by Cathryn_Conroy: This is truly the Great American Novel. It’s a masterpiece!
Written by Tayari Jones, this is the story of two motherless girls who live in the small town of Honeysuckle, Louisiana in the 1950s. Vernice (Niecy for short) was orphaned as a baby when her father shot and killed her mother and then turned the gun on himself; it was her Aunt Irene, who never wanted children, who took her in. Annie Kay was orphaned when her single mother skipped out of town and left her at just four weeks old in the care of Annie’s grandmother. Niecy and Annie call each other “cradle friends,” and no two people could be closer. Growing up, they gave each other strength, courage, and most of all love.
Niecy graduates from high school and although she has to jump and dodge many obstacles—not the least of which is money—she enrolls in Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. Her roommate Joette Cunningham is wealthy, beautiful, and privileged in Black society. The two young women hit it off, and Joette catapults Niecy into a world she never knew. But what goes on behind their closed dorm room is no one else’s business, and if anyone did find out, it would be a scandal. Then a wealthy and influential Spelman alumna meets Niecy and decides she will be perfect wife for her son, Franklin, a smart attorney who walks with a limp after contracting polio as a child. Niecy’s world will never be the same again.
Meanwhile, Annie skipped out of town several months before graduating from high school, running off with her (supposed) boyfriend Clyde. When he picks her up for their middle-of-the-night escape from Honeysuckle, two others are in the car: a gorgeous woman named Babydoll who is firmly attached to Clyde and Clyde’s cousin Bobo. The four head for Memphis, Tennessee, but it takes them months to get there. Car troubles, no money, and the difficulties of abiding by the strict Jim Crow laws lead to some highly unusual adventures. Annie’s life could not be more different from Niecy’s, but they have one thing in common: They both yearn to be part of a family.
And one day, Annie writes to Niecy confessing a terrible problem. Niecy calls her long-distance and tells her to come to Atlanta immediately.
Bonus: The ending gave me the shivers. It is perfect.
Brilliantly and powerfully written with compassion, humor, and a great understanding of the human psyche, this treasure of a book has it all: vivid, bold, and oh-so-real characters and a compelling, multilayered plot that examines the nuances of who is kin to us and the deeper meaning of family.
This is a superb book that is a true literary gift.
