Beloved
Toni Morrison
(1987)

I tried to read Beloved when I was a freshman in college, but I must admit, I found it too difficult and gave up.  Also, in my defense, I tried to read it during the summer on vacation and Beloved isn’t “beach reading” by any stretch.

Beloved is a complex book about slavery, secrets, love and much more.  Sethe, the protagonist of the novel, was born a slave who has escaped to Ohio with her daughter.  But they are not alone.  They are haunted by a ghost who stomps on floors and sticks her fingers in cake icing.  When Sethe begins to fall in love with a man from her past, Sethe’s ghost comes to life in the terrifying form of Beloved. 

The first time around, I couldn’t get through this novel.  But this time, I couldn’t put it down.  I read Beloved in a two-day streak.  Powered by lush, gorgeous prose and an incisive exploration of slavery’s legacy, Beloved will stay with you.  It’s no wonder Beloved won the Pulitzer Prize and topped The New York Times “Best Work of American Fiction of the Last 25 Years” list. 

Have you read Beloved?  What did you think?  Or do you have another suggestion for Best Work of American Fiction?  Hop the Comment Box and let the world know what you think!

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