Sula

Summary:

This rich and moving novel traces the lives of two black heroines from their close-knit childhood in a small Ohio town, through their sharply divergent paths of womanhood, to their ultimate confrontation and reconciliation.

Nel Wright has chosen to stay in the place where she was born, to marry, raise a family, and become a pillar of the black community. Sula Peace has rejected the life Nel has embraced, escaping to college, and submerging herself in city life. When she returns to her roots, it is as a rebel and a wanton seductress. Eventually, both women must face the consequences of their choices. Together, they create an unforgettable portrait of what it means and costs to be a black woman in America. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)

Review:

I really wanted to like this book because I’ve heard so much about Toni Morrison, but overall the book fell flat for me.  The writing was fantastic, the prose kept me interested throughout the duration of the book and yet the story itself made me depressed.  Sula was just awful.  Regardless of who you are and where you live, I could not get over what Sula did to the one person she loved in the world and how she never felt any regret over it.  Though she claims to have achieved “freedom”, she never seemed happy to me.

I’m not sure what the overall message was supposed to be, but I think I missed it.

Warning: Contains violence and sexual content.

Rating: 3 stars!

Who should read it? Toni Morrison fans and folks who want to know what the book is about.