - that I knew little about. Through the eyes of a women and her history - first young, then middle aged, then old, the beauty and nightmare of that country's history came through in the novel. More that just words on a page, Russell Bank's Darling, is an engrossing story that makes you fell like "you where there" watching the events of the story unfold.
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Laurel Petterson
5.0 out of 5 stars another great read from Banks
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2013
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This book is one of my new favorites. Having lived in Africa for 8 years, I can tell you that what the author conveys so well is the sense of isolation I felt most of the time working there. The politics of the time are accurate and the description of the main character's change in self awareness is so well structured and portrayed thast i feel it captures the experience of a lot of women who are now in their late 60s or early 70s.
3 people found this helpful
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Monique Clague
4.0 out of 5 stars FAbulous writer an dneigboa
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2023
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I read iut as oart of book group, most of whose members knew Russell Banks, who, very sadly, died a month ago. Unusual for a male author to write effectively in the voice of. woman.
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KindSandra lynnle Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars Really great book
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2013
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I had not read any other works by banks but will in the future. Sad,great prose,good story line based on history Liberia. Hannah is not a hero by any stretch but a fascinating central figure. Misguided for sure of her beliefs.
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Vida Gorsegner
5.0 out of 5 stars Russell Banks at his best.
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2013
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I have read most of Russell Banks' books and have loved them all. This one didn't disappoint. It was interesting to read about the politics that direct people's actions in an African nation.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Client d'Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Can’t stop thinking about it
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2022
Verified Purchase
I have read numerous books by Russell Banks and I am always amazed how he slides into a different story, a different persona. Here he tells the story from a woman’s point of view and it’s brilliant & gut wrenching. Unfortunately still very much about some African countries today. One of the best books I’ve ever read!
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pablovsky
5.0 out of 5 stars ein cuvée aus jos.conrad, g.greene u. v.s.naipaul, mit einem schuss von den pauls (bowles und theroux ) versehen
Reviewed in Germany on May 6, 2016
Verified Purchase
mit diesem ausgezeichneten roman (noch dazu in ich-form von einer aussergewöhnlichen frau erzählt) ist russell banks ein weiteres meisterwerk gelungen. neben einer durchaus packenden story der aus der u.s. untergrundbewegung der vietnamkriegszeit und steckbrieflich gesuchten,nach afrika abgetauchten "terroristin" hannah m., wird der leser mit profundem wissen über liberia konfrontiert, ein land, das es durch seinen wüsten bürgerkrieg der fernen 80er jahre gelegentlich in die zahlreichen schlagzeilen der medien schaffte, aber ansonsten immer eher ein randfigurendasein führte u. weitab von wichtigeren schauplätzen des weltgeschehnes dahinvegetiert(e) wie die meisten dieser afrikanischen staaten. daneben fokusiert der autor noch auf unsere nahen "verwandten", die schimpansen, deren dasein und schicksal den leser durchaus bewegt und dem buch eine anthropologische, ja gar "menschliche" komponente verleiht.
will jetzt bewusst nicht die geschichte in kurzform schildern, kann aber dem potentiellen leser versichern, dass er, was rassenfrage, westliche (sprich u.s.) aussenpolitik, post-koloniale bevormundung usw. voll auf seine rechnung kommt und das alles in einem spannenden roman mit grossem realitätsbezug serviert bekommt.
hoffentlich wird dieses buch nicht verfilmt wie schon andere bücher vom selben autor, der sich schon früher mit seinem buch "cloudsplitter" den platz in meinem persönlichen literarischen olymp gesichert hat.
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Emma
3.0 out of 5 stars Heavy reading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 9, 2015
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Heavy reading
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Llanos
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 30, 2013
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I recommend reading this book to everyone. It gets a bit too violent towards the end so it can be too much for very sensitive people, other than that amazing book. Well done again Banks.
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