The blues singer Ursa is consumed by her hatred of Corregidora, the 19th-century slavemaster who fathered both her grandmother and mother. Made sterile in a violent fight with her husband Mutt, Ursa Corregidora is determined to seek revenge for the crimes of violent men. Her search for independence is stark and shocking. Gayl Jones was shortlisted for the 1998 National Book Award for her novel, The Healing. Corregidora, her first book, is a classic of American fiction and heralds her place among the generation of Black American women writers which includes Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou and Alice Walker.