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Sugar Lacey #1
Sugar
Bernice L. McFadden's first novel begins with the brief, poetic description of a crime so startling that the reader is helplessly drawn in, as if a bright red door stood ajar on a bleak and forbidding house. Pearl Taylor's daughter, Jude, has been found murdered and mutilated near a field at the edge of town. "The murder had white man written all over it," writes McFadden. "But no one would say it above a whisper. It was 1940. It was Bigelow, Arkansas. It was a black child. Need any more be said?" In the years that follow, Pearl catches sight of Jude in so many strangers that when Sugar Lacey comes to town and sets up her unwholesome "business" in the house next door, she doesn't know whether to believe what she sees in Sugar's face: a striking similarity to Jude, dead 15 years. In her sedate but supple prose--rising at times to a light, unforced lyricism in the description of landscape or character--the author perfectly renders the closed and protective society of a small Southern town, the superstitions, gossip, and prying. Although the men of Bigelow are happy enough to have Sugar around, the women do their best to drive her off. Only Pearl is drawn to Sugar, managing to look beyond the rumors surrounding her new neighbor, whose dismal life, she tells Pearl, "had no crossroads." Eventually Pearl shows Sugar the ballerina-topped jewelry box in which she keeps snapshots of her dead daughter.
Sugar lifted the lid and saw herself staring back at her. She jerked as if struck. Her hands were shaking as she lifted the first of many pictures from the box. Jude rolling in the grass, Jude swimming in the lake, Jude sleeping, Jude laughing. Sugar's head was swimming. If someone had brought these pictures to her and said, 'Here you are in the life you can't recall,' she would have believed every word of it and ignored the slight differences that remained between Jude and herself. Jude's smaller nose and thinner lips, her rounder eyes and fuller brow. But the smile was the same; sure and solid. Sugar knew that smile, it was her own.Slowly, the secret connections between Jude and Sugar unfold against a backdrop of suspense and the return of violence. This is an ambitious and feeling debut from a promising writer. --Regina Marler
Audible Audio
First published February 1, 2000
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About the author
Bernice L. McFadden
21 books2,260 followersBERNICE L. McFADDEN is the author of ten critically acclaimed novels including Praise Song for the Butterflies (Long listed for the 2019 Women's Prize in Fiction ) The Book of Harlan (winner of a 2017 American Book Award and the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Fiction) Sugar, Loving Donovan, Nowhere Is a Place, The Warmest December, Gathering of Waters (a New York Times Editors’ Choice and one of the 100 Notable Books of 2012) and Glorious . She is a four-time Hurston/Wright Legacy Award finalist, as well as the recipient of four awards from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA).
McFadden has also penned five novels under the pseudonym: Geneva Holliday
She is a visiting assistant professor of creative writing at Tulane University in New Orleans. She is at work on her sixteenth novel.
McFadden has also penned five novels under the pseudonym: Geneva Holliday
She is a visiting assistant professor of creative writing at Tulane University in New Orleans. She is at work on her sixteenth novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,032 reviews
June 2, 2021
Bernice L McFadden's powerful classic multilayered southern American novel evokes the 1950s era with vibrancy and colour, and details the surprising friendship that springs up between neighbours, sex worker, Sugar Lacey, with her in your face attitude, and the still grieving Pearl Taylor, married to Joe, who has never got over the loss of her daughter, Jude, brutally raped and killed, her body discarded by the road 15 years ago, a devastating crime that never saw any form of justice. Set in Arkansas, in the small town of Bigelow, a place seething with gossip, ignorance and judgementalism, Sugar arrives with hopes of starting afresh, but the townsfolk are far from welcoming of this newcomer, whom they regard with suspicion.
The sanctimonious Christian women do not see as one of them, judging and fearing her without knowing her, wanting her gone, but Sugar's presence is going to have a long lasting impact on the town. Sugar's harrowing and horrifying past is revealed in this riveting, emotionally hearbreaking novel, abandoned, never having experienced a childhood, deprived of love, the humiliations and the abuse. Pearl sees Jude in Sugar, both have gaping needs that somehow they fulfil in each other, finding the strength to come to terms with their haunting and tragic history. McFadden gives us strong, independent women, skilfully developing their characters to great effect and the world of pain and suffering that life had dealt them.
This is a intensely compulsive read, beautifully written, with twists and turns, of race, hate, murder, secrets, shame, and the power of friendship. and packing an unforgettable punch that left me reeling. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for the book.
The sanctimonious Christian women do not see as one of them, judging and fearing her without knowing her, wanting her gone, but Sugar's presence is going to have a long lasting impact on the town. Sugar's harrowing and horrifying past is revealed in this riveting, emotionally hearbreaking novel, abandoned, never having experienced a childhood, deprived of love, the humiliations and the abuse. Pearl sees Jude in Sugar, both have gaping needs that somehow they fulfil in each other, finding the strength to come to terms with their haunting and tragic history. McFadden gives us strong, independent women, skilfully developing their characters to great effect and the world of pain and suffering that life had dealt them.
This is a intensely compulsive read, beautifully written, with twists and turns, of race, hate, murder, secrets, shame, and the power of friendship. and packing an unforgettable punch that left me reeling. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for the book.
May 5, 2025
Set in 1950s' Arkansas in a small town in Bigelow, opening with the impact of the brutal rape murder of African American Pearl's daughter; the story moves to the 1950s present where a young and confident shameless swaggering young prostitute, Sugar, comes to Bigelow, facially reminding Pearl of her daughter they strike up an unlikely friendship. McFadden artfully brings the Black community of Bigelow to life sharing the present alongside the slowly revealed story of Sugar's past.
An impactful read, set in its entirety in the small town Black community and centred almost entirely round Pearl and Sugar. It was so refreshing to have a prostitute lead that is not painted solely as a victim despite her neglected past, but painted as a heroine that overcame much and grew and learned how to take control over her life, especially not letting anyone in - but Pearl keeps knocking. A book about small town demons that can come back when you least suspect it. This is the first book of a duology and I initially thought I would Five Star this one, but I really didn't like the way the story evolved, but hope the second book and a reread may get me to better appreciate this work. Whatever one feels about the plot this feels like a beautifully accurate recreation of past times. On first read this is a strong Three Star, 7 out of 12.
2025 read
An impactful read, set in its entirety in the small town Black community and centred almost entirely round Pearl and Sugar. It was so refreshing to have a prostitute lead that is not painted solely as a victim despite her neglected past, but painted as a heroine that overcame much and grew and learned how to take control over her life, especially not letting anyone in - but Pearl keeps knocking. A book about small town demons that can come back when you least suspect it. This is the first book of a duology and I initially thought I would Five Star this one, but I really didn't like the way the story evolved, but hope the second book and a reread may get me to better appreciate this work. Whatever one feels about the plot this feels like a beautifully accurate recreation of past times. On first read this is a strong Three Star, 7 out of 12.
2025 read
September 9, 2025
What a gut punch of a novel this was. A beautiful story about 2 completely different women who realise they have more in common than they thought due to decades of trauma.
Although I really enjoyed the book I'm not sure I'd want to read it again. I finished and immediately felt depressed as it certainly isn't a happy novel. The characters are very real and the pain and suffering they go through is on every page.
Beautifully written but very very sad and triggering
Although I really enjoyed the book I'm not sure I'd want to read it again. I finished and immediately felt depressed as it certainly isn't a happy novel. The characters are very real and the pain and suffering they go through is on every page.
Beautifully written but very very sad and triggering
May 21, 2023
In a Nutshell: I liked this quite a lot. Though it has a few flaws, considering it was written 22 years ago and was a debut work, it is very impactful and thought-provoking.
Story Synopsis:
Where the book worked for me:
✔ Loved the truthful depiction of a small town Black community in 1950s America. An OwnVoices book, the author doesn’t resort to an extremely positive or stereotypical portrayal but sticks to what is real.
✔ There is some scandalous content but not as much as I had expected from a book with a prostitute as the mc.
✔ Sugar and Pearl are sketched very well. I loved how beautifully their relationship with each other, with the townspeople and with themselves was portrayed. Both of them are handling different kinds of grief and their unlikely bond comes across as surprising but still with a possibility of healing for both.
✔ I think your liking for the book will depend firmly on how you view the content and what you want from the ending. Want a traditional HEA? Not gonna happen – what you get is an ending that is gritty and realistic. This works far better for me than a forced resolution of all ends. Want a lot of introspection by Sugar about her life as a prostitute? Not present. Though Sugar is the titular character, the story is as much Pearl’s as Sugar’s.
✔ For a debut author and an untrained one at that, the plot is pretty complex. I had to take a note of all the characters and their interconnections.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
❌ There is a lot of back and forth in the timelines. This, combined with the number of characters, makes it a complicated book to read when you aren’t able to focus well. I would have liked a better transition between the timeframes.
❌ Despite the small length, it is quite slow-paced. Yes, you can skip-read and go faster, but I feel there were a lot of nuances in the descriptions I would have missed out on if I had jumped over them. So worth reading every word at its pace.
❌ The dates in the story are quite incorrect. The dates and the facts in the timeline don't make sense with each other.
Overall, despite the flaws, a very satisfying book. I’m definitely going to read the sequel, and hope it resolves the few dangling threads from this narration without bending over backwards to provide a HEA. Let’s see how it goes.
( UPDATE: It didn't go well! )
3.75 stars.
———————————————
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Story Synopsis:
After the brutal death of her daughter Jude fifteen years ago, Pearl, a faithful Christian, loving wife, and kind neighbour, is wrapped in grief. But when Sugar shifts into the opposite house, Pearl is as curious as the rest of the small town of Bigelow. Their connection gets off to a rocky start but soon transforms into an unlikely friendship. Unlikely because it is very clear to almost everyone that Sugar is a prostitute. Is such a friendship sustainable over the long run?
Where the book worked for me:
✔ Loved the truthful depiction of a small town Black community in 1950s America. An OwnVoices book, the author doesn’t resort to an extremely positive or stereotypical portrayal but sticks to what is real.
✔ There is some scandalous content but not as much as I had expected from a book with a prostitute as the mc.
✔ Sugar and Pearl are sketched very well. I loved how beautifully their relationship with each other, with the townspeople and with themselves was portrayed. Both of them are handling different kinds of grief and their unlikely bond comes across as surprising but still with a possibility of healing for both.
✔ I think your liking for the book will depend firmly on how you view the content and what you want from the ending. Want a traditional HEA? Not gonna happen – what you get is an ending that is gritty and realistic. This works far better for me than a forced resolution of all ends. Want a lot of introspection by Sugar about her life as a prostitute? Not present. Though Sugar is the titular character, the story is as much Pearl’s as Sugar’s.
✔ For a debut author and an untrained one at that, the plot is pretty complex. I had to take a note of all the characters and their interconnections.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
❌ There is a lot of back and forth in the timelines. This, combined with the number of characters, makes it a complicated book to read when you aren’t able to focus well. I would have liked a better transition between the timeframes.
❌ Despite the small length, it is quite slow-paced. Yes, you can skip-read and go faster, but I feel there were a lot of nuances in the descriptions I would have missed out on if I had jumped over them. So worth reading every word at its pace.
❌ The dates in the story are quite incorrect. The dates and the facts in the timeline don't make sense with each other.
Overall, despite the flaws, a very satisfying book. I’m definitely going to read the sequel, and hope it resolves the few dangling threads from this narration without bending over backwards to provide a HEA. Let’s see how it goes.
( UPDATE: It didn't go well! )
3.75 stars.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
October 16, 2018
What a story! Poignant and raw, sweet and tender. Bernice McFadden is a brilliant writer who can tell a terrific story!
Sugar is the story of two broken but otherwise very different women and the healing friendship that transpires between them. Sugar, abandoned at birth and raised in a brothel, used and abused and full of pain, moves to a small town in Arkansas. Here she is confronted with hatred from the other women, all except from Pearl, a woman who is suffering her own kind of pain, that of a mother whose only daughter was murdered.
This book will make you laugh and make you cry and will leave you with your jaw dropping at the end. It's not the sort of story I read often any more, but I'm glad I did and look forward to reading the next in the series. I can't wait to find out what Sugar discovers next! I really enjoyed her story and her POV. I didn't enjoy Pearl's POV quite as much, probably because I find Sugar to be a much more interesting character. However, I think it made the book better because it's written from the point of view of both women.
Anyone who loves novels with friendships as a theme will love this book. There's also a bit of romance, for those who like F/M romance (not my thing -- I skipped over those parts 🙈). This book is funny at times, sad at others, and throws a stunning and painful twist at the end…..
January 7, 2016
I just finished reading this book for the second time after ten years. So much respect is due to Bernice Mcfadden. She's a wonderful writer and storyteller. Her style is amazing. Her excellency in character analysis is outstanding. It was impossible not to fall in love with the characters or at least have an understanding of how or why they are the way that they are. I couldn't get over the language of the narration. So beautifully written. I definitely can't wait to read the sequel. This is a book that sticks to you for a very long time after reading. This was definitely a great read and a wonderful story. Even ten years later she's keeps all stars. I wish I could give her six.
December 16, 2020
Some books deserve to be read twice. "Second read and it's still a five star book"
Sugar "I wanna say sorry for the things I did and the things I didn't do"
This is a great Southern Read. I loved the story and I truly connected with the character's during their happiness and their sadness. This is a story of love, hate, forgiveness and all in between. I love how the author wrote the story with such meaning and great detail. I felt like a part of the family. The book ended on a sad note for Pearl and Joe, but a happy note for Sugar. She is on her way to recovery and in search of a better life. I am looking forward to part two. 💖💖💖💖
Sugar "I wanna say sorry for the things I did and the things I didn't do"
This is a great Southern Read. I loved the story and I truly connected with the character's during their happiness and their sadness. This is a story of love, hate, forgiveness and all in between. I love how the author wrote the story with such meaning and great detail. I felt like a part of the family. The book ended on a sad note for Pearl and Joe, but a happy note for Sugar. She is on her way to recovery and in search of a better life. I am looking forward to part two. 💖💖💖💖
March 29, 2022
This feels a little like a Toni Morrison or Zora Neale Hurston novel.
Set in Arkansas in a small town full of gossips and upstanding Christian do-gooders, the story focuses on the lives of Sugar Lacey, an itinerant sex worker who has just moved in to #10 Grove Street, and her new neighbor, the long-grieving Pearl Taylor whose daughter was horribly murdered 15 years prior.
The town hates Sugar, of course, and they look to Pearl to feed them salacious news of the whore next door. What happens, instead, is Sugar's more than passing resemblance to Pearl's dead daughter, Jude, creates a sort of stubbornness in the older woman and she pretty much forces her friendship on the reclusive yet often-naked neighbor via sweet potato pies.
As the two become close, Sugar fails to remain aloof and uncaring while Pearl chooses friendship over her reputation with the snippy townsfolk. Both women learn so much from each other and are on their way to becoming complete people, learning to accept, acknowledge, and live past their grief, their misery, their shame. But, as always, love screws everything up because that's just what love does.
I was on board with this story until Joe came back home and everything took a turn for the melodramatic. The pace of the story changed to a hectic clip and ALL THE THINGS! started happening and coming together and it was just too much, too fast, too over-the-top.
All in all, it's a wonderful story, the last third, or so, was just too much for my own personal taste.
Set in Arkansas in a small town full of gossips and upstanding Christian do-gooders, the story focuses on the lives of Sugar Lacey, an itinerant sex worker who has just moved in to #10 Grove Street, and her new neighbor, the long-grieving Pearl Taylor whose daughter was horribly murdered 15 years prior.
The town hates Sugar, of course, and they look to Pearl to feed them salacious news of the whore next door. What happens, instead, is Sugar's more than passing resemblance to Pearl's dead daughter, Jude, creates a sort of stubbornness in the older woman and she pretty much forces her friendship on the reclusive yet often-naked neighbor via sweet potato pies.
As the two become close, Sugar fails to remain aloof and uncaring while Pearl chooses friendship over her reputation with the snippy townsfolk. Both women learn so much from each other and are on their way to becoming complete people, learning to accept, acknowledge, and live past their grief, their misery, their shame. But, as always, love screws everything up because that's just what love does.
I was on board with this story until Joe came back home and everything took a turn for the melodramatic. The pace of the story changed to a hectic clip and ALL THE THINGS! started happening and coming together and it was just too much, too fast, too over-the-top.
All in all, it's a wonderful story, the last third, or so, was just too much for my own personal taste.
March 20, 2021
Take two very different women, shake them senseless with ugly pasts, drop them into a town full of rigid rules and judgement, then make them neighbors; and stand back.
Wait...what could have been ongoing feuds, tit-for-tat un-neighborliness, rumors whispered in back rooms, and genuine disrespect and hatred, instead becomes a magical transformation for each.
Despite having polar opposite personalities, a sweet potato pie (and a refusal to give up) precipitates friendship, triggering new possibilities for both women. Each woman injured by life experiences; one retreats inside herself to live a partial life, a ghost of what she used to be; the other lives by her own rules, aloof, prickly, guarded. Through their friendship, each serves as a magnet for the other, to beckon, to entice, to gently nudge in ways that bring them closer together. And closer to the healing they each need.
The narrator on this audio version did a terrific job helping to create mood and atmosphere. I felt I was in southern parlors much of the time, drinking ice tea and fanning myself, between bites of sweet potato pie.
Wait...what could have been ongoing feuds, tit-for-tat un-neighborliness, rumors whispered in back rooms, and genuine disrespect and hatred, instead becomes a magical transformation for each.
Despite having polar opposite personalities, a sweet potato pie (and a refusal to give up) precipitates friendship, triggering new possibilities for both women. Each woman injured by life experiences; one retreats inside herself to live a partial life, a ghost of what she used to be; the other lives by her own rules, aloof, prickly, guarded. Through their friendship, each serves as a magnet for the other, to beckon, to entice, to gently nudge in ways that bring them closer together. And closer to the healing they each need.
The narrator on this audio version did a terrific job helping to create mood and atmosphere. I felt I was in southern parlors much of the time, drinking ice tea and fanning myself, between bites of sweet potato pie.
April 14, 2011
If you haven't read this, then SHAME ON YOU...for real.
April 30, 2021
Audio - 5 Stars
Story - 5 Stars
Story - 5 Stars
August 28, 2019
One of the more luxurious privileges & possibilities our humanity allow us is the act of reinvention. We have the ability to create our own realities! To have curiosity meet possibility so that we can be shaped & reshaped time & time again.
This a privilege, and a luxurious one, because sometimes life resists our efforts to reinvent & create our own reality. VERY HEAVILY, in fact. Once you live a certain lifestyle is can seem IMPOSSIBLE to shake the labels that people force upon you. No matter what your reasoning is for living said lifestyle or your backstory. To them, from their distance, their pedestal, their righteousness, you just are who & what you are. No amount of change, development or progress you make will ever stop you from being that same person whom they decided you will forever remain.
Perhaps there are few people, fictional or real, who know the harms labels can have better than Sugar Lacey, the protagonist of Bernice McFadden's wonderful debut novel, Sugar.
Sugar Lacey arrived in Bigelow, Arkansas, circa Spring 1955, as nothing less than a storm. Reminiscent of Sula's "comeback" to The Bottom (for those who've read it). The people of Bigelow, mainly the women, aren't glad to see this "whore" stroll through their town.
There is one woman, Pearl, still grieving from the loss of her daughter in 1940, who befriends Sugar & resists judgment, to a degree. Although she resists judgment she is devastated to find out that the rumors circling the town are true---that Sugar is indeed a sex worker.
Pearl's reaction to figuring out this "dreadful truth" is something I will allow you all to find out through reading McFadden's now classic novel. One that Terry McMillan says, in her blurb, is one of the most thought-provoking novels she's read in years.
"The only difference between you & me... is you began your whoring life in front of a congregation, dressed in white & with God's blessing."
Perhaps McMillan's blurb is correct considering quotes like the one above. Perhaps sex work comes in many forms. Some forms are just more accepted with their holy & sanctimonious presentations, but this is probably something we already know.
This a privilege, and a luxurious one, because sometimes life resists our efforts to reinvent & create our own reality. VERY HEAVILY, in fact. Once you live a certain lifestyle is can seem IMPOSSIBLE to shake the labels that people force upon you. No matter what your reasoning is for living said lifestyle or your backstory. To them, from their distance, their pedestal, their righteousness, you just are who & what you are. No amount of change, development or progress you make will ever stop you from being that same person whom they decided you will forever remain.
Perhaps there are few people, fictional or real, who know the harms labels can have better than Sugar Lacey, the protagonist of Bernice McFadden's wonderful debut novel, Sugar.
Sugar Lacey arrived in Bigelow, Arkansas, circa Spring 1955, as nothing less than a storm. Reminiscent of Sula's "comeback" to The Bottom (for those who've read it). The people of Bigelow, mainly the women, aren't glad to see this "whore" stroll through their town.
There is one woman, Pearl, still grieving from the loss of her daughter in 1940, who befriends Sugar & resists judgment, to a degree. Although she resists judgment she is devastated to find out that the rumors circling the town are true---that Sugar is indeed a sex worker.
Pearl's reaction to figuring out this "dreadful truth" is something I will allow you all to find out through reading McFadden's now classic novel. One that Terry McMillan says, in her blurb, is one of the most thought-provoking novels she's read in years.
"The only difference between you & me... is you began your whoring life in front of a congregation, dressed in white & with God's blessing."
Perhaps McMillan's blurb is correct considering quotes like the one above. Perhaps sex work comes in many forms. Some forms are just more accepted with their holy & sanctimonious presentations, but this is probably something we already know.
February 29, 2016
I think this might just be a new favorite of mines.
Sugar, was a fantastic novel. It was a great novel. I enjoyed the friendship dynamic btw Sugar and Pearl. And the underlining story behind what I felt that made their friendship even stronger, spoilers and all. I'm glad that somethings, that went with that underlining story did not happen, even though some characters wanted it to happen. ( I know that sounds crazy, but I'm trying to keep it spoiler free) I was actually jealous of the friendship, in a way that I wished that I too was a resident of Bigelow. I wished that I could be their third musketeer and be apart of the friendship these two women shared. The section, where Joe had left for Florida and Pearl and Sugar's relationship really bloomed was probably my favorite part. The heartache, the struggles. I loved seeing Sugar grow as a character, as a woman in the book. Her experiences in the big cities and her relationship with Mary and Marcy were harsh but I have always thought that God puts people in your life at the right time, and at that time you can learn from all that has happened, the good and the bad. Mary was both the good and the bad for Sugar, and I think she go a taste of what family, and being apart of something bigger that herself meant.
The ending of the book left me wanting more. Left me craving for more Sugar. What happened after she left town, what happened to Pearl and Joe? Will she ever see them again. Does anyone pick up those pieces of paper she let fly in the wind holding such a huge secret? Well I think it's definitely clear that I will be reading the sequel, This Bitter Earth in the up coming months.
Sugar, was a fantastic novel. It was a great novel. I enjoyed the friendship dynamic btw Sugar and Pearl. And the underlining story behind what I felt that made their friendship even stronger, spoilers and all. I'm glad that somethings, that went with that underlining story did not happen, even though some characters wanted it to happen. ( I know that sounds crazy, but I'm trying to keep it spoiler free) I was actually jealous of the friendship, in a way that I wished that I too was a resident of Bigelow. I wished that I could be their third musketeer and be apart of the friendship these two women shared. The section, where Joe had left for Florida and Pearl and Sugar's relationship really bloomed was probably my favorite part. The heartache, the struggles. I loved seeing Sugar grow as a character, as a woman in the book. Her experiences in the big cities and her relationship with Mary and Marcy were harsh but I have always thought that God puts people in your life at the right time, and at that time you can learn from all that has happened, the good and the bad. Mary was both the good and the bad for Sugar, and I think she go a taste of what family, and being apart of something bigger that herself meant.
The ending of the book left me wanting more. Left me craving for more Sugar. What happened after she left town, what happened to Pearl and Joe? Will she ever see them again. Does anyone pick up those pieces of paper she let fly in the wind holding such a huge secret? Well I think it's definitely clear that I will be reading the sequel, This Bitter Earth in the up coming months.
February 16, 2025
Hot dang! This book was masterfully written and the buildup of the story was perfectly written. I’m so excited to know what happens next in the life of Sugar. After reading this book, I now have an answer to that bothersome question that people always ask, which is "what character would you like to sit down and have a chat with?,” it’s Sugar Lacey for sure! I'd highly recommend this book! #RUNDontWalk
March 24, 2010
I didn't know what to expect from Sugar as I read the opening scene of a horrendous murder of a young black girl named Jude and the devastated mother she left behind named Pearl. The year was 1940, the place was a southern black town, and it was the era of segregation...
"No one cared except the people who carried the same skin color"
Bernice McFadden made me feel the anguish of a mother who lost her child; the injustice of the times as it was known nothing was going to be done about it... And then she whisked me ahead 15 years. Pearl is still mourning the loss of her daughter, Jude, in her quiet reserved manner... But there's a new girl in town, and her name is Sugar - a young prostitute looking to change her life. Sugar exudes sex, with her short short skirts, spiky high heels, and BIG attitude. Pearl is a quiet obedient church-going wife. Their unlikely friendship creates amazing changes in both of them... much to the dismay of Pearl's church going friends, but to the delight of Pearls family.
Bernice is a master storyteller. Her prose is beautiful. As the layers of this story unfold, of murder, secrets, jealousy and pride, Bernice seamlessly weaves it all together to an amazing ending. I felt a whirlwind of emotions as I read Sugar; I laughed, I cried and I felt anger. I saw past those short skirts Sugar wore and found a little girl struggling to catch her breathe. And I walked through a small town scared to open its arms to someone who obviously wasn't 'one of them'... or was she? I kept turning those pages... Graphic in nature at times, but not gratuitous, you will appreciate Sugar's sincerity. You'll appreciate the rich, complex and strong female characters fully fleshed out and who don't shy away from sharing their feelings. Bernice has also captured the feel of small town life, with the soft whispers heard between small clutches of people. The story will grab your attention, and your heart, and will not let you go until the very last page.
Sugar is friendship... it's honesty wrapped up in the poetry of words... it's redemption and it's powerful...
"No one cared except the people who carried the same skin color"
Bernice McFadden made me feel the anguish of a mother who lost her child; the injustice of the times as it was known nothing was going to be done about it... And then she whisked me ahead 15 years. Pearl is still mourning the loss of her daughter, Jude, in her quiet reserved manner... But there's a new girl in town, and her name is Sugar - a young prostitute looking to change her life. Sugar exudes sex, with her short short skirts, spiky high heels, and BIG attitude. Pearl is a quiet obedient church-going wife. Their unlikely friendship creates amazing changes in both of them... much to the dismay of Pearl's church going friends, but to the delight of Pearls family.
Bernice is a master storyteller. Her prose is beautiful. As the layers of this story unfold, of murder, secrets, jealousy and pride, Bernice seamlessly weaves it all together to an amazing ending. I felt a whirlwind of emotions as I read Sugar; I laughed, I cried and I felt anger. I saw past those short skirts Sugar wore and found a little girl struggling to catch her breathe. And I walked through a small town scared to open its arms to someone who obviously wasn't 'one of them'... or was she? I kept turning those pages... Graphic in nature at times, but not gratuitous, you will appreciate Sugar's sincerity. You'll appreciate the rich, complex and strong female characters fully fleshed out and who don't shy away from sharing their feelings. Bernice has also captured the feel of small town life, with the soft whispers heard between small clutches of people. The story will grab your attention, and your heart, and will not let you go until the very last page.
Sugar is friendship... it's honesty wrapped up in the poetry of words... it's redemption and it's powerful...
August 12, 2011
More Sugar, Please
Okay, so I’ve heard about this book, heard about this book and heard about this book. Haven’t run into a single person who read it and didn’t love it. But this is me we’re talking about so that doesn’t mean anything to me. I had read a previous title by Bernice McFadden and it didn’t do anything for me. I tried her alter ego, Geneva Holiday, and wasn’t moved. It wasn’t until a dear friend who is also a bookseller actually put the book in my hand and told me to take it and read it that I gave in. Even still, it sat on my shelf for over a year. Determined to put a dent in the unread books on my shelf, I made “Sugar” a challenge read, and here we are. I finally did it! And you know what? I enjoyed it.
“Sugar” tells the story of two women, very opposite yet in need of each other. Pearl is only a shell of the woman she used to be after the murder of her daughter. Sugar is a prostitute who moves into town and next door to Pearl. The two form an unlikely friendship unknowingly forcing the other to reconcile with the past.
Two people, the exact opposites, becoming friends and learning to appreciate the other and learning what’s important in life is not a new theme. However, the somewhat predictability of this tale forces readers to rely on the author’s storytelling skills and on the journey itself to entertain. And entertaining it was. I quickly became emotionally vested in Pearl and Sugar, rooting for them and their growth the whole way. Bernice McFadden does a wonderful job of placing readers in Bigelow, Arkansas, in 1955.
“Sugar” was worth the read and I now join the chorus of voices recommending it to others.
Okay, so I’ve heard about this book, heard about this book and heard about this book. Haven’t run into a single person who read it and didn’t love it. But this is me we’re talking about so that doesn’t mean anything to me. I had read a previous title by Bernice McFadden and it didn’t do anything for me. I tried her alter ego, Geneva Holiday, and wasn’t moved. It wasn’t until a dear friend who is also a bookseller actually put the book in my hand and told me to take it and read it that I gave in. Even still, it sat on my shelf for over a year. Determined to put a dent in the unread books on my shelf, I made “Sugar” a challenge read, and here we are. I finally did it! And you know what? I enjoyed it.
“Sugar” tells the story of two women, very opposite yet in need of each other. Pearl is only a shell of the woman she used to be after the murder of her daughter. Sugar is a prostitute who moves into town and next door to Pearl. The two form an unlikely friendship unknowingly forcing the other to reconcile with the past.
Two people, the exact opposites, becoming friends and learning to appreciate the other and learning what’s important in life is not a new theme. However, the somewhat predictability of this tale forces readers to rely on the author’s storytelling skills and on the journey itself to entertain. And entertaining it was. I quickly became emotionally vested in Pearl and Sugar, rooting for them and their growth the whole way. Bernice McFadden does a wonderful job of placing readers in Bigelow, Arkansas, in 1955.
“Sugar” was worth the read and I now join the chorus of voices recommending it to others.
August 7, 2021
Set around 1955 in Alabama. A Southern read which I love. I listened to this on audio and loved the dialogue and accents.
Pearl.
15 years ago before she met Sugar her daughter was horrifically murdered. Be aware there are some graphic scenes, but it had to done to show the reader how violent this was.
Imagine Pearl, not only her heart breaking from the loss of her beloved daughter but the horrifying way she went to her death.
Hate, rape, shame, secrets, murder and friendship found in unusual places.
This is a very intense.
Although the ending isn’t what you’d expect for one character I was happy to see Sugar ending for a brighter future seeing as she had never experienced real love from anyone in her life.
Pearl.
15 years ago before she met Sugar her daughter was horrifically murdered. Be aware there are some graphic scenes, but it had to done to show the reader how violent this was.
Imagine Pearl, not only her heart breaking from the loss of her beloved daughter but the horrifying way she went to her death.
Hate, rape, shame, secrets, murder and friendship found in unusual places.
This is a very intense.
Although the ending isn’t what you’d expect for one character I was happy to see Sugar ending for a brighter future seeing as she had never experienced real love from anyone in her life.
September 26, 2021
I just love the way that right from the first pages Bernice McFadden's characters jump off the page and in this case Sugar Lacey makes her grand entrance, strutting through the small town of Bigelow, Arkansas with her high heels and tight dress, bright coloured wig, peering through the window of the hairdresser where all the talk happens and on to number 10 Grove street, next door to Pearl and Joe.
Pearl has promised the Reverend to welcome this newcomer, but she wasn't expecting the shock of seeing Sugar's face and who it reminds her of, nor the sudden flurry of visitors who want to sit in her kitchen in case they get a peek at this unwelcome new resident.
When they do spot her, they're certainly given more to talk about.
Sugar has grown up not knowing her family, raised by the three Lacey sisters before setting out and discovering how much tougher life is on your own. Pearl still hasn't got over the loss of her daughter Jude and many things about her life, date from that moment, who she was before and who she is now.
Pearl and Sugar develop an unlikely friendship, the one challenging the other to change perspective, enabling them both to meet somewhere in the middle, an improvement for both of them in the way they had been living their lives.
As we all know, life never sits still, change and disruption often arrive uninvited and when they do Sugar must make a decision.
In this wonderful debut novel, 20 years after being first published, now available in the UK, we encounter the enchanting, captivating and entertaining storytelling of Bernice McFadden, her unforgettable characters and the community that surrounds them.
McFadden is an author who I will happily read all her work, there's something reliable and comforting when you sit down with one of her works, knowing you're not going to want to put it down until it's finished, but forcing yourself to do so, because you want the experience to linger.
Pearl has promised the Reverend to welcome this newcomer, but she wasn't expecting the shock of seeing Sugar's face and who it reminds her of, nor the sudden flurry of visitors who want to sit in her kitchen in case they get a peek at this unwelcome new resident.
When they do spot her, they're certainly given more to talk about.
Sugar has grown up not knowing her family, raised by the three Lacey sisters before setting out and discovering how much tougher life is on your own. Pearl still hasn't got over the loss of her daughter Jude and many things about her life, date from that moment, who she was before and who she is now.
Pearl and Sugar develop an unlikely friendship, the one challenging the other to change perspective, enabling them both to meet somewhere in the middle, an improvement for both of them in the way they had been living their lives.
As we all know, life never sits still, change and disruption often arrive uninvited and when they do Sugar must make a decision.
In this wonderful debut novel, 20 years after being first published, now available in the UK, we encounter the enchanting, captivating and entertaining storytelling of Bernice McFadden, her unforgettable characters and the community that surrounds them.
McFadden is an author who I will happily read all her work, there's something reliable and comforting when you sit down with one of her works, knowing you're not going to want to put it down until it's finished, but forcing yourself to do so, because you want the experience to linger.
September 6, 2025
4 stars = Fantastic and easy to recommend.
“You live too far South to be so damn uppity.”
This was my introduction to Bernice L. McFadden and now I understand why she is adored. Set in Arkansas in the 1950’s, it is a touching story about the close friendship that develops between a young prostitute and an older church lady. Their friendship is a source of healing, helping them both recover from past traumas. With a languid pace, it is a slow burn love story of the platonic sort.
“Some of us make our living breaking our backs and some of us in this world make our living on our backs.”
The story has a poignant tone and includes a few scenes of violence and abuse, but nothing too gory. Mostly your heart hurts for the self-destructive MC that does not believe she deserves to be loved. The majority of the book was an enjoyable 3 stars for me, but the powerful ending that brought tears to my eyes brought it up to a 4.
“I’m better now, not good as new, but I ain’t never been new, just borrowed, lent and given like secondhand things usually are.”
This impactful debut has left me eager to explore the author's other works. Recommended to readers that appreciate stories of redemption with accurate portrayals of pre-civil rights life in the rural US South.
“Joe lulls the man into the afterlife, places his head gently on the ground, closes the lids over his empty eyes, retrieves his gun and continues to fight for a freedom he would never be fully entitled to.”
-----
First Sentence: Jude was dead.
Favorite Quote: He always chasing his dreams and they never lead him home.
“You live too far South to be so damn uppity.”
This was my introduction to Bernice L. McFadden and now I understand why she is adored. Set in Arkansas in the 1950’s, it is a touching story about the close friendship that develops between a young prostitute and an older church lady. Their friendship is a source of healing, helping them both recover from past traumas. With a languid pace, it is a slow burn love story of the platonic sort.
“Some of us make our living breaking our backs and some of us in this world make our living on our backs.”
The story has a poignant tone and includes a few scenes of violence and abuse, but nothing too gory. Mostly your heart hurts for the self-destructive MC that does not believe she deserves to be loved. The majority of the book was an enjoyable 3 stars for me, but the powerful ending that brought tears to my eyes brought it up to a 4.
“I’m better now, not good as new, but I ain’t never been new, just borrowed, lent and given like secondhand things usually are.”
This impactful debut has left me eager to explore the author's other works. Recommended to readers that appreciate stories of redemption with accurate portrayals of pre-civil rights life in the rural US South.
“Joe lulls the man into the afterlife, places his head gently on the ground, closes the lids over his empty eyes, retrieves his gun and continues to fight for a freedom he would never be fully entitled to.”
-----
First Sentence: Jude was dead.
Favorite Quote: He always chasing his dreams and they never lead him home.
March 12, 2024
This was much darker than I had anticipated. There were some parallels to Sula (self confident woman moves to small town and hysteria erupts) that I did enjoy and McFadden does a phenomenal job of depicting the small town mindset, in addition to the hypocrisy of the super religious church goers that give Sugar a hard time. The character development of Pearl and Sugar was very well written. They really brought the best out of each other once judgement was put aside. I was rooting for Sugar until the very end because she was dealt such an awful hand and truly deserved some “good times”.
June 25, 2022
3.5 Stars
Sugar is a young prostitute who comes to settle down in Bigelow, Arkansas, and start over. The black Christian townsfolk are not happy for reasons that aren't obvious until they are.
Pearl is still living a half-life, after 15 years after the brutal death of her daughter, Jude. Sugar's arrival ignites something in Pearl. The duo forms a tentative bond that strengthens over time. Pearl's husband, Joe is a steady character, being there when needed.
Things seem to be better, but life has a mind of its own. Sugar still has unanswered questions and Pearl's presence isn't enough to make up for it. When her past and present threaten to destroy her future, Sugar does what she thinks is the right thing. How does it affect her, Pearl, and Joe? What do the townsfolk feel about it?
Well, I went into the book with zero expectations and was quite surprised by how it progressed. Yeah, it was slow, and I sped-read through most of it. But I saw all that I was supposed to see and know. The writing is raw, brazen, and rustic. It suits the setting, timeline, and characters. However, I can't rate it more than 3 stars because it would have bored me if I went with the actual pace. The prose needed some tightening.
The side characters are etched well despite having a limited presence. They do what they are supposed to do. Pearl has a major role in the book, making an almost equal share of the story. That worked for me.
Sugar is how she could be. Her character has limitations by the virtue of the backstory, and the author doesn't make her bigger than her character at any point. That makes her real and impactful even when we want her to be someone with more depth. Sometimes, a character is effective because it adheres to the characterization instead of becoming something else. This may not work for some readers, but it does for me.
Forgiveness isn't exactly the main point of the book. Moving on isn't either. I'm a fan of HEA, but I loved the ending of this one. A happy ending would have ruined the story. This had to end this way to stay true to the plot.
There are questions, obviously. I guess those will be answered in the sequel. I'll pick it up one day. There is graphic violence and abuse, so be prepared.
Sugar is a young prostitute who comes to settle down in Bigelow, Arkansas, and start over. The black Christian townsfolk are not happy for reasons that aren't obvious until they are.
Pearl is still living a half-life, after 15 years after the brutal death of her daughter, Jude. Sugar's arrival ignites something in Pearl. The duo forms a tentative bond that strengthens over time. Pearl's husband, Joe is a steady character, being there when needed.
Things seem to be better, but life has a mind of its own. Sugar still has unanswered questions and Pearl's presence isn't enough to make up for it. When her past and present threaten to destroy her future, Sugar does what she thinks is the right thing. How does it affect her, Pearl, and Joe? What do the townsfolk feel about it?
Well, I went into the book with zero expectations and was quite surprised by how it progressed. Yeah, it was slow, and I sped-read through most of it. But I saw all that I was supposed to see and know. The writing is raw, brazen, and rustic. It suits the setting, timeline, and characters. However, I can't rate it more than 3 stars because it would have bored me if I went with the actual pace. The prose needed some tightening.
The side characters are etched well despite having a limited presence. They do what they are supposed to do. Pearl has a major role in the book, making an almost equal share of the story. That worked for me.
Sugar is how she could be. Her character has limitations by the virtue of the backstory, and the author doesn't make her bigger than her character at any point. That makes her real and impactful even when we want her to be someone with more depth. Sometimes, a character is effective because it adheres to the characterization instead of becoming something else. This may not work for some readers, but it does for me.
Forgiveness isn't exactly the main point of the book. Moving on isn't either. I'm a fan of HEA, but I loved the ending of this one. A happy ending would have ruined the story. This had to end this way to stay true to the plot.
There are questions, obviously. I guess those will be answered in the sequel. I'll pick it up one day. There is graphic violence and abuse, so be prepared.
April 2, 2021
Very powerful, poignant, touching. I believe there is a sequel which I need to read because I can’t bare for the story to stop where it did!
August 21, 2025
This book was so good it was sickening. Bernice McFadden is a stone cold storyteller. Lawd Po' Sugar. Chapter after chapter all I could do was shake my head, Poe Sugar and keep reading. What a ride. I fell in love with Joe early in the book, and I just don't know what to do with myself now that the book is over. Well obviously I will begin book two, but I'm almost scurred. Sugar was no Joke, you need to get ready to face some hard realities of life on the raw side when reading this one. No one is safe. Ms McFadden brings it all home with clarity, humor and cruelty. I have been deeply touched. Thank you for writing, please do not stop.
Here I am again, reading Sugar for the second time. It is just as powerful as the first time. I am glad I took another look at it. I read it 10 years ago so my familiarity with what happens is vague enough for me to enjoy it like it is a new read. This is a favorite author.
Here I am again, reading Sugar for the second time. It is just as powerful as the first time. I am glad I took another look at it. I read it 10 years ago so my familiarity with what happens is vague enough for me to enjoy it like it is a new read. This is a favorite author.
November 1, 2007
Totally Spellbinding
"Sugar" was one of the best novels I've read in a long time! I applaud the talents of the writer because as a debut novel, she was able to capture the attention of the reader and maintain it throughout. I remember thinking that this was going to be a slow read, however, I found myself enjoying the fact that she didn't reveal too much, too soon. I enjoyed the characters in "Sugar". This book will have you feeling a range of emotions from beginning to end, it was an incredible read. I found myself weeping uncontrollably in the beginning while reading the horrific tale of poor Jude. I later found myself LOL, and then crying all over again at all the drama that played out in this novel. This is an extraordinarily well written story. I highly recommend it. I'm told there will be a sequel; I can hardly wait! BRAVA, Ms. McFadden!!!
"Sugar" was one of the best novels I've read in a long time! I applaud the talents of the writer because as a debut novel, she was able to capture the attention of the reader and maintain it throughout. I remember thinking that this was going to be a slow read, however, I found myself enjoying the fact that she didn't reveal too much, too soon. I enjoyed the characters in "Sugar". This book will have you feeling a range of emotions from beginning to end, it was an incredible read. I found myself weeping uncontrollably in the beginning while reading the horrific tale of poor Jude. I later found myself LOL, and then crying all over again at all the drama that played out in this novel. This is an extraordinarily well written story. I highly recommend it. I'm told there will be a sequel; I can hardly wait! BRAVA, Ms. McFadden!!!
April 3, 2017
Title: Sugar: A Novel
Author: Bernice L. McFadden:
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Dutton Adult (January 10, 2000)
Bernice McFadden's first novel, Sugar, encapsulates the elements that exemplify the making of a classic. This is not to say that it was perfect, for that would be pretentious on my part, but it was arguably a guaranteed page turner that you hoped would last just a little while longer. As a debut, Sugar did not lack any of the many elements we have come to know and love about McFadden's storytelling style or her imaginative, colorful, and captivating characters. But the tale, even with its twists, was simple - direct with less density than, let's say, The Book of Harlan (one of my favorite novels). Stylistically, it was as vivid, engaging, and captivating -- unmistakably McFadden.
Set in Bigelow, Arkansas, Sugar takes the reader on a heartfelt journey through poetic pain and the lives of Sugar Lacey and Pearl Taylor (primarily), and a host of others (secondarily). Sugar's deleterious childhood, overwhelmed by scars and filled with a level of isolation that steals her youth and ultimately her identity, contributes to the creating of the wayward woman she becomes. Pearl, we learn early in the novel, struggles with her own isolation, but unlike Sugar's, hers is involuntarily self-imposed, developed after the tragic and brutal murder of her daughter, Jude. This isolation is not so much about staying out of the company of others (she finds both companionship and solace in church), or even being an effective mother to her other children (Seth, her son, speaks on this point in a single but precise statement later in the book), as it is about withdrawing into herself. Pearl's actions and personality scream depression but McFadden is careful not to label her, allowing the emotional wave we ride with Pearl to reveal, by layer, her quiet but obvious struggle. This internal conflict catapults Pearl into a place from which she cannot easily escape until Sugar crosses her path forming and firming an unusual friendship and, progressively, the voids they've carried are seemingly filled.
This isolation is not so much about staying out of the company of others (she finds both companionship and solace in church), or even being an effective mother to her other children (Seth, her son, speaks on this point in a single but precise statement later in the book), as it is about withdrawing into herself. Pearl's actions and personality scream depression but McFadden is careful not to label her, allowing the emotional wave we ride with Pearl to reveal, by layer, her quiet but obvious struggle. This internal conflict catapults Pearl into a place from which she cannot easily escape until Sugar crosses her path forming an unusual friendship and progressively the voids they've carried are seemingly filled.
Sugar Lacey is bold, worldly, mysterious and irresistible. She is a woman equally desired and hated, caught, it seems, in a complex network of interconnected (and interlocking) elements, surviving the only way she knows how, by giving pleasure, yet seems to have relegated herself undeserving of joy. She is a vassal to the highest bidder, a beast of burden, a mannequin sans emotions, and as such she receives nothing but a womb filled with frustration. But despite her transgressions and unsavory nonchalance, she has a heart longing, from the child she never was, for unconditional love.Sugar reinvents Pearl, rebuilding the confidence she sorely lacked and the sexiness she secretly, seemingly, yearned for. She takes Pearl from mundane to magnificent, while Joe, Pearl's husband who would object to this rebirth (and perhaps revelation) or so we are made to believe, is out of town (his reaction shortly after his return dismisses all assumptions, including Pearl's). The elements of resurrection (the church is an important "character") develop almost seamlessly throughout the book, and the conflicts are broad but not alarming or distasteful; they are real and familiar.
Sugar reinvents Pearl, rebuilding the confidence she sorely lacked and the sexiness she secretly, seemingly, yearned for. She takes Pearl from mundane to magnificent, while Joe, Pearl's husband who would object to this rebirth (and perhaps revelation) or so we are made to believe, is out of town (his reaction shortly after his return dismisses all assumptions, including Pearl's). The elements of resurrection (the church is an important "character") develop almost seamlessly throughout the book, and the conflicts are broad but not alarming or distasteful; they are real and familiar.
Sugar, as a novel, is multitudinous -- an impassioned vision, seething with hope and finishing with unexpected confessions, familiar brutality and wow factor discoveries. It would make for an amazing movie, an incredible television series or Broadway-worthy stage play (think The Color Purple). I was enveloped by Bernice McFadden's voice, slowly consuming each chapter and resting a day before beginning the next. I am that kid waiting for her upcoming creations with bated breath and wondrous anticipation. Read Sugar, and you'll understand. I promise.
Author: Bernice L. McFadden:
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Dutton Adult (January 10, 2000)
Bernice McFadden's first novel, Sugar, encapsulates the elements that exemplify the making of a classic. This is not to say that it was perfect, for that would be pretentious on my part, but it was arguably a guaranteed page turner that you hoped would last just a little while longer. As a debut, Sugar did not lack any of the many elements we have come to know and love about McFadden's storytelling style or her imaginative, colorful, and captivating characters. But the tale, even with its twists, was simple - direct with less density than, let's say, The Book of Harlan (one of my favorite novels). Stylistically, it was as vivid, engaging, and captivating -- unmistakably McFadden.
Set in Bigelow, Arkansas, Sugar takes the reader on a heartfelt journey through poetic pain and the lives of Sugar Lacey and Pearl Taylor (primarily), and a host of others (secondarily). Sugar's deleterious childhood, overwhelmed by scars and filled with a level of isolation that steals her youth and ultimately her identity, contributes to the creating of the wayward woman she becomes. Pearl, we learn early in the novel, struggles with her own isolation, but unlike Sugar's, hers is involuntarily self-imposed, developed after the tragic and brutal murder of her daughter, Jude. This isolation is not so much about staying out of the company of others (she finds both companionship and solace in church), or even being an effective mother to her other children (Seth, her son, speaks on this point in a single but precise statement later in the book), as it is about withdrawing into herself. Pearl's actions and personality scream depression but McFadden is careful not to label her, allowing the emotional wave we ride with Pearl to reveal, by layer, her quiet but obvious struggle. This internal conflict catapults Pearl into a place from which she cannot easily escape until Sugar crosses her path forming and firming an unusual friendship and, progressively, the voids they've carried are seemingly filled.
This isolation is not so much about staying out of the company of others (she finds both companionship and solace in church), or even being an effective mother to her other children (Seth, her son, speaks on this point in a single but precise statement later in the book), as it is about withdrawing into herself. Pearl's actions and personality scream depression but McFadden is careful not to label her, allowing the emotional wave we ride with Pearl to reveal, by layer, her quiet but obvious struggle. This internal conflict catapults Pearl into a place from which she cannot easily escape until Sugar crosses her path forming an unusual friendship and progressively the voids they've carried are seemingly filled.
Sugar Lacey is bold, worldly, mysterious and irresistible. She is a woman equally desired and hated, caught, it seems, in a complex network of interconnected (and interlocking) elements, surviving the only way she knows how, by giving pleasure, yet seems to have relegated herself undeserving of joy. She is a vassal to the highest bidder, a beast of burden, a mannequin sans emotions, and as such she receives nothing but a womb filled with frustration. But despite her transgressions and unsavory nonchalance, she has a heart longing, from the child she never was, for unconditional love.Sugar reinvents Pearl, rebuilding the confidence she sorely lacked and the sexiness she secretly, seemingly, yearned for. She takes Pearl from mundane to magnificent, while Joe, Pearl's husband who would object to this rebirth (and perhaps revelation) or so we are made to believe, is out of town (his reaction shortly after his return dismisses all assumptions, including Pearl's). The elements of resurrection (the church is an important "character") develop almost seamlessly throughout the book, and the conflicts are broad but not alarming or distasteful; they are real and familiar.
Sugar reinvents Pearl, rebuilding the confidence she sorely lacked and the sexiness she secretly, seemingly, yearned for. She takes Pearl from mundane to magnificent, while Joe, Pearl's husband who would object to this rebirth (and perhaps revelation) or so we are made to believe, is out of town (his reaction shortly after his return dismisses all assumptions, including Pearl's). The elements of resurrection (the church is an important "character") develop almost seamlessly throughout the book, and the conflicts are broad but not alarming or distasteful; they are real and familiar.
Sugar, as a novel, is multitudinous -- an impassioned vision, seething with hope and finishing with unexpected confessions, familiar brutality and wow factor discoveries. It would make for an amazing movie, an incredible television series or Broadway-worthy stage play (think The Color Purple). I was enveloped by Bernice McFadden's voice, slowly consuming each chapter and resting a day before beginning the next. I am that kid waiting for her upcoming creations with bated breath and wondrous anticipation. Read Sugar, and you'll understand. I promise.
January 31, 2010
Pearl has had her heart ripped out after the murder of her daughter; Sugar has had her life ripped apart by choices made for her by others. Neither knows, until Sugar moves next door to Pearl, what life has in store for them both.
In my quest to find the alternative to “The Help” I’m trying to immerse myself in African-American authors, who’s points of view lend more authenticity and credibility to the stories of African-American characters. I hit gold with Bernice L. McFadden’s, Sugar.
Set in the rural town of Bigelow Arkansas during the early 40’s-50’s, this gut wrenching novel hits you square in the jaw from the opening pages. Pearl’s daughter, Jude, has been found brutally murdered and raped on the side of the road. For the next 15 years, she lives in a vacuum left by Jude’s absence, but in the comfort of her stoic husband, Joe. Sugar, abandoned at birth to be raised by 3 sisters who operate a “whore-house,” is raised to become a commodity in the family business – a life no one should be subjected. When Sugar moves to Bigelow, the town is horrified. They ignore her, gossip about her and ultimately want her gone. Pearl takes Sugar under her wing and tries to give her a friend for the first time in her life and to recreate for herself what it would be like to have a daughter. When they both try to learn each other’s histories, they are surprised at what they find. Ultimately, Sugar’s relationship with Pearl and Joe puts her at risk with one of her “tricks”, and the results are devastating.
This novel is not for the faint of heart. It is brutal, graphic and gruesome. Life as a “whore” is ugly, filthy, and humiliating. Sugar’s life is not her own. She is nothing but a shell. But the love and friendship Pearl offers to Sugar, shows that there is a chance she can turn her life around. Ms. McFadden’s characters are multifaceted and alive, even if their circumstances show otherwise.
In the end, this novel will envelop you and break your heart, if only for the fact that I’m sure these experiences were the necessary evil for some women.
For the sensitive reader: No question, I would avoid this book.
Book source: public library
In my quest to find the alternative to “The Help” I’m trying to immerse myself in African-American authors, who’s points of view lend more authenticity and credibility to the stories of African-American characters. I hit gold with Bernice L. McFadden’s, Sugar.
Set in the rural town of Bigelow Arkansas during the early 40’s-50’s, this gut wrenching novel hits you square in the jaw from the opening pages. Pearl’s daughter, Jude, has been found brutally murdered and raped on the side of the road. For the next 15 years, she lives in a vacuum left by Jude’s absence, but in the comfort of her stoic husband, Joe. Sugar, abandoned at birth to be raised by 3 sisters who operate a “whore-house,” is raised to become a commodity in the family business – a life no one should be subjected. When Sugar moves to Bigelow, the town is horrified. They ignore her, gossip about her and ultimately want her gone. Pearl takes Sugar under her wing and tries to give her a friend for the first time in her life and to recreate for herself what it would be like to have a daughter. When they both try to learn each other’s histories, they are surprised at what they find. Ultimately, Sugar’s relationship with Pearl and Joe puts her at risk with one of her “tricks”, and the results are devastating.
This novel is not for the faint of heart. It is brutal, graphic and gruesome. Life as a “whore” is ugly, filthy, and humiliating. Sugar’s life is not her own. She is nothing but a shell. But the love and friendship Pearl offers to Sugar, shows that there is a chance she can turn her life around. Ms. McFadden’s characters are multifaceted and alive, even if their circumstances show otherwise.
In the end, this novel will envelop you and break your heart, if only for the fact that I’m sure these experiences were the necessary evil for some women.
For the sensitive reader: No question, I would avoid this book.
Book source: public library
February 26, 2013
I had a hard time getting into this book in the beginning. I think I will blame it all on reader's burn out. All 100% of it. Because once I got into the book I jammed right though it. The story takes place in the Spring of 1940 small town Bigelow, Arkansas and opens with the gruesome murder of a 15 year old girl. I always have a hard time with gruesome and good writing. There are so many great writers out there telling some detailed violent, image burning stories that make you cringe as you read them. Is that good writing? I have no idea. Is the page turning to see what happens next similar to the neck turning on a freeway when you see an accident?
Back to the story. It's not all violent. The overall story is great and makes you question yourself if you have ever judged a person without knowing them. The good Christian ladies of Bigelow didn't even exchange one word with the "Whore" Sugar but they know for a fact that her presence in their town is not good. For them or their husbands.
Bernice McFadden wrote a great story giving voice to the many faces of Black women. She made them real and solid characters. Each woman unique and believable.
The story ended just the way I like a good read to end. There was just enough to want more but most of the ends were neatly wrapped up. But, personally a little revenge would have been icing on the cake. There were a few situations that were missing revenge and people not speaking their piece. But that is just me. I really liked it!
Back to the story. It's not all violent. The overall story is great and makes you question yourself if you have ever judged a person without knowing them. The good Christian ladies of Bigelow didn't even exchange one word with the "Whore" Sugar but they know for a fact that her presence in their town is not good. For them or their husbands.
Bernice McFadden wrote a great story giving voice to the many faces of Black women. She made them real and solid characters. Each woman unique and believable.
The story ended just the way I like a good read to end. There was just enough to want more but most of the ends were neatly wrapped up. But, personally a little revenge would have been icing on the cake. There were a few situations that were missing revenge and people not speaking their piece. But that is just me. I really liked it!
September 30, 2013
I finished reading Bernice L. McFadden’s Sugar this morning at the gym. I have to confess that I did happen to see a review that mentioned something about the ending not being a very happy one, so I braced myself as I approached the last chapter. Happy ending or no happy ending, Sugar was as sweet a read as the title…bittersweet in places, but sweet just the same. I not only fell in love with Bernice’s writing style, but I also found a deep place in my heart for the two main women in the novel— Pearl, a middle-aged church-going woman who’s daughter’s brutal demise left her void of any zeal to live and Sugar, a prostitute who had never known true love and who had long given up trying to find it. I also fell in love with Joe, Pearl’s husband.
I experienced every human emotion and then some while I hungrily read the story that epitomizes love, forgiveness and acceptance. The character development is flawless and I loved how Pearl and Sugar, over time, found what they had been in search of in each other. Bernice is a superb storyteller and I loved how she tied the harrowing opening to the end, revealing the true identity of Sugar. A few of my favorite scenes are as follows: 1) Sugar’s entrance into Bigelow 2) Shirley and Pearl catching Sugar in her window and Shirley’s reaction. 3) Sugar giving Pearl a makeover. 3) Joe’s reaction to Pearl’s new look. 4) Seth and Sugar.
If you’re looking for a page-turner that will have you laughing and crying at the same time, Sugar is “The One.” Bravo to Ms. McFadden!
I experienced every human emotion and then some while I hungrily read the story that epitomizes love, forgiveness and acceptance. The character development is flawless and I loved how Pearl and Sugar, over time, found what they had been in search of in each other. Bernice is a superb storyteller and I loved how she tied the harrowing opening to the end, revealing the true identity of Sugar. A few of my favorite scenes are as follows: 1) Sugar’s entrance into Bigelow 2) Shirley and Pearl catching Sugar in her window and Shirley’s reaction. 3) Sugar giving Pearl a makeover. 3) Joe’s reaction to Pearl’s new look. 4) Seth and Sugar.
If you’re looking for a page-turner that will have you laughing and crying at the same time, Sugar is “The One.” Bravo to Ms. McFadden!
August 15, 2022
Sugar Lacey arrives in town like a thunderbolt. She sashays through town in red stiletto heels and a blond wig. Its 1955 and this is Bigelow, a small southern town and the residents there don’t know what’s hit them. Sugar’s antics will have them twitching their curtains and shaking their heads in outrage for a long, long time. There is one woman, however, who tries to see through Sugar’s brazen facade. She is Pearl Taylor and she lives next door. Against all odds a friendship develops and these two women begin to help one another - as both have their own demons simmering under the surface.
A wonderfully evocative image of 1950s America. Simmering with racial tension and misogyny it’s a heartbreaking tale with parts that can be difficult to read. However in contrast it’s also a positive and uplifting example of friendship and female solidarity. I defy you not to be moved by Sugar and Pearl’s burgeoning relationship. It made me gasp, wince and smile in equal measure. A brilliant and thought provoking novel.
A wonderfully evocative image of 1950s America. Simmering with racial tension and misogyny it’s a heartbreaking tale with parts that can be difficult to read. However in contrast it’s also a positive and uplifting example of friendship and female solidarity. I defy you not to be moved by Sugar and Pearl’s burgeoning relationship. It made me gasp, wince and smile in equal measure. A brilliant and thought provoking novel.
April 24, 2024
Loved it! My second book by this author. Can't wait to read part 2. Sugar was abandoned by her mother at a young age and never knew her father. During her formative years, she saw and heard a lot of things that were a bit much for a youngster. She grew up not really feeling loved. At the age of 15 she left town in search of becoming a star and a woman. See Sugar through her journey in life. Not all people are bad or want something from you.
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