On the Rooftop
On the Rooftop
The feel-good place to buy books
- Free UK delivery over £5
- 10% off preloved books when you join +Plus
- Buying preloved emits 46% less CO2 than new
- Give your books a new home - sell them back to us!

On the Rooftop by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
Dancing to the rhythm of Jazz Era San Francisco, On the Rooftop is a stunning story of ambition, success, and three sisters who long to pursue their own dreams'Beautiful, moving, and truly unforgettable!' Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
'It will get inside your heart, break it wide open and stay there for a long time' Good Housekeeping
'In On the Rooftop, Margaret Wilkerson Sexton’s mellifluous third novel, readers have a front-row seat to a timeless drama about a mother with dreams that don’t quite line up with her daughters’ realities... Riveting.' New York Times
'An utterly original and brilliant story about learning how to mother children who have very different dreams and how to encourage them to reach for the stars.' Reese Witherspoon
'The kind of expansive, lush novel that envelops with charm while provoking with its fierce intelligence.' Kaitlyn Greenidge, author of Libertie
'The exceptional storytelling hooks you in and before you know it, you're rooting for every single one of the characters. Their dreams become yours.' Melody Razak, author of Moth
'In this stellar novel, Margaret Wilkerson Sexton takes us deeply into the dynamics of mothers and daughters, their individual—and collective—dreams and struggles.' Luis Alberto Urrea, author of The House of Broken Angels
'Richly observed and beautifully written, On the Rooftop weaves the lives of its characters together into a story bursting with music and feeling.' Charles Yu, author of Interior Chinatown
'A creative exploration of family, community and resilience... On the Rooftop is a quiet page turner that can serve as a beacon of hope in any trying time.' BookPage (starred review)
'Narrating duties rotate among Vivian and each of her daughters, illuminating the stressors and conflicting values that the women must navigate as they try to find themselves within their singing family, their Black community, and their unjust country. Once again, Sexton delivers.' Booklist
'A powerful drama set during a pivotal moment in US history.' Real Simple
'A showstopper of a third novel… On the Rooftop is a powerhouse novel that reflects both how high we can fly and how quickly we can be knocked down.' San Francisco Chronicle
'This novel about The Salvations, a trio of singing sisters, hits the right note… A great exploration of ambition and success.' Sunday Post (Dundee)
Margaret Wilkerson Sexton studied creative writing at Dartmouth College and law at UC Berkeley. Her most recent novel, The Revisioners, won a 2020 Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize and an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work and was a national bestseller as well as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Her debut novel, A Kind of Freedom, was long-listed for the National Book Award. She lives in Oakland with her family.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780861546299 |
| ISBN 10 | 0861546296 |
| Title | On the Rooftop |
| Author | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Oneworld Publications |
| Year published | 2023-11-02 |
| Number of pages | 304 |
| Prizes | Long-listed for Joyce Carol Oates Prize 2023 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |