The Devil Three Times
by Rickey Fayne
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"A debut of enormous ambition" spanning eight generations of a Black family in West Tennessee as they are repeatedly visited by the Devil (Nathan Harris, New York Times bestselling author of The Sweetness of Water)
Yetunde awakens aboard a slave ship en route to the United States with the spirit of her dead sister as her only companion. Desperate to survive the hell that awaits her at their destination, Yetunde finds help in an unexpected form--the Devil himself. The Devil, seeking a way to reenter the pearly gates of heaven, decides to prove himself to an indifferent God by protecting Yetunde and granting her a piece of his supernatural power. In return, Yetunde makes an incredible sacrifice.
Their bargain extends far beyond Yetunde's mortal lifespan. Over the next 175 years, the Devil visits Yetunde's descendants in their darkest hour of need: Lucille, a conjure woman; Asa, who passes for white; Louis and Virgil, who risk becoming a twentieth-century Cain and Abel; Cassandra, who speaks to the dead; James, who struggles to make sense of the past while fighting to keep his family together; and many others. The Devil offers each of them his own version of salvation, all the while wondering: can he save himself, too?
Steeped in the spiritual traditions and oral history of the Black diaspora, The Devil Three Times is a baptism by fire and water, heralding a new voice in American fiction.
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Book Details
- ISBN
- 9780316575171
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Authors
- Rickey Fayne
- Publisher
- Little Brown and Company
- Published Date
- May 13, 2025
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 416
- Physical Info
- 1.5 in H x 9.2 in L x 6.3 in W (1.4 lb)
This book is interesting, entertaining, all around delightful. There is folklore, history, tragedy as well as humor woven throughout. The family tree was very helpful for me to keep straight the characters and their relationships to one another. I definitely recommend it!
"Sometimes you have to leave what you love, she said. But that don't mean that what you love leaves you"This was a one of a kind experience for me. I am not sure how to categorize my thoughts. I did enjoy reading about Yetunde and her descendants, as well as the devil and how with the help of his brothers, Jesus & Death, worked to gain their fathers favor. This is labeled as historical fiction, but it is more folklore, spiritual fiction. This is a book of lessons within the history of the devils family. We dive into generational trauma and triumph throughout 175 years.This is the family the devil made. The one he loves. The one he protects. The one he gives his all to in the best way he knows how. This was his testimony and journey to return to his place in his Fathers home.This book will not be for everyone. If you are into folklore and spirituality in a lesson form you will enjoy this debut novel.
The premise of this is fascinating and I really wanted to enjoy it but I had trouble following along all the characters - it was rather convoluted and confusing, which detracted from the overall story. That being said, it was a very intriguing book - following a family in Tennessee for multiple generations as the Devil watches over them. Starting with Yetunde on a slave ship from Africa, there were certain characters whose stories pulled you in more than others. 3.5Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital ARC of this title.
Parts of this tale were quite good and immersive, but they were scattered throughout the book. I think this was because there were many characters that were followed, and the plots were often relatively repetitive. I know with a multi-generational tale following trauma it's bound to happen since you're exploring the same themes, but it made it quite difficult to keep track of who was who. It also made it where there wasn't enough time for me to really connect with the character or for them to come to life before we were already moving to the next. I also enjoyed how the devil was portrayed in this one and how he was often a character.One thing that didn't work for me was how often there were asides about what would happen in the future. It would go something like "Franklin wouldn't do X again until..." then continue for anywhere from several sentences to a paragraph. The story is told mostly in the third person but some of the sections were in the first person. This story also felt much longer than needed, likely due to how many characters the book was following, which made it become a bit more boring than I wanted it to be.Overall this is a decent magical realism read with some important themes, but I just couldn't quite connect with it as much as I hoped. I also love that cover. My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Yetunde is aboard a slave ship on the way to America. There is no one to help her survive the ordeal that will be even worse when the ship arrives at its destination. Unexpected help comes in the form of the Devil. Yetunde's deal with the Devil will affect many generations of her descendants in a variety of ways. The Devil may help save them at a cost, but can he reach his ultimate goal of saving himself and return to Heaven?The Devil Three Times is a powerful debut novel that uses a touch of paranormal and spiritual elements to weave a tale of many generations who lived in Tennessee.Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to read and reviews this amazing novel.
