(WPF) Sula, by Toni Morrison, 4.5 stars

[NancyJ]

I have been meaning to read something by Toni Morrison for ages, and I'm so glad the PBT author challenge pushed me to read it now. Her writing is incredibly lush, vivid, wise, illuminating and sometimes brutal. I think this was the perfect choice for my first Toni Morrison book. It won't be my last.

We first meet a young WWI soldier named Shadrack who wakes up in a hospital disoriented. Morrison provides a mesmerizing view of reality from his perspective, which gave me a new understanding of what they used to call shell shock. He makes his way home to an African American community in post-WWI Medallion Ohio, where the story is set. The neighborhood is called "the bottom" (the bottom of heaven), though it is set on a hillside above the valley.

The story revolves around two families, focusing on 3 generations of women. Sula Peace and Nel Wright become best friends in childhood, and their lives diverge when Nel marries and Sula goes off to college. When Sula comes home many years later, worldly and sophisticated, Nel is thrilled, until Sula's behavior causes trouble within the town. Shadrack also has a recurring but meaningful role in the story. We see changes in their lives, the community, and society as they grow older.

The book is reportedly full of biblical references and symbolism about good and evil. Morrison doesn't shy away from dark events and themes. I may have missed some of the references, but the book still provided me with a great deal to think about. This is a rich and interesting story that I will want to read again.