God Help the Child: A novel

by Toni Morrison Narrated by Toni Morrison

Overview

Spare and unsparing, God Help the Child-the first novel by Toni Morrison to be set in our current moment-weaves a tale about the way the sufferings of childhood can shape, and misshape, the life of the adult.

At the center: a young woman who calls herself Bride, whose stunning blue-black skin is only one element of her beauty, her boldness and confidence, her success in life, but which caused her light-skinned mother to deny her even the simplest forms of love. There is Booker, the man Bride loves, and loses to anger. Rain, the mysterious white child with whom she crosses paths. And finally, Bride's mother herself, Sweetness, who takes a lifetime to come to understand that "what you do to children matters. And they might never forget."

A fierce and provocative novel that adds a new dimension to the matchless oeuvre of Toni Morrison.

Editorial Reviews

APRIL 2015 - AudioFile

Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison narrates a melancholy story of interconnected characters who remain impacted by their difficult childhood experiences. Taking her time with her delivery, Morrison keeps to a pace and tone that suggest aging wisdom and lack of judgment—even as some of her characters act out their anxieties and impulsivity. She differentiates characters by changing her vocal tone and resonance—as when Queen says to the uniquely beautiful Bride, “You look like something a raccoon found and refused to eat.” Such a telling line in the unraveling messiness of childhood traumas! T.E.C. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

Praise for Toni Morrison’s
GOD HELP THE CHILD
 
“Sly, savage, honest, and elegant . . . . Morrison spikes elements of realism and hyperrealism with magic and mayhem, while sustaining a sexily poetic and intoxicating narrative atmosphere . . . . Once again, Morrison thrillingly brings the storytelling moxie and mojo that make her, arguably, our greatest living novelist.”
—Lisa Shea, ELLE Magazine
 
“A chilling oracle and a lively storyteller, Nobel winner Morrison continues the work she began 45 years ago with The Bluest Eye.”
--Kirkus (Starred Review)
 
“Another dazzler from Nobel laureate Morrison.”
—Barbara Hoffert’s Fiction Picks, Library Journal
 
“Emotionally-wrenching . . . [Morrion’s] literary craftsmanship endures with sparse language, precise imagery, and even humor. This haunting novel displays a profound understanding of American culture and an unwavering sense of justice and forgiveness.”
—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

APRIL 2015 - AudioFile

Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison narrates a melancholy story of interconnected characters who remain impacted by their difficult childhood experiences. Taking her time with her delivery, Morrison keeps to a pace and tone that suggest aging wisdom and lack of judgment—even as some of her characters act out their anxieties and impulsivity. She differentiates characters by changing her vocal tone and resonance—as when Queen says to the uniquely beautiful Bride, “You look like something a raccoon found and refused to eat.” Such a telling line in the unraveling messiness of childhood traumas! T.E.C. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172079337
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	04/21/2015
Edition description:	Unabridged

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