The Women of Brewster Place
Book - 1983
"[A] shrewd and lyrical portrayal of many of the realities of black life . . . Miss Naylor bravely risks sentimentality and melodrama to write her compassion and outrage large, and she pulls it off triumphantly." -- The New York Times Book Review
In her heralded first novel, Gloria Naylor weaves together the stories of seven women living in Brewster Place, a bleak-inner city sanctuary, creating a powerful, moving portrait of the strengths, struggles, and hopes of black women in America. Vulnerable and resilient, openhanded and openhearted, these women forge their lives in a place that in turn threatens and protects--a common prison and a shared home. Naylor renders both loving and painful human experiences with simple eloquence and uncommon intuition. Adapted into a 1989 ABC miniseries starring Oprah Winfrey, The Women of Brewster Place is a touching and unforgettable read.
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From Library Staff
A wonderful series of interweaving narratives. Naylor shares the experiences of several black women from various backgrounds, all living in one tenement building. The building acts not only as setting but also as a sort of character in itself. These stories are moving, at times gruesome and at ti... Read More »
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TSCPL_ChrisB
Jun 06, 2016
Time's passage through the memory is like molten glass that can be opaque or crystalize at any given moment at will: a thousand days are melted into one conversation, one glance, one hurt, and one hurt can be shattered and sprinkled over a thousand days. It is silent and elusive, refusing to be damned and dripped out day by day; it swirls through the mind while an entire lifetime can ride like foam on the deceptive, transparent waves and get sprayed onto the conciousness at ragged, unexpected intervals.
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Add a CommentWonderful writing!
A gorgeous novel with compelling characters and several interesting plot lines. I enjoyed most how Naylor effectively utilized symbols which could very easily have been cliché.
A wonderful series of interweaving narratives. Naylor shares the experiences of several black women from various backgrounds, all living in one tenement building. The building acts not only as setting but also as a sort of character in itself. These stories are moving, at times gruesome and at times hilarious.
1983 National Book Award - Fiction