Last year, the world lost a literary saint and empowering activist with the passing of Toni Morrison. Morrison affected everyone she interacted with, and her words–both spoken and written–will forever carry an immense weight and purpose.
Considered to be one of the best American novels ever written, Morrison’s Beloved was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988. However, this has not kept Morrison’s seminal work from being targeted. According to the ALA, Beloved is one of the most ‘challenged’ books of all time. Numerous groups have tried to eliminate it from educational curricula around the country since its publication over 30 years ago.
The chorus of Beloved consists of many voices, but primarily revolves around Sethe, a former enslaved Black woman. Sethe’s brutal life is told from her present point of view, but moves back and forth over the preceding 18 years, starting when she was still enslaved in Kentucky at a farm sickeningly known as Sweet Home. Even though Sethe has physically left Sweet Home, her past memories and trauma don’t allow her or her family any rest.
Morrison’s writing is profound. She was a true master of the english language, and Beloved embodies this to the fullest. Her prose is poignant and rough yet lyrical, not minimal, but not a burden in any shape or form.
Beloved is raw and moving on a level that others have tried to reach yet have never fully attained.
Review by Joel
$16.00 Trade Paperback
Beloved is in stock at the bookstore, you can order it online or call us at (505) 988-4226.