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Please feel free to join us, we will begin reading Sula by Toni Morrison in October. Below is the summary from GR.

This rich and moving novel traces the lives of two black heroines from their close-knit childhood in a small Ohio town, through their sharply divergent paths of womanhood, to their ultimate confrontation and reconciliation.

Nel Wright has chosen to stay in the place where she was born, to marry, raise a family, and become a pillar of the black community. Sula Peace has rejected the life Nel has embraced, escaping to college, and submerging herself in city life. When she returns to her roots, it is as a rebel and a wanton seductress. Eventually, both women must face the consequences of their choices. Together, they create an unforgettable portrait of what it means and costs to be a black woman in America.

My copy has arrived from the library, so ready to read when you are.

Carolien wrote: "My copy has arrived from the library, so ready to read when you are."

Sounds good. I am planning to start listening to the book on my drive home tonight. :-)

I'm partway through and Ms. Morrison has done it again. At least for me. She writes some of the most horrific scenes in literature. They shock me. They force me out of my complacency. I can relate to some of this. The two best friends from two different upbringings. But some of this I'll never understand. Still, I read. I try. My heart breaks with some of these characters.

I'm starting this tonight!

The issues with the friends can be heartbreaking; ugh. I really hope you all "enjoy" this story.

Alissa wrote: "I'm starting this tonight!"

Yay. I'll probably be finishing it tomorrow. What do you think?

Alondra wrote: "The issues with the friends can be heartbreaking; ugh. I really hope you all "enjoy" this story."

I agree, Alondra. It's so sad. But so relatable. I love the way Morrison writes.

I agree, it makes is very challenging to read her work, because you are constantly confronted by your own lack of imagination. I'll finish this over the weekend and then comment.

Shadrack's story is just so sad and is relevant today. I had to stop at lunch and just met Nel and am about to meet Sula. Here we go

Carolien wrote: "I agree, it makes is very challenging to read her work, because you are constantly confronted by your own lack of imagination. I'll finish this over the weekend and then comment."

How far along have you gotten? I found the epilogue a little uplifting. I mean, after my heart was broken and I was devastated, I was able to wipe my eyes and think for a little bit.

Alissa wrote: "Shadrack's story is just so sad and is relevant today. I had to stop at lunch and just met Nel and am about to meet Sula. Here we go"

Shadrack's story was so sad. He was ostracized by everyone and lived without human contact because he was different. For the first half of the book, I wasn't sure what Ms. Morrison's point was by including his story, but it comes around towards the end.

I was really hoping Ajax would fix her. Sigh.

Although then I thought to myself, DOES Sula need fixing??? Or is there some brilliance and admiration for someone who is who she is and is unapologetic about it?

Alissa wrote: "I was really hoping Ajax would fix her. Sigh.

Although then I thought to myself, DOES Sula need fixing??? Or is there some brilliance and admiration for someone who is who she is and is unapologetic about it?"

I love this question. In some ways, I don't think Sula does NEED fixing. We, as friends, are heartbroken when bad things happen to them, and offer up platitudes such as "If I were you, I would...xyz." I find myself doing that all the time. The thing is, I'm not them. I can share my own experiences and I can tell them what I'd do, but that doesn't make it the right choice for the others. That said, I would find it impossible/very hard to forgive a spouse and a friend who betrayed me in that way.

My bestie and I have always loved the movie Beaches because we see ourselves in the book - two girls from entirely different backgrounds and ways of life. (I'm excited that we have Beaches on our future buddy reads list!) We react differently and are motivated by different things. But in the end, we try our best to respect each other's values and choices, and that's where I think Sula went astray. It breaks my heart.

Does Nel need fixing?

For me the key exchange between Sula and Nel is this one:

"How do you know?" Sula asked.

"Know what?" Nel still wouldn't look at her.

"About who was good. How you know it was you?"

"What you mean?"

"I mean maybe it wasn't you. Maybe it was me."

That whole statement made me stop. Sula is effectively saying we always think we are right/good. But maybe that is just our perspective and the other person is right/good.

It's heartbreaking, but it ends on a kind of hopeful tone.

Carolien, that's such a good exchange. And this one too...

"I sure did live in this world."

"Really? What have you got to show for it?"

"Show? To who? I got my mind. And what goes on in it. Which is to say, I got me."

"Lonely, ain't it?"

"Yes. But my lonely is mine. Now your lonely is somebody else's. Made by somebody else and handed to you.”

It's just so beautifully written.

Absolutely! I found this overall an easier read than Beloved, but still with moments of profound insight into the characters and their marginal existence.

Carolien wrote: "Absolutely! I found this overall an easier read than Beloved, but still with moments of profound insight into the characters and their marginal existence."

I agree. There were parts in Beloved where I literally had to put the book down and walk away, I was so upset. There were upsetting parts in Sula, where I felt terrible about what was happening to the characters, but I was able to continue reading.