Black Coffee discussion

Our Classic Group Read for March


This Child's Gonna Live by Sarah E. Wright

From Amazon

“Sarah Wright’s triumph in this novel is a celebration of life over death. It is, in every respect, an impressive achievement.”—The New York Times, 1969

“Often compared to the work of Zora Neale Hurston, the novel was unusual in its exploration of the black experience from a woman’s perspective, anticipating fiction by writers like Toni Morrison and Alice Walker.”—The New York Times, 2009

Sarah Wright’s searing yet lyrical story of a Southern black woman’s life during the Depression—a period seldom accounted for in African-American literature— is as compelling as her protagonist’s insistence that "this child’s gonna live." In this lost literary masterpiece by a seminal figure in the Black Arts movement, a husband and wife struggle amidst the poverty of Maryland’s Eastern Shore during the 1930s. "Saturated in harsh beauty," declares Tillie Olsen, "this book has been and still is for me one of the most important and indispensable books published in my lifetime."

Sarah E. Wright, novelist and poet, was a former vice president of the Harlem Writers Guild and coauthor of Give Me a Child. She died at age 80 in New York City.

Our Historical Fiction Group Read for March

Pending outcome of Run-Off Poll

CLICK HERE FOR THE POLL!
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Another tie!

Kisha & I decided that the group read would be the book with the most # of goodread reviews. That means that My Name is Butterfly will be our March Group Read.

We will start a buddy read thread for The Treason of Mary Louvestre (March also)

2nd Group Read for March


My Name is Butterfly by Bernice L. McFadden

Abebe experiences plenty of joy in Ghana as the privileged daughter of a government employee and stay at home mother. The love that her parents and extended family lavish her with knows no bounds.

When the Tsikata’s idyllic life style begins to take a turn for the worse, Abebe's father places a nine-year-old Abebe in a shrine, hoping that the sacrifice of his daughter will serve as religious atonement for the crimes of his ancestors. Unspeakable acts befall Abebe for the fifteen years she is enslaved.

When Abebe is finally released back into the world and finds herself not only dealing with the newness of Ghana, but also the fast-paced world of New York, she is broken—emotionally, mentally, physically, sexually, and spiritually. But to live the rest of her years on earth, she must learn to overcome her past, endure familial secrets, and learn to love herself—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

In the tradition of Chris Cleave's Little Bee - My Name Is Butterfly, is a contemporary story that offers an educational, eye opening account into the practice of ritual servitude in West Africa.

Spanning decades and two continents, My Name Is Butterfly will break and heal your heart ….