Brown Girl, Brownstones

It's a sobering read that evoked intense feelings within me. It made me bawl like a baby at certain parts and oddly enough provided a bit of unexpected therapy. The writer has a natural way with written expression that almost seems effortless. I absolutely love the way the story unfolded and ended. It wasn't abrupt. Neither did it leave me desiring more. It felt satisfying as though the writer carefully and neatly wrapped up her novel in smooth, crisp gift wrapping and garnished it with a subtle bow.

I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this book until recently. As a West Indian American myself, I often complain that our experiences aren’t often articulated in literature. This novel is perfection. The characters are delicately complex, and Marshall’s precise language makes all of the scenes palpable, there is no way one cannot get lose in every scene, feeling the softness or intensity of every moment. Highly recommend. On the other hand, this copy had numerous spelling errors.

PURPOSE: I read this book twice for two different immigrant/ethnic lit classes. PROS: >There are so many interesting characters in this book. They all have such a strong sense of presence that sometimes overshadows the main character. >It's a good pacing and a easy read. I could barely stop turning the pages. >This book makes you feel. CONS: >Some dialogue is heavy with accent. Can be hard to read at times. OVERALL THOUGHTS: Very compelling book. The second time I was assigned this book for class, I thought it would be boring because I've already read it once. But the second time was just as good. A lot of class discussion can be generated from this book. Very good read.

Interesting to read about Barbadians in New York during that period, as this was a combination I knew little about although it has been on my list of things to read being curious to compare and contrast the native born Afro American to the migrated Afro American experiences in that timeframe. I was not disappointed at all and am now starting to research other novels by this author. I enjoyed her potrayal of the main character and the dynamics with her parents. She captured the youthful single mindedness beautifully and the growth to a fuller appreciation and awareness as the knowledge expands. I am glad that I found this book on a friend of mine's bookshelves which interested me enough to get this book. It was worth it.

It took me like three attempts to start this book. The beginning was weird and I said this book is not for me. However, I am from Barbados and love Caribbean books so I decided to read about a third of the book before I gave up. Trust me it was still weird but a story emerged that held my interest and I continued. Honestly the descriptive language was a bit much and I just wanted the author to stick to the story which was a good one. It looked at a family and their life together as well as individuals. I would recommend that you read it but it is a hard start!!

Despite the fact that I had read almost every book in my high school library ...read secondary grammar school in the UK, by the time I left, I did not find this book until I was an undergraduate at 19 at Bristol U. As a child of a bajan mother and a biafran father it spoke to many of my questions about identity as a Bajarian born in Britain,ntyen raised in Lagos,Enugu Umahia and Shepherd's Bush ! As the eldest of four siblings , I understood the fierce pride and love with which my mother carried us solo into our lives ,following our separation from our father during and after the Biafran war. I love Paule Marshall's rich layered complex writing and the many places in which both Silla, the mother character and Selena, the young protaganists stories echo my own. The discovery of racism and its impact on Selena is one of the most poignant I have ever read. I now llive and work in and around present day Fulton St and Brooklyn so that too makes me love the book. I am sharing this novel with my husband and my teenage daughter that they may better understand the kind of forces that shaped me.

Marshall's first book is beguiling. It was an assigned reading for one of my English Lit courses and well, I happen to fall in love with it. Definitely recommend.

This book is a coming of age story of a young girl whose parents migrated from Barbados. Her childhood is filed with unusual characters that are fully drawn. She learns much from each of them and from her parents and community. However, her story is never predictable and the author 's facility with words paints vivid pictures of even the most everyday scenes. The language literally flows from the author like a river, powerful and surging capturing the attention of all who read it. Even though this book was published in 1959, many of the themes are very relevant to current issues in our country. A must read.