With stunning historical detail, Wilkerson tells the story of the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, from 1915 to 1970, through the lives of three unique individuals.

Reviews

"A landmark piece of nonfiction.... sure to hold many surprises for readers of any race or experience....A mesmerizing book that warrants comparison to "The Promised Land, " Nicholas Lemann's study of the Great Migration's early phase, and "Common Ground, " J. Anthony Lukas's great, close-range look at racial strife in Boston....[Wilkerson's] closeness with, and profound affection for, her subjects reflect her deep immersion in their stories and allow the reader to share that connection."
--Janet Maslin, "The New York Times"
""The Warmth of Other Suns" is a brilliant and stirring epic, the first book to cover the full half-century of the Great Migration... Wilkerson combines impressive research...with great narrative and literary power. Ms. Wilkerson does for the Great Migration what John Steinbeck did for the Okies in his fiction masterpiece, "The Grapes of Wrath"; she humanizes history, giving it emotional and psychological depth."--John Stauffer, "Wall Street Journal"