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Brewster Place #1
The Women of Brewster Place
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 open-hearted, 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. Her remarkable sense of community and history makes The Women of Brewster Place a contemporary classic—and a touching and unforgettable read.
192 pages, Paperback
First published June 2, 1982
About the author
Gloria Naylor
26 books644 followersGloria Naylor was an African-American novelist whose most popular work, The Women of Brewster Place, was made into a 1984 film starring Oprah Winfrey.
Naylor won the National Book Award for first fiction in 1983 for The Women of Brewster Place. Her subsequent novels included Linden Hills, Mama Day and Bailey's Cafe. In addition to her novels, Naylor wrote essays and screenplays, as well as the stage adaptation of Bailey's Cafe. Naylor also founded One Way Productions, an independent film company, and was involved in a literacy program in the Bronx.
A native New Yorker, Gloria Naylor was a graduate of Brooklyn College and Yale University. She was distinguished with numerous honors, including Scholar-in-Residence, the University of Pennsylvania; Senior Fellow, The Society for the Humanities, Cornell University; the President's Medal, Brooklyn College; and Visiting Professor, University of Kent, Canterbury, England. Naylor was the recipient of Guggenheim and National Endowment for the Arts fellowships for her novels and the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship for screenwriting.
Naylor won the National Book Award for first fiction in 1983 for The Women of Brewster Place. Her subsequent novels included Linden Hills, Mama Day and Bailey's Cafe. In addition to her novels, Naylor wrote essays and screenplays, as well as the stage adaptation of Bailey's Cafe. Naylor also founded One Way Productions, an independent film company, and was involved in a literacy program in the Bronx.
A native New Yorker, Gloria Naylor was a graduate of Brooklyn College and Yale University. She was distinguished with numerous honors, including Scholar-in-Residence, the University of Pennsylvania; Senior Fellow, The Society for the Humanities, Cornell University; the President's Medal, Brooklyn College; and Visiting Professor, University of Kent, Canterbury, England. Naylor was the recipient of Guggenheim and National Endowment for the Arts fellowships for her novels and the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship for screenwriting.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,130 reviews
August 23, 2017
This short story collection had all the makings of a book that I should not like. So I'm still trying to figure out how it ended up on my list of best short story collections.
The first story contained no less than ten clichés. And every story after that had something that I could see coming from pages away. I was literally thinking, please don't let this play out the way I think it's going to play out. And it always did.
I have never been, nor will I ever be, on the men-ain't-shit bandwagon. Never-ever. This way of thinking can be pervasive for women in the African American community, so I cannot stand books that perpetuate it. I just cannot. But this book did exactly that.
Then the author waited until the last chapter to throw in some surrealism type stuff, which had me totally confused. I'm not sure what happened with the wall. Maybe it was real...yes, I'm still confused.
So, when you have all of those hang-ups and can love every page and hang on every word of a book, then I'm convinced that the author is some sort of genius. Convinced.
The first thing that grabbed me was the author's ability to move the book through time. My very first status update while reading was,"The devolving of a community in three generations and six pages." I thought it was a brilliant way to set up the book. I had no idea that it was a technique, and she was the master. Time and time again, she moves through several decades in a paragraph. And it never fails to be brilliant.
Have you ever seen pain in writing? You're probably wondering what am I even asking. Naylor wrote a scene so powerful, it made pain visible; it took form. No one wants to be in pain, but this scene made me never want to know that pain. If that wasn't impressive enough, I realized after the book club discussion that in the same scene, it was love that took form for other readers. It was that love that captivated them.
You know that thing that happens when you read something and it's impossible to keep reading - it was too close to home, too shocking, too revelatory, too something to just move past without reflecting on it in that moment. Well, this book made me realize I need to hang more art. Because there were several times, when coming back to myself after staring at the wall, that it would be nice to have something hanging there.
Now it's time for me to create my Gloria Naylor-shelf and start building my personal Gloria Naylor Collection because long review short - she did that.
The first story contained no less than ten clichés. And every story after that had something that I could see coming from pages away. I was literally thinking, please don't let this play out the way I think it's going to play out. And it always did.
I have never been, nor will I ever be, on the men-ain't-shit bandwagon. Never-ever. This way of thinking can be pervasive for women in the African American community, so I cannot stand books that perpetuate it. I just cannot. But this book did exactly that.
Then the author waited until the last chapter to throw in some surrealism type stuff, which had me totally confused. I'm not sure what happened with the wall. Maybe it was real...yes, I'm still confused.
So, when you have all of those hang-ups and can love every page and hang on every word of a book, then I'm convinced that the author is some sort of genius. Convinced.
The first thing that grabbed me was the author's ability to move the book through time. My very first status update while reading was,"The devolving of a community in three generations and six pages." I thought it was a brilliant way to set up the book. I had no idea that it was a technique, and she was the master. Time and time again, she moves through several decades in a paragraph. And it never fails to be brilliant.
Have you ever seen pain in writing? You're probably wondering what am I even asking. Naylor wrote a scene so powerful, it made pain visible; it took form. No one wants to be in pain, but this scene made me never want to know that pain. If that wasn't impressive enough, I realized after the book club discussion that in the same scene, it was love that took form for other readers. It was that love that captivated them.
You know that thing that happens when you read something and it's impossible to keep reading - it was too close to home, too shocking, too revelatory, too something to just move past without reflecting on it in that moment. Well, this book made me realize I need to hang more art. Because there were several times, when coming back to myself after staring at the wall, that it would be nice to have something hanging there.
Now it's time for me to create my Gloria Naylor-shelf and start building my personal Gloria Naylor Collection because long review short - she did that.
January 15, 2018
Years ago I read Mama Day by Gloria Naylor. Told from multiple points of view, it discussed a young woman from the north returning to her older female family members on a southern island in search of the spiritual inspiration she needs to sustain her for the rest of the year. I decided that for my annual participation in an A to Z author challenge, one that I choose to read only female authors, that I would revisit Naylor's work. First published in 1982 and winning national awards, The Women of Brewster Place details the lives of seven women living on a decrepit block in a northern city but who choose to make the best of their surroundings. Written in short story format with one chapter dedicated to each woman, Naylor intertwines these women's lives as she builds a neighborhood out of bleakness.
Mattie Michael first came north after finding herself single and pregnant as a young woman. Offered yet declining help from her dear friend Etta Mae Johnson, Michael and her son Basil board at the home of Eva Turner for over thirty years. Johnson seeks an even better life in Harlem yet remains close with Michael and resurfaces, whereas Michael builds a home for herself following Turner's passing. With each passing year, Michael gathers more of life's wisdom, which make her a worthy companion in her church and in her neighborhood. Yet, this wisdom is lost on her only child Basil who could never cope with growing up without a father. He lives a life of petty crime which eventually costs Michael her home. She moves into an apartment on Brewster Place and quickly becomes the matriarch of the block, guiding countless women through life. While some may see Mattie Michael as the neighborhood busybody, it is evident that all key neighborhood decisions go through her, and she is the first stop for anyone in search of a positive mental attitude.
Naylor paints the picture of real people as she defines the African American women experience during the late 1970s. Readers become acquainted with Kiswana formerly Melanie Browne who drops out of college to become a community activist, much to the chagrin of her mother. Yet, Kiswana is a ray of sunshine to many of her neighbors who may have less education than she does and she urges the people of Brewster Place to form a neighborhood association and better their station in life. One such person who Browne makes a positive impact on is Cora Lee and her eight children. A single mother living in a two bedroom apartment, Cora can barely make ends meet and has her hands full looking after her children. Browne encourages Cora to attend a modern retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and after seeing this play, it appears that Cora's life may be heading in a positive direction. Kiswana also decides to return to school to obtain her degree.
While Mattie is the matriarch who holds Brewster Place together, a real busybody named Sophie threatens to turn neighbor against neighbor. Two women, Lorraine and Teresa, have moved into one of Brewster's apartment units, and, lo and behold, they are homosexual. Mattie thinks that there are positives to be taken from everything, and her friend Etta Mae Johnson accedes with this opinion. Most neighbors do not formulate an opinion, positive or negative, that is all except Sophie who spies on them daily. It is Sophie, not Lorraine and Teresa who are both teachers and mind their own business, who is threatening the pathos of Brewster Place. Kiswana decides to hold a block party as a morale booster and fundraiser to bring everyone together. Former residents come home to participate, yet in Naylor's climax, she shows how during the 1970s people were not as open minded as they are now, as Lorraine and Teresa are never made to feel comfortable no matter where they choose to live. Even in a decent, loving street as Brewster Place, there will be legit problems, and it is up to the residents to make the neighborhood into a positive living environment for people of all walks of life.
The Women of Brewster Place had been on my to read shelf for awhile, and, while it took an A to Z author challenge to finally read it, it became a positive reading experience for me. Gloria Naylor paints a picture of the African American woman's experience during the late 1970s through snapshots of seven diverse women on one city block. These women form the patchwork of urban society, and their everyday issues are still issues that are addressed on a constant basis in 21st century living. Naylor was ahead of her time with the publication of this book, which is why The Women of Brewster Place has won accolades and is considered a modern classic by many.
4 stars
Mattie Michael first came north after finding herself single and pregnant as a young woman. Offered yet declining help from her dear friend Etta Mae Johnson, Michael and her son Basil board at the home of Eva Turner for over thirty years. Johnson seeks an even better life in Harlem yet remains close with Michael and resurfaces, whereas Michael builds a home for herself following Turner's passing. With each passing year, Michael gathers more of life's wisdom, which make her a worthy companion in her church and in her neighborhood. Yet, this wisdom is lost on her only child Basil who could never cope with growing up without a father. He lives a life of petty crime which eventually costs Michael her home. She moves into an apartment on Brewster Place and quickly becomes the matriarch of the block, guiding countless women through life. While some may see Mattie Michael as the neighborhood busybody, it is evident that all key neighborhood decisions go through her, and she is the first stop for anyone in search of a positive mental attitude.
Naylor paints the picture of real people as she defines the African American women experience during the late 1970s. Readers become acquainted with Kiswana formerly Melanie Browne who drops out of college to become a community activist, much to the chagrin of her mother. Yet, Kiswana is a ray of sunshine to many of her neighbors who may have less education than she does and she urges the people of Brewster Place to form a neighborhood association and better their station in life. One such person who Browne makes a positive impact on is Cora Lee and her eight children. A single mother living in a two bedroom apartment, Cora can barely make ends meet and has her hands full looking after her children. Browne encourages Cora to attend a modern retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and after seeing this play, it appears that Cora's life may be heading in a positive direction. Kiswana also decides to return to school to obtain her degree.
While Mattie is the matriarch who holds Brewster Place together, a real busybody named Sophie threatens to turn neighbor against neighbor. Two women, Lorraine and Teresa, have moved into one of Brewster's apartment units, and, lo and behold, they are homosexual. Mattie thinks that there are positives to be taken from everything, and her friend Etta Mae Johnson accedes with this opinion. Most neighbors do not formulate an opinion, positive or negative, that is all except Sophie who spies on them daily. It is Sophie, not Lorraine and Teresa who are both teachers and mind their own business, who is threatening the pathos of Brewster Place. Kiswana decides to hold a block party as a morale booster and fundraiser to bring everyone together. Former residents come home to participate, yet in Naylor's climax, she shows how during the 1970s people were not as open minded as they are now, as Lorraine and Teresa are never made to feel comfortable no matter where they choose to live. Even in a decent, loving street as Brewster Place, there will be legit problems, and it is up to the residents to make the neighborhood into a positive living environment for people of all walks of life.
The Women of Brewster Place had been on my to read shelf for awhile, and, while it took an A to Z author challenge to finally read it, it became a positive reading experience for me. Gloria Naylor paints a picture of the African American woman's experience during the late 1970s through snapshots of seven diverse women on one city block. These women form the patchwork of urban society, and their everyday issues are still issues that are addressed on a constant basis in 21st century living. Naylor was ahead of her time with the publication of this book, which is why The Women of Brewster Place has won accolades and is considered a modern classic by many.
4 stars
September 8, 2021
What a book. Gloria Naylor has a way of creating an atmosphere, heck, a whole cosmos, within these few pages (my book counts 192), that it makes you wonder if she truly was human. I don't think I've read a debut novel as impressive as this one.
In The Women of Brewster Place, Gloria Naylor invites her readership to take a look around the neighbourhood of Brewster Place in which mostly poor Black families are situated. By tracing the lives of seven different Black women back to their origin, Gloria Naylor sketches a life and shows how and why these women ended up on Brewster Place eventually.
We get to know Mattie Michael, who used to be the "good girl", who was the apple of her father's eye... until she was seduced by Butch, the local good-for-nothing, became pregnant and was thrown out of her childhood home. A single mom with no money in her pocket, Mattie endured poverty and horrible living situations, when one day she is taken into by the elderly woman Miss Eva. But life doesn't kill Mattie with kindness. Despite her love and care for her son, Basil lets her down in the moment she needs him the most and Mattie is forced to move to Brewster Place. Her story was probably the best of the seven, since it displayed the most beautiful passages of Naylor's gorgeous writing. It somehow reminded me of the good qualities of Jean Toomer's Cane. Additionally, Mattie is just a queen we need to protect her at all costs. The sarcasm, the humour, the way she learned to see through people. I would die for her.
But not all the women we meet are as "pure" and "good" as Mattie. Gloria turns her eye towards Mattie's friend, Etta Mae Johnson, who is fucking the local priest; and to Kiswana Brown, who in her fervour of being an activist and pro-Black, left Linden Hills to move to Brewster Place, since she no longer wanted to deal with these assimilated "niggers who are ashamed of being black." Kiswana thinks she's got it all figured out and is better than the family she left behind. We also learn of the hardships of Ciel whose daughter died way too young, and Cora Lee who has too many children for her own good.
In the culminating climax of this tale, Gloria introduces us to the lesbian couple who has just recently moved to Brewster Place. Theresa and Lorraine have a hard time fitting in, and the men and women of the neighbourhood make their life hell. We get some of the most intimate and raw scenes from Naylor when Theresa finally unleashes her anger because of her neighbour's homophobia.
The Women of Brewster Place is a love letter to Black women, to their strength when facing adversity. I say this all the time but reading Gloria Naylor's work is a very special and healing experience for me. She manages to strike a chord within myself, that most writers don't even come close to. Therefore, I found it very fitting that the disruptive moment of this novel (the brutal gang rape of Lorraine) is followed up by a tempest of magical proportions that served as a form of cleansing and healing. This isn't realistic fiction – it's purposefully mythic. Gloria Naylor plays a lot with the theme of rebirth, of not giving up on women on the verge of death.
The novel has two climaxes of destruction. In the first, Mattie magnificently wrestles Ciel, dying of grief over the loss of her daughter, back to life. In the second, Lorraine's blood sacrifice is brutally testing the sisterhood of all women, who have to come together to heal Brewster Place of its wounds. Gloria Naylor forces us to pay attention to our relationship with other women, whether they are our mothers, daughters, sisters, friends. How important it is to not neglect these bonds, how much substance they provide for our daily life and sanity.
In The Women of Brewster Place, Gloria Naylor invites her readership to take a look around the neighbourhood of Brewster Place in which mostly poor Black families are situated. By tracing the lives of seven different Black women back to their origin, Gloria Naylor sketches a life and shows how and why these women ended up on Brewster Place eventually.
We get to know Mattie Michael, who used to be the "good girl", who was the apple of her father's eye... until she was seduced by Butch, the local good-for-nothing, became pregnant and was thrown out of her childhood home. A single mom with no money in her pocket, Mattie endured poverty and horrible living situations, when one day she is taken into by the elderly woman Miss Eva. But life doesn't kill Mattie with kindness. Despite her love and care for her son, Basil lets her down in the moment she needs him the most and Mattie is forced to move to Brewster Place. Her story was probably the best of the seven, since it displayed the most beautiful passages of Naylor's gorgeous writing. It somehow reminded me of the good qualities of Jean Toomer's Cane. Additionally, Mattie is just a queen we need to protect her at all costs. The sarcasm, the humour, the way she learned to see through people. I would die for her.
But not all the women we meet are as "pure" and "good" as Mattie. Gloria turns her eye towards Mattie's friend, Etta Mae Johnson, who is fucking the local priest; and to Kiswana Brown, who in her fervour of being an activist and pro-Black, left Linden Hills to move to Brewster Place, since she no longer wanted to deal with these assimilated "niggers who are ashamed of being black." Kiswana thinks she's got it all figured out and is better than the family she left behind. We also learn of the hardships of Ciel whose daughter died way too young, and Cora Lee who has too many children for her own good.
In the culminating climax of this tale, Gloria introduces us to the lesbian couple who has just recently moved to Brewster Place. Theresa and Lorraine have a hard time fitting in, and the men and women of the neighbourhood make their life hell. We get some of the most intimate and raw scenes from Naylor when Theresa finally unleashes her anger because of her neighbour's homophobia.
The Women of Brewster Place is a love letter to Black women, to their strength when facing adversity. I say this all the time but reading Gloria Naylor's work is a very special and healing experience for me. She manages to strike a chord within myself, that most writers don't even come close to. Therefore, I found it very fitting that the disruptive moment of this novel (the brutal gang rape of Lorraine) is followed up by a tempest of magical proportions that served as a form of cleansing and healing. This isn't realistic fiction – it's purposefully mythic. Gloria Naylor plays a lot with the theme of rebirth, of not giving up on women on the verge of death.
The novel has two climaxes of destruction. In the first, Mattie magnificently wrestles Ciel, dying of grief over the loss of her daughter, back to life. In the second, Lorraine's blood sacrifice is brutally testing the sisterhood of all women, who have to come together to heal Brewster Place of its wounds. Gloria Naylor forces us to pay attention to our relationship with other women, whether they are our mothers, daughters, sisters, friends. How important it is to not neglect these bonds, how much substance they provide for our daily life and sanity.
February 27, 2021
4.5 stars rounded up
This is Gloria Naylor’s first novel, published in 1982 and set between the 1940s and the mid-1970s. It is a series of seven interconnected stories about mainly African American women who have reached a low point and have ended up in Brewster Place, where the apartments are run down and the landlord does as few repairs as possible. This is a tale of the dispossessed, but also a tale of female bonding based on a shared oppression. Most of the women are black, but there are two lesbians as well who have moved to Brewster Place to escape what people are saying about them. All of the women have dreams and aspirations, despite their subjugation. They have all suffered at the hands of men and in Brewster Place they find new beginnings. But this is not sentimental, it’s tough and there is suffering.
This is well written and holds the attention. The stories are powerful. I have never seen the TV series, but I may now look it up. The role of men is interesting and has been analysed in depth. The men here ae sexual predators and abusers, hence the description of some of the young men who roamed Brewster Place:
“These young men wouldn’t be called upon to thrust a bayonet into an Asian farmer, target a torpedo, scatter their iron seed from a B-52 into the wound of the earth, point a finger to move a nation, or stick a pole into the moon—and they knew it. They only had that three-hundred-foot alley to serve them as stateroom, armored tank, and executioner’s chamber. So Lorraine found herself, on her knees, surrounded by the most dangerous species in existence—human males with an erection to validate in a world that was only six feet wide”
The journeys of the women are the dominant force in the novel and they are memorable characters who will live in the memory
This is Gloria Naylor’s first novel, published in 1982 and set between the 1940s and the mid-1970s. It is a series of seven interconnected stories about mainly African American women who have reached a low point and have ended up in Brewster Place, where the apartments are run down and the landlord does as few repairs as possible. This is a tale of the dispossessed, but also a tale of female bonding based on a shared oppression. Most of the women are black, but there are two lesbians as well who have moved to Brewster Place to escape what people are saying about them. All of the women have dreams and aspirations, despite their subjugation. They have all suffered at the hands of men and in Brewster Place they find new beginnings. But this is not sentimental, it’s tough and there is suffering.
This is well written and holds the attention. The stories are powerful. I have never seen the TV series, but I may now look it up. The role of men is interesting and has been analysed in depth. The men here ae sexual predators and abusers, hence the description of some of the young men who roamed Brewster Place:
“These young men wouldn’t be called upon to thrust a bayonet into an Asian farmer, target a torpedo, scatter their iron seed from a B-52 into the wound of the earth, point a finger to move a nation, or stick a pole into the moon—and they knew it. They only had that three-hundred-foot alley to serve them as stateroom, armored tank, and executioner’s chamber. So Lorraine found herself, on her knees, surrounded by the most dangerous species in existence—human males with an erection to validate in a world that was only six feet wide”
The journeys of the women are the dominant force in the novel and they are memorable characters who will live in the memory
September 14, 2020
Gloria Naylor should be included on more reading lists than she is now. I do believe more authors borrowed from her structure of linked characters than they would care to admit. I especially enjoy how she writes African American settings and places transcendent enough to be characters in the novel. I recommend watching the movie after reading this, or if you’re like most people who have seen it, watching it with this book as a companion read. I’ve never imagined saying this, but I enjoyed the ending of the film more than I did the book’s ending. I also recommend reading Linden Hills, the middleclass suburb and counterpart of Brewster Place.
February 19, 2023
A new author for me, Gloria Naylor wrote a compilation of 7 stories about a group of diverse black women who each wind up living in Brewster Place. This is an inner-city housing development on a run-down, dead-end street neglected by the landlord. Its origin is corrupt and the communities of people that come and go over time have altered with the migratory history of the country. As the women filter into Brewster Place just after the civil rights movement, the final inhabitants become this grouping of black women who have mostly journeyed north from towns in the south.
Each woman’s present day story is told and their backgrounds are all fleshed out and explain how each found themselves here. I got the sense of a predominant theme being dreams destroyed and unfulfilled in these women’s lives. Most often a man is involved in the shattering of the dreams. Men are not depicted in a pleasant light and often in cliched circumstances - drunkards and womanizers, abusive and deadbeat, self-absorbed and irresponsible. In fact, the individual stories depict a mother who allows her irresponsible and selfish son to drastically impede her life, a man-needing blues singer who cannot keep a man, a young woman rebelling against her middle-class upbringing, a babydoll-obsessed young girl who is incapable of caring for her brood of illegitimate children, a young woman who suffers to please her man with a horrifying outcome, and an unaccepted lesbian couple.
One of these stories is graphic and violent and difficult to stomach.
Naylor’s prose was descriptive and emotive at times but other times was overwrought like so:(EEK!)
The screams tried to break through her corneas out into the air, but the tough rubbery flesh sent them vibrating back into her brain, first shaking lifeless the cells that nurtured her memory.
Several times the author chose to skip over time, sometimes decades, in just a paragraph leaving out lots of details that I wanted to know about. Naylor obviously felt this was the right way to tell her story but it just left me jarred.
I think the author meant this as a novel that celebrates women in various backgrounds. What I think this collection of stories did though was show the different ways these women were victims of circumstances. I wanted to see them rise above but I was only left wanting something different and very confused by the strange surrealistic ending that was attempting to bring the community together to heal.
Some lovely examples of Naylor’s prose:
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.
Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it's all over.
Each woman’s present day story is told and their backgrounds are all fleshed out and explain how each found themselves here. I got the sense of a predominant theme being dreams destroyed and unfulfilled in these women’s lives. Most often a man is involved in the shattering of the dreams. Men are not depicted in a pleasant light and often in cliched circumstances - drunkards and womanizers, abusive and deadbeat, self-absorbed and irresponsible. In fact, the individual stories depict a mother who allows her irresponsible and selfish son to drastically impede her life, a man-needing blues singer who cannot keep a man, a young woman rebelling against her middle-class upbringing, a babydoll-obsessed young girl who is incapable of caring for her brood of illegitimate children, a young woman who suffers to please her man with a horrifying outcome, and an unaccepted lesbian couple.
One of these stories is graphic and violent and difficult to stomach.
Naylor’s prose was descriptive and emotive at times but other times was overwrought like so:(EEK!)
The screams tried to break through her corneas out into the air, but the tough rubbery flesh sent them vibrating back into her brain, first shaking lifeless the cells that nurtured her memory.
Several times the author chose to skip over time, sometimes decades, in just a paragraph leaving out lots of details that I wanted to know about. Naylor obviously felt this was the right way to tell her story but it just left me jarred.
I think the author meant this as a novel that celebrates women in various backgrounds. What I think this collection of stories did though was show the different ways these women were victims of circumstances. I wanted to see them rise above but I was only left wanting something different and very confused by the strange surrealistic ending that was attempting to bring the community together to heal.
Some lovely examples of Naylor’s prose:
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.
Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it's all over.
December 7, 2020
The Women of Brewster Place follows the stories and journeys of several women living at Brewster Place as they experience heartbreak, loss, healing, and hope. Each short story is an individual narrative, however some of the women’s stories come to intersect crucially and impactfully in nurturing friendship and steadying love, especially in times when they face trauma and tragedy.
It was equally as joyful and heart-wrenching, depending on the individual circumstance, to partake in these women’s moments of growth and pain as they wrestled with what they wanted their futures to be. Their paths remain meaningfully connected as the depths of their character come to be unveiled in ways of bare-faced vulnerability and quiet, soaring strength. I felt there also to be a cleansing of sorts in some of these women as they faced a rebirth and renewal in their souls and selves. Some of these women confront familial turmoil and tragedy, voids in their platonic and romantic lives, grappling with their sense of identity and privilege or lack thereof, and much more, which is beautifully explored in this transformative collection.
I could really feel every inch of what these women went through as Gloria Naylor so intensely led me inside of each of these women’s minds and their sense of place in the world. I could feel the way that they ached, the way that they longed, and the way that they coped and had each other to lessen the weight of their most stressful, uncertain days. Living can be filled with cataclysmic doubt that a better day will come, but these stories show us all the ways life ebbs and flows unpredictably, sometimes even bringing a much sought after respite.
This collection felt as if it genuinely captured everyday moments, as well as the randomness and loneliness of tragedy and the proceeding brokenness it can leave in its wake. I also felt like it strongly spoke to how evocatively emotion can spill from the places we may keep secret, but that once we share that emotion with the ones that we trust and love we can find some opportunities for light.
It was equally as joyful and heart-wrenching, depending on the individual circumstance, to partake in these women’s moments of growth and pain as they wrestled with what they wanted their futures to be. Their paths remain meaningfully connected as the depths of their character come to be unveiled in ways of bare-faced vulnerability and quiet, soaring strength. I felt there also to be a cleansing of sorts in some of these women as they faced a rebirth and renewal in their souls and selves. Some of these women confront familial turmoil and tragedy, voids in their platonic and romantic lives, grappling with their sense of identity and privilege or lack thereof, and much more, which is beautifully explored in this transformative collection.
I could really feel every inch of what these women went through as Gloria Naylor so intensely led me inside of each of these women’s minds and their sense of place in the world. I could feel the way that they ached, the way that they longed, and the way that they coped and had each other to lessen the weight of their most stressful, uncertain days. Living can be filled with cataclysmic doubt that a better day will come, but these stories show us all the ways life ebbs and flows unpredictably, sometimes even bringing a much sought after respite.
This collection felt as if it genuinely captured everyday moments, as well as the randomness and loneliness of tragedy and the proceeding brokenness it can leave in its wake. I also felt like it strongly spoke to how evocatively emotion can spill from the places we may keep secret, but that once we share that emotion with the ones that we trust and love we can find some opportunities for light.
September 15, 2015
They came together, propositioned, bargained, and slowly worked out the consummation of their respective desires.
Naylor’s construction of Brewster Place’s beginnings seems like a plaintive evocation of a story that already lives in the crevices of a bygone past. Or the tale of someone who has lived their years and finally taken respite to talk of their unholy beginning that was marked for a cramped existence in this world. They gradually established their space and mellowed into an old age. Gratitude is expressed for the years they lived, the endless hours they worked, the shelter and protection they bestowed on others. They will be thought of, remembered, perhaps with great affection but their very existence wouldn’t be a pleasant reflection on those bound with them. Brewster Place is a street where life blooms and endures, but also suffers from asphyxiation and demands escape from its griminess, odor, discoloration, confinement, and the intermittent violence and pain. For some, it was meant to be a part of a journey, but ends up being the destination. For some, it’s a connecting tunnel to something, where there is hope at the end; for freshness and happiness, for something better and beautiful.
The sigh turned into knot of pity for the ones that she knew would die. She pitied them because she refused to pity herself and to think that she, too, would have to die here on this crowded street because there just wasn’t enough left for her to do it all again.
For Mattie Michael, Brewster Place was an impermanent shelter which turned into a permanent one. Mattie never actively looks for an escape towards something else. Because there wasn’t enough left for her to do it all again, she seems to be fiercely guarding whatever was left of others; Etta, Ciel, her son Basil. Perhaps because her own splintered life is not mendable, she is very quick to discern any fissures that might erupt in the lives of those around her. Mattie’s attitudes and responses are almost prophetic. She can intuitively sense a calamity. Etta Mae Johnson is looking for an escape that would come in the form of marriage. But for a woman who has lived her life not caring for other’s opinion, this sudden desire for matrimony seems complex and paradoxical. Cora Lee envisions an escape too, but for her children. They couldn’t be left moldering, like her, amidst stale food and unwashed dishes. Babies grow up, babies need Shakespeare and poetry, they need fresh air and education, and a life that will grow out of the claustrophobic space of Brewster Place. For Kiswana Browne, Brewster Place is a refuge for her idealism. A dingy playground for the assessment of her revolutionary design. Her escape into the modest Brewster Place apartment, from Linden Hall and her middle class upbringing, seems to be rather synthetic. Linden Hall keeps permeating into Brewster Place in the form of ‘designer jeans’ and ’70 dollar cheques’, and a mother who doesn’t agree with the Kiswana’s representation of black identity. Black isn’t beautiful and it isn’t ugly-black is! It isn’t kinky hair and it’s not straight hair-it just is.
But they make me try to feel like a freak out there and you make me feel like one in here.’
In Brewster’s Place, individual desires are pitted against the group. Lorraine’s and Theresa’s existence in Brewster Place seems to have been reached after a past inundated by escapes, from society and its disapproval of homosexuality. ‘Lorraine, who just wants to be a human being-a lousy human being who is somebody’s daughter or somebody’s friend or even somebody’s enemy..’ The rasping conflict between the two women regarding their attitudes towards the group speaks of a deep underlying contradiction. Lorraine wants to be accepted, she wants to fit in, she wants an identity which is somehow also configured by society and its perceptions - something it doesn’t consider unwholesome. Theresa resents this neediness, ferociously proclaims her difference, and wants to draw the line and secure an individual space unfiltered by the judgment of the group. There is rebuttal of society but at the same time an anger that arises from the lack of acceptance. Theresa’s strong avowal of her difference and Etta’s drive towards matrimony, perhaps, speaks of a subliminal need for acceptance.
What is most fascinating about Naylor’s book is how beautifully the individual stories are merged with a collective consciousness. They are extraordinary and unusual; the women of Brewster Place. They have all survived damage and loss, and reparation has come in the form of a sisterhood, where they watch and understand, and share their perspectives on their own and each other’s life. None of them have been happy in the traditional gender roles; they have all in some way been victims of patriarchy and abuse. The peace and empathy that has arrived and stayed with the intermingling of the tales of the past and the struggle of the present provides beautiful sense of stillness and comfort. And it is Brewster Place that remembers this narrative of individual alienation and communal intimacy, imparts it the dignity it deserves, the refuge it needs, as the lives and stories of its coloured daughters unfold.
They were hard-edged, soft-centered, brutally demanding, and easily pleased, these women of Brewster Place. They came, they went, grew up, and grew old beyond their years. Like an ebony phoenix, each in her own time and with her own season had a story.
August 23, 2015
Oh man, those last few stories though.
August 23, 2017
I fell in love with the recently-departed Gloria Naylor through these interconnected stories. Lesser writers leave clichés leaden and unexplored on the page; here, the stereotypes of African-American women's lives are transfigured into fresh truths—joyous and tragic—about race, gender, class, and sexuality: story-truths that go deep, speak volumes.
August 30, 2015
Addition to review added at bottom.
The Women of Brewster Place is absolutely phenomenal!
Of course it's phenomenal because Gloria Naylor wrote it and her writing is nothing short of amazing. This is an absolutely perfect read for me. I didn't rush through it because I wanted to enjoy it. When I grow up, I want to write like Gloria. Her stories are enthralling. Her writing style is so figurative and spot on your mind immediately has these vivid images of who these characters are how they flow within the story. Her description and the metaphors she uses to paint the full picture are just more than spot on. I can't sing her praises enough. I love reading it. It's such an inspiration to me.
I want to mention that eons ago I saw The Women of Brewster Place as a made for TV movie. I've see it many more times over the years since its original showing. I have always loved it. This is another book I always "meant" to read but just never got around to or I couldn't find it in my local discount store. I'm so glad that I found it and had the opportunity to read it. This now one of my favorite books of all times. I'm also happy to state that the movie is pretty darn close to the book. This made me happy and I felt free to continue to visualize the movie actors as I read. I won't give any of this away. Who hasn't seen the movie? Read the synopsis and read this book. You won't be sorry.
This books the 7 star perfection score from me.
(5 GR) I can't wait to read The Men of Brewster Place and the rest of Gloria's books. I do recommend this author as necessary reading.
Addition:
My husband who supports me by reading all my reviews commented on my lack of my lengthy review of this book. I wondered if others who are used to what I normally do may be wondering the same thing? I truly did/do love this book but Gloria's writing blows my mind! What do I possibly need to ramble on about when I've posted quotes from the book and my comments as I read it. I mean, just in the scene where Mattie rocks Ciel out of her grief, Gloria writes that she rocked her back to Dachau....she rocked her back through the grief of Senegalese mothers...she rocked her back into the womb!!!!! How can I even attempt to review this? Anything I say is dust compared to this writing. One simply and necessarily needs to read this book to experience the story and Gloria Naylor's mastery. In a way, I'm left speechless. You don't review a masterpiece you just marvel at its perfection. ;0)
The Women of Brewster Place is absolutely phenomenal!
Of course it's phenomenal because Gloria Naylor wrote it and her writing is nothing short of amazing. This is an absolutely perfect read for me. I didn't rush through it because I wanted to enjoy it. When I grow up, I want to write like Gloria. Her stories are enthralling. Her writing style is so figurative and spot on your mind immediately has these vivid images of who these characters are how they flow within the story. Her description and the metaphors she uses to paint the full picture are just more than spot on. I can't sing her praises enough. I love reading it. It's such an inspiration to me.
I want to mention that eons ago I saw The Women of Brewster Place as a made for TV movie. I've see it many more times over the years since its original showing. I have always loved it. This is another book I always "meant" to read but just never got around to or I couldn't find it in my local discount store. I'm so glad that I found it and had the opportunity to read it. This now one of my favorite books of all times. I'm also happy to state that the movie is pretty darn close to the book. This made me happy and I felt free to continue to visualize the movie actors as I read. I won't give any of this away. Who hasn't seen the movie? Read the synopsis and read this book. You won't be sorry.
This books the 7 star perfection score from me.
(5 GR) I can't wait to read The Men of Brewster Place and the rest of Gloria's books. I do recommend this author as necessary reading.
Addition:
My husband who supports me by reading all my reviews commented on my lack of my lengthy review of this book. I wondered if others who are used to what I normally do may be wondering the same thing? I truly did/do love this book but Gloria's writing blows my mind! What do I possibly need to ramble on about when I've posted quotes from the book and my comments as I read it. I mean, just in the scene where Mattie rocks Ciel out of her grief, Gloria writes that she rocked her back to Dachau....she rocked her back through the grief of Senegalese mothers...she rocked her back into the womb!!!!! How can I even attempt to review this? Anything I say is dust compared to this writing. One simply and necessarily needs to read this book to experience the story and Gloria Naylor's mastery. In a way, I'm left speechless. You don't review a masterpiece you just marvel at its perfection. ;0)
September 16, 2024
La vie d'une rue peuplée de familles Noires dans les années 70. Cette rue est une impasse murée et fermée au reste de la ville. S'y côtoient diverses femmes d'âges différents donc l'autrice nous raconte la vie à travers 7 portraits.
L'écriture oscille entre brutalité et douceur, un contraste saisissant pour aborder tous les sujets propres a ces populations vivant dans des ghetto : l'activisme afro-américain, la religion, l'avortement, l'homosexualité.
Cette communauté que l'on voit grandir au fur et à mesure du temps et des portraits devient une famille, les femmes se répondent d'un chapitre a l'autre, les histoires résonnent.
Malgré quelques passages durs a lire (TW: viol explicite), l'autrice parvient a nous faire rentrer dans Brewster Place avec magie sans jamais occulter les défis de l'époque, ni même les atténuer. Le tout en 200 pages.
Un très beau roman.
L'écriture oscille entre brutalité et douceur, un contraste saisissant pour aborder tous les sujets propres a ces populations vivant dans des ghetto : l'activisme afro-américain, la religion, l'avortement, l'homosexualité.
Cette communauté que l'on voit grandir au fur et à mesure du temps et des portraits devient une famille, les femmes se répondent d'un chapitre a l'autre, les histoires résonnent.
Malgré quelques passages durs a lire (TW: viol explicite), l'autrice parvient a nous faire rentrer dans Brewster Place avec magie sans jamais occulter les défis de l'époque, ni même les atténuer. Le tout en 200 pages.
Un très beau roman.
December 18, 2017
The Women of Brewster Place is a powerful collection of intertwining stories surrounding the women who live in an urban housing development. Through seven lives we see decades of history - what brought them to the Place, coming north (the city isn't expressly named, but a few geographical clues in the text make the reader think it is New York) looking for opportunity, love, acceptance and social action.
Exploring the nature of relationships between friends:
Seeing the similarities between a conservative mother and her activist daughter:
An extended portion that I've seen a few other reviews mention where Mattie's comforts Ciel were particular heartbreaking - but at the same time amazing writing.
Naylor crafts her words so well - fluidly moving across the page. She is a master at setting the scene, and raising the emotional bar. The last few stories of the book are particularly hard to read and took a bit of shift in tone (reality?) but it worked for me.
Really glad I read this one. I will definitely read more of Naylor's work.
--
Book Riot Read Harder 2017 Challenge " A collection of stories by a woman" category
Exploring the nature of relationships between friends:
Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There's a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it is all over.
Seeing the similarities between a conservative mother and her activist daughter:
And she looked at the blushing woman on the couch and suddenly realized that her mother had trod through the same universe that she herself was now traveling. Kiswana was breaking no new trails... she stared at the woman she had been, and the woman to come.
An extended portion that I've seen a few other reviews mention where Mattie's comforts Ciel were particular heartbreaking - but at the same time amazing writing.
Naylor crafts her words so well - fluidly moving across the page. She is a master at setting the scene, and raising the emotional bar. The last few stories of the book are particularly hard to read and took a bit of shift in tone (reality?) but it worked for me.
Really glad I read this one. I will definitely read more of Naylor's work.
--
Book Riot Read Harder 2017 Challenge " A collection of stories by a woman" category
February 17, 2023
Read this one pre GR. I do remember loving it :)
December 31, 2022
This is what I like about putting books on a challenge TBR- it gets me to read amazing books I might not normally pick up. The Women of Brewster Place is a brilliantly written novel composed of seven interwoven stories about the lives of Black women living in Brewster Place- a building that is itself a character.
Much like life it contains both humor and tragedy, tracing the lives of women who are all very human. And I won't lie, it tackles some intense subject matter- heartbreak, betrayal, abuse, neglect, violence, and virulent homophobia. But it is also an examination and celebration of the lives of these women, told in a way where men are largely peripheral.
One of the most striking and difficult to read stories follows a lesbian couple trying to keep a low profile and dealing with fear and hatred. It ends in tragedy and horrific violence, leaving the reader to wonder "what if?". I think reading this 40 years after it was written you can really see how far we have come, but also how much we're dealing with the same sorts of things. This is well worth the read and certainly a modern classic.
Content warnings include graphic violence, r*pe, child abuse, child neglect, domestic violence, homophobia & homophobic slurs, racial slurs, implied sex abuse of a child (not on page).
Much like life it contains both humor and tragedy, tracing the lives of women who are all very human. And I won't lie, it tackles some intense subject matter- heartbreak, betrayal, abuse, neglect, violence, and virulent homophobia. But it is also an examination and celebration of the lives of these women, told in a way where men are largely peripheral.
One of the most striking and difficult to read stories follows a lesbian couple trying to keep a low profile and dealing with fear and hatred. It ends in tragedy and horrific violence, leaving the reader to wonder "what if?". I think reading this 40 years after it was written you can really see how far we have come, but also how much we're dealing with the same sorts of things. This is well worth the read and certainly a modern classic.
Content warnings include graphic violence, r*pe, child abuse, child neglect, domestic violence, homophobia & homophobic slurs, racial slurs, implied sex abuse of a child (not on page).
June 21, 2021
I remember The Women of Brewster Place as a tv movie that my mom and aunt would watch almost everytime it came on tv. I didn't learn that it was a book until a couple years ago and immediately bought it.
But I didn't read it because I was scared. I never watched the tv movie but I remember my mom and aunt talking about how depressing it was. As a child I couldn't understand why they would watch something so depressing. Now as a adult I love to watch and read depressing things but I was still a bit scared to read this book.
I love bleak and dark reads but was The Women of Brewster Place maybe a little too bleak?
Almost. This book has everything awful you can imagine
- Rape
- Child abuse
- Child death
- Alcoholism
- Homophobia
- Racism
- Domestic violence
And much much more that I've thankfully allowed my brain to erase.
Gloria Naylor was an amazing writer and I plan to at some point do a deep dive into her works and read them all including the sequel? companion? To this book The Men of Brewster Place.
I would consider The Women of Brewster Place a Black classic and I hope more people read this heartbreaking and powerful story in the future.
A Must Read!
But I didn't read it because I was scared. I never watched the tv movie but I remember my mom and aunt talking about how depressing it was. As a child I couldn't understand why they would watch something so depressing. Now as a adult I love to watch and read depressing things but I was still a bit scared to read this book.
I love bleak and dark reads but was The Women of Brewster Place maybe a little too bleak?
Almost. This book has everything awful you can imagine
- Rape
- Child abuse
- Child death
- Alcoholism
- Homophobia
- Racism
- Domestic violence
And much much more that I've thankfully allowed my brain to erase.
Gloria Naylor was an amazing writer and I plan to at some point do a deep dive into her works and read them all including the sequel? companion? To this book The Men of Brewster Place.
I would consider The Women of Brewster Place a Black classic and I hope more people read this heartbreaking and powerful story in the future.
A Must Read!
February 8, 2018
“A pigeon swept across her window, and she marveled at its liquid movements in the air waves. She placed her dreams on the back of the bird and fantasized that it would glide forever in transparent silver circles until it ascended to the center of the universe and was swallowed up.”
Really good books create a world that you live in for a while and then never forget. This is a really good book. Each story in this collection focuses on a particular woman, but expertly woven together, they make a world.
With awesome talent, Gloria Naylor uses words to walk you through these women’s lives. The first story flies through time in a way I have never read before, touching down just in the right places. At the same time, she takes you deep inside—a place we rarely see—deep down where it hurts the most.
All of the stories tell something so true that it’s shocking. You may think you know what’s going to happen, and maybe you do, but after you read it you know how what happens makes a person feel. That’s the part you don’t know, unless you do know, and then you’ll know how true it is.
And if you’re a woman, a woman of whatever color, chances are there will be something in here that you can relate to, and when you hit it, it won’t be easy. But you will come away from this with renewed respect and admiration for the struggle and the majesty of women’s lives. Including your own.
Really good books create a world that you live in for a while and then never forget. This is a really good book. Each story in this collection focuses on a particular woman, but expertly woven together, they make a world.
With awesome talent, Gloria Naylor uses words to walk you through these women’s lives. The first story flies through time in a way I have never read before, touching down just in the right places. At the same time, she takes you deep inside—a place we rarely see—deep down where it hurts the most.
All of the stories tell something so true that it’s shocking. You may think you know what’s going to happen, and maybe you do, but after you read it you know how what happens makes a person feel. That’s the part you don’t know, unless you do know, and then you’ll know how true it is.
And if you’re a woman, a woman of whatever color, chances are there will be something in here that you can relate to, and when you hit it, it won’t be easy. But you will come away from this with renewed respect and admiration for the struggle and the majesty of women’s lives. Including your own.
September 20, 2020
This is the September selection for my online Backlist Book Club. So glad I finally got the chance to read it. It reminds me of Zora Neale Hurston.
September 19, 2019
An award winner for a reason.
Linden Hills is now towards the top of 2020 must-reads list.
More fleshed out thoughts to come.
Linden Hills is now towards the top of 2020 must-reads list.
More fleshed out thoughts to come.
August 20, 2021
Review to come but a favorite!!!
January 18, 2020
This is a powerful novel made up of inter-connected short stories. As is my wont, I'd planned on reading one or two interspersed with other novels. Instead I read them straight through. The women are all different and come to the street called Brewster Place by different means and for different reasons.
In most of the stories, however, these are women just trying to make it through life the best way they can. They may make choices we likely wouldn't make for ourselves, and in many cases - like Maggie's - the choice is thrust upon them. I liked some of the women and disliked others. Isn't that the way in real life? Though I'm not black nor poor and I've never lived in a tenement run by a slum lord, these women, at their core, aren't that much different than those I've encountered throughout my life. They are caring or full of hope; others rail against the status quo or are spiteful.
This is a remarkable debut. In fact, referencing that it is a debut makes me feel as if I'm diminishing its strength and impact, and I don't want to do that. The quote above might be full of adjectives, but when she gets to her stories those are laid aside and her force as a story teller comes through. It is a full, unequivocal 5-stars.
Brewster Place became especially fond of its colored daughters as they milled like determined spirits among its decay, trying to make it a home. Nutmeg arms leaned over windowsills, gnarled ebony legs carried groceries up double flights of steps, and saffron hands strung out wet laundry on back-yard lines.The first of the women is Maggie Michael, a woman who is a minor character in all but one of the remainder of the stories. This story includes a very violent scene. It is brief, but so violent that in a film you would want to turn and look the other way. In the last story, there is another violent scene, quite different than Maggie's, but also horrific. Both are situations we've all heard about and hope never to happen to women we love or know.
They came, they went, grew up, and grew old beyond their years. Like an ebony phoenix, each in her own time and with her own season had a story.
In most of the stories, however, these are women just trying to make it through life the best way they can. They may make choices we likely wouldn't make for ourselves, and in many cases - like Maggie's - the choice is thrust upon them. I liked some of the women and disliked others. Isn't that the way in real life? Though I'm not black nor poor and I've never lived in a tenement run by a slum lord, these women, at their core, aren't that much different than those I've encountered throughout my life. They are caring or full of hope; others rail against the status quo or are spiteful.
This is a remarkable debut. In fact, referencing that it is a debut makes me feel as if I'm diminishing its strength and impact, and I don't want to do that. The quote above might be full of adjectives, but when she gets to her stories those are laid aside and her force as a story teller comes through. It is a full, unequivocal 5-stars.
June 26, 2020
The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor was first published in 1982. It tells the stories of seven African-American women living in poverty in an unnamed norther US city during the 1970s. The book is told in interlocking, connected short stories, with each one focusing on a different woman. Naylor weaves their relationships and their neighborhood together with each new story. The place is bleak and sad but their lives are rich, real and full.
Mattie Michael is the matriarch of Brewster Place. She is often meddling, but she guides the women and aids every decision made in the neighborhood. Kiswana is the name chosen by a woman who used to be called Melanie Brown. She is a college-dropout, feminist and activist. She leads the neighborhood into an organized association. Her influence is especially helpful to Cora Lee who is a single mother to eight and living in a two bedroom apartment. After seeing a live production of A Midsummer Night's Dream we have hope that Cora Lee's life is moving in a new direction. Also on the block are Sophie, who is nosy and intrusive, a gay couple (both teachers) named Lorraine and Teresa, and Mattie's friend Etta Mae. Sophie acts as an antagonist, and attempts to create tension between the other neighbors. When Kiswana determines to hold a fundraiser/block party we get to see all the women interact with one another a well as many previous residents. We also see how hard life was for the gay couple during that era.
I would love to find the adaptation done 30ish years ago if anyone knows where it can be viewed.
Mattie Michael is the matriarch of Brewster Place. She is often meddling, but she guides the women and aids every decision made in the neighborhood. Kiswana is the name chosen by a woman who used to be called Melanie Brown. She is a college-dropout, feminist and activist. She leads the neighborhood into an organized association. Her influence is especially helpful to Cora Lee who is a single mother to eight and living in a two bedroom apartment. After seeing a live production of A Midsummer Night's Dream we have hope that Cora Lee's life is moving in a new direction. Also on the block are Sophie, who is nosy and intrusive, a gay couple (both teachers) named Lorraine and Teresa, and Mattie's friend Etta Mae. Sophie acts as an antagonist, and attempts to create tension between the other neighbors. When Kiswana determines to hold a fundraiser/block party we get to see all the women interact with one another a well as many previous residents. We also see how hard life was for the gay couple during that era.
I would love to find the adaptation done 30ish years ago if anyone knows where it can be viewed.
November 24, 2021
This is an excellent novel-in-short-stories, first published in 1980 but still well-loved today, about a group of African-American neighbors on a hard-luck dead-end street in an unnamed northern city. It’s an accomplished work of literature: the stories are well-structured and dole out information at exactly the right pace, building suspense even as the reader begins to suspect what’s to come. The prose style is strong and the dialogue pitch-perfect and fun to read. The characters feel real and believable and represent a diverse mix of backgrounds and personalities, and it’s easy to get emotionally invested in their lives, especially as characters featured in previous stories make appearances in later ones. It’s in many ways a rough collection, including many types of violence and trauma, from personal betrayal to sexual assault and from child neglect to murder, but I didn’t find it as hopeless as some readers apparently did. The women’s resilience and love for each other shine through.
Some thoughts on the individual stories:
“Mattie Michael”: The two longest stories, which more or less bookend the collection, are perhaps the hardest-hitting. This one is all backstory but it’s great, well-told, slowly building and inevitable in that way that has you looking back over the story wishing Mattie could have done differently, without ever finding a place where that was likely. But her friendship with the woman who takes her in is well-done. And the more we see of Mattie, as she reappears in later stories, the more I loved her: she’s everyone else’s rock, and also, how often do you see a story about a poor, overweight black woman where she’s a protagonist, not caricatured and you empathize with and root for her?
“Etta Mae Johnson”: A shorter story about a very different type of character, a hard-living older woman who seems sadly deluded about her own life but also savvy and loving toward the people she cares about. Despite Etta’s disappointment, I found this one to end on a warm note.
“Kiswana Browne”: Again a different type of character, a young activist (formerly known as Melanie) who’s slumming in an effort to make a political point, and who tries to organize the neighbors to fight substandard housing conditions. The short section dedicated to Kiswana focuses on her argument with her mother about her life choices, which is notable for the way I sympathized and agreed with both of them.
“Lucielia Louise Turner”: Another relatively short story, about a young mother dealing with a lot of hardship. It’s well-structured and ends on a note of resilience despite its tragedy, though the metaphorical element didn’t work well for me and I wasn’t sure why we were focusing on sexual characteristics in an ostensibly non-sexual scene.
“Cora Lee”: This is a compelling story but one that left me with mixed feelings. Cora is essentially a stereotypical welfare mother, with 7-8 kids and counting—she keeps having them because she loves babies, but neglects them from the moment they become independently mobile. Even being inside Cora’s head, her psychology didn’t make much sense—she struggles to grasp that babies grow up and are still her responsibility, and overall comes across like she isn’t playing with a full deck. Except we’re told repeatedly that she did well in school, and her childhood seems stable and lacking in trauma, and I’m just confused what Naylor was trying to do here.
“The Two”: The last long story features a lesbian couple, Theresa and Lorraine, who face discrimination on the block once people start to guess their sexuality. If you don’t want to know more you should avoid other reviews because spoilers are everywhere! This is the roughest story in many ways, and has an ambiguous ending. It was interesting to see a fictional portrayal of lesbians from right around the time Surpassing The Love Of Men was published—a nonfiction work by a lesbian-identifying author who viewed lesbianism about being about love rather than sex. When looking for them, it was easy to spot the same attitudes here. It’s unclear whether Theresa and Lorraine are even having sex; Theresa talks about enjoying past encounters with men while Lorraine refuses to discuss sex at all. And then there’s a great bit where Mattie and Etta are puzzled to explain how their friendship isn’t lesbianism despite zero indication of a sexual aspect.
“The Block Party”: A short chapter to tie up the characters’ stories, which I appreciated for that purpose but which featured another mystical/metaphorical bit that I didn’t really understand.
Finally, there are a couple of short segments at the beginning and end explaining the history of the street itself, which add some valuable context and atmosphere.
Overall, a well-written, compelling and accomplished book; I read most of it in a single day. Those who loved this (or who almost loved it but were overwhelmed by some of the tragedy and violence) would also likely love The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, and vice versa.
Some thoughts on the individual stories:
“Mattie Michael”: The two longest stories, which more or less bookend the collection, are perhaps the hardest-hitting. This one is all backstory but it’s great, well-told, slowly building and inevitable in that way that has you looking back over the story wishing Mattie could have done differently, without ever finding a place where that was likely. But her friendship with the woman who takes her in is well-done. And the more we see of Mattie, as she reappears in later stories, the more I loved her: she’s everyone else’s rock, and also, how often do you see a story about a poor, overweight black woman where she’s a protagonist, not caricatured and you empathize with and root for her?
“Etta Mae Johnson”: A shorter story about a very different type of character, a hard-living older woman who seems sadly deluded about her own life but also savvy and loving toward the people she cares about. Despite Etta’s disappointment, I found this one to end on a warm note.
“Kiswana Browne”: Again a different type of character, a young activist (formerly known as Melanie) who’s slumming in an effort to make a political point, and who tries to organize the neighbors to fight substandard housing conditions. The short section dedicated to Kiswana focuses on her argument with her mother about her life choices, which is notable for the way I sympathized and agreed with both of them.
“Lucielia Louise Turner”: Another relatively short story, about a young mother dealing with a lot of hardship. It’s well-structured and ends on a note of resilience despite its tragedy, though the metaphorical element didn’t work well for me and I wasn’t sure why we were focusing on sexual characteristics in an ostensibly non-sexual scene.
“Cora Lee”: This is a compelling story but one that left me with mixed feelings. Cora is essentially a stereotypical welfare mother, with 7-8 kids and counting—she keeps having them because she loves babies, but neglects them from the moment they become independently mobile. Even being inside Cora’s head, her psychology didn’t make much sense—she struggles to grasp that babies grow up and are still her responsibility, and overall comes across like she isn’t playing with a full deck. Except we’re told repeatedly that she did well in school, and her childhood seems stable and lacking in trauma, and I’m just confused what Naylor was trying to do here.
“The Two”: The last long story features a lesbian couple, Theresa and Lorraine, who face discrimination on the block once people start to guess their sexuality. If you don’t want to know more you should avoid other reviews because spoilers are everywhere! This is the roughest story in many ways, and has an ambiguous ending. It was interesting to see a fictional portrayal of lesbians from right around the time Surpassing The Love Of Men was published—a nonfiction work by a lesbian-identifying author who viewed lesbianism about being about love rather than sex. When looking for them, it was easy to spot the same attitudes here. It’s unclear whether Theresa and Lorraine are even having sex; Theresa talks about enjoying past encounters with men while Lorraine refuses to discuss sex at all. And then there’s a great bit where Mattie and Etta are puzzled to explain how their friendship isn’t lesbianism despite zero indication of a sexual aspect.
“The Block Party”: A short chapter to tie up the characters’ stories, which I appreciated for that purpose but which featured another mystical/metaphorical bit that I didn’t really understand.
Finally, there are a couple of short segments at the beginning and end explaining the history of the street itself, which add some valuable context and atmosphere.
Overall, a well-written, compelling and accomplished book; I read most of it in a single day. Those who loved this (or who almost loved it but were overwhelmed by some of the tragedy and violence) would also likely love The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, and vice versa.
January 1, 2016
Wonderful writing. My third time reading it and it is just as memorable.
Check out my gushing review on my site a few years ago: Black Woman Writer Warrior Reading List
Check out my gushing review on my site a few years ago: Black Woman Writer Warrior Reading List
October 4, 2016
Rating this book was hard for me because I had so many opinions (some even which contradict itself). I was leaning more towards 2 stars for several reasons. For me, this book was a little too simplistically written. I like more of a challenge. I didn't like that it was written in seven stories. I couln't tell at first rather they were supposed to be short stories or if they would tie together at the end. That was a bit confusing at first.
Also, it was very feminist. I'm not big, as Morrison says, on "ist and isms". Reason being is many "ists and isms" become extremist because it begins to favor one while persecuting the other. For example in this story there were seven victimized women and all the fault fell in the hands of a man. There was not ONE good man in this story aside from maybe Ben (and some may even say that's debatable). I know in my review of The Color Purple I defended that by saying it was not a bashing of men but a celebration of womanhood. But that was totally different because even then men had redeemable qualities. I didn't see that in this story. And honestly her attempt at the end of bringing it all together and (healing) the characters was extremely weak. It still ended sad to me. I didn't see much growth. And if Also she's not the most descriptive writer which was bothersome for me. Especially when that really pissed me off!
But I had to give up an extra star because for some reason I cared about the characters and the story was interesting so I kept reading. I loved Cora Lee's character because it's relatable in the sense that I know so many people like her. Ms Eva was my absolute favorite. Sort of put you in the mind of Tyler Perry's Madea. Gotta love her. But I also think the characters were stereotypical. Especially Kiswanna's and Cora Lee's. Reallly all of them. I don't like stereotypes unless you have a strong enough plot line and lesson to be learned. I don't feel she delivered in that area.
I guess I will end it with saying the book was decent but the movie was better. NOT OK!
Also, it was very feminist. I'm not big, as Morrison says, on "ist and isms". Reason being is many "ists and isms" become extremist because it begins to favor one while persecuting the other. For example in this story there were seven victimized women and all the fault fell in the hands of a man. There was not ONE good man in this story aside from maybe Ben (and some may even say that's debatable). I know in my review of The Color Purple I defended that by saying it was not a bashing of men but a celebration of womanhood. But that was totally different because even then men had redeemable qualities. I didn't see that in this story. And honestly her attempt at the end of bringing it all together and (healing) the characters was extremely weak. It still ended sad to me. I didn't see much growth. And if Also she's not the most descriptive writer which was bothersome for me. Especially when that really pissed me off!
But I had to give up an extra star because for some reason I cared about the characters and the story was interesting so I kept reading. I loved Cora Lee's character because it's relatable in the sense that I know so many people like her. Ms Eva was my absolute favorite. Sort of put you in the mind of Tyler Perry's Madea. Gotta love her. But I also think the characters were stereotypical. Especially Kiswanna's and Cora Lee's. Reallly all of them. I don't like stereotypes unless you have a strong enough plot line and lesson to be learned. I don't feel she delivered in that area.
I guess I will end it with saying the book was decent but the movie was better. NOT OK!
October 28, 2015
Read this one for school a couple years back. Goodness, this was one of the most depressing things I have ever read EVER. It follows the stories of several black women and their journeys toward self discovery. What I did like was our main character, Mattie Michaels. She was strong and loving. She took care of herself and her son all by herself at such a young age. Though she did make a pretty dumb decision in the beginning of the book, overall she was the voice of wisdom and reason for the rest of the characters, and a sweet mother figure too. She's the reason I gave this book the extra star. As for the rest of the women, they had their strengths and weaknesses, but I didn't find myself caring for them that much.
The thing that annoyed me the most about this book was the fact that every single male in it was portrayed in a bad light. Every solitary one was abusive or a deadbeat or a player. Every one betrayed or hurt or left any woman they were involved with. I understand that there are plenty of men that are like this, but it is so very unlikely that every man that these women have ever interacted with were hurtful.
Another thing that bothered me was how depressing this book was. Every chapter there was some tragedy that made me want to cry. It's ok if there are some sad scenes in a book, but too many just ruins it for me.
And last but certainly not least, I give you a warning. There is a horribly depressing, disgusting, disturbing scene at the very end that is not for the weak of heart. It actually made me queasy when I read it. I felt it was unnecessary and crude. You have been warned. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone, except maybe masochists.
The thing that annoyed me the most about this book was the fact that every single male in it was portrayed in a bad light. Every solitary one was abusive or a deadbeat or a player. Every one betrayed or hurt or left any woman they were involved with. I understand that there are plenty of men that are like this, but it is so very unlikely that every man that these women have ever interacted with were hurtful.
Another thing that bothered me was how depressing this book was. Every chapter there was some tragedy that made me want to cry. It's ok if there are some sad scenes in a book, but too many just ruins it for me.
And last but certainly not least, I give you a warning. There is a horribly depressing, disgusting, disturbing scene at the very end that is not for the weak of heart. It actually made me queasy when I read it. I felt it was unnecessary and crude. You have been warned. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone, except maybe masochists.
April 9, 2017
*exhales dramatically*
Y'all this novel/collection of intertwined short stories blew me away. It wasn't so much the stories themselves (although I enjoyed them- the last story nearly took me out even though I saw it coming), but the way they were written. MY GOODNESS! I hope to revisit it again and again.
Y'all this novel/collection of intertwined short stories blew me away. It wasn't so much the stories themselves (although I enjoyed them- the last story nearly took me out even though I saw it coming), but the way they were written. MY GOODNESS! I hope to revisit it again and again.
December 15, 2023
Just ball me up and throw me in the nearest garbage can, I’m deliciously wasted. While I regret waiting so long to read any of Naylor’s work, I can’t think of a time I would have needed to read it more than presently.
If you’re reading this review, you might already know that this author’s writing will spin you into another strangely familiar world, one that you never imagined existed and make you question why other authors try to build such an impossible transporting machine. The stories may seem ordinary on the surface but the way Ms. Naylor tells them you begin to swear that nothing could be more complex and that your life depends on the fate of the characters.
Somehow you find compassion for or at the very least some semblance of understanding of EVERY black character, even the most vile menace. Everyone is responding to their circumstances. No one or thing goes untouched.
If you’re reading this review, you might already know that this author’s writing will spin you into another strangely familiar world, one that you never imagined existed and make you question why other authors try to build such an impossible transporting machine. The stories may seem ordinary on the surface but the way Ms. Naylor tells them you begin to swear that nothing could be more complex and that your life depends on the fate of the characters.
Somehow you find compassion for or at the very least some semblance of understanding of EVERY black character, even the most vile menace. Everyone is responding to their circumstances. No one or thing goes untouched.
December 4, 2020
I had never read this book, nor watched the miniseries. I enjoyed the structure of interconnected short stories, telling the lives of 8 women all connected by place. Brewster Place is the last or only resort for a group of African American women without a lot of resources, who have been abused or abandoned (in some cases, both), by the men in their lives. These are mostly strong women who survive, but have to endure unspeakable tragedies and acts of violence. The lack of any worthwhile male in their lives struck me deeply, as the men seemed to lack any responsibility for anything other than themselves while their wives and and children were collateral damage. A worthy winner of The National Book Award, it does not necessarily leave you with any hope that these women will see their lives change for the better.
January 21, 2016
Wonderful exploration of black womanhood in America. Last year I managed to only read books written by/about women of color, and though I plan to diversify my reading this year, I'm glad I chose to start 2016 with Naylor and the women of Brewster's Place. 4.5 stars.
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