by Charlie Fabre & Victoria Bromley
We have a responsibility as readers to diversify our bookshelf, not just for a month, but as a reading habit to educate ourselves and celebrate the work of Black authors. We have shared some book recommendations which can be added to your TBR for Black History Month, and the rest of the year.
Literature is a very powerful tool to communicate the cultural heritage of Black people and the struggles they endure today through prejudice and discrimination. It’s an accessible way for readers to learn, reflect, and support Black writers. Reading other people’s perspectives is an eye opening experience and it’s important we are always making an effort to read diversely.
In honor of Black History Month we have each picked our favorite book by black authors to add to your TBR.
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
I read the Bluest Eye in school, and while I generally enjoyed most of the books we read in class, this one was the one that really cemented to me my love of literature and learning about it. The Bluest Eye is Toni Morrison’s debut novel (she has since published many more and won a Nobel Prize) and it packs a horrifying punch.
It is the story of Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl growing up in Ohio in the 60s, told by one of her friends Claudia MacTeer. All Pecola wants is blue eyes – blue eyes and blonde hair like Shirley Temple, because those are the symbols of innocence and beauty, of unconditional love.
The Bluest Eye is a devastating story, it encompasses themes of racism, innocence, beauty, and trauma, it moved me so deeply when I read it, and it moves me still to this day. I think my favorite aspect of The Bluest Eye is how beautiful and masterful Toni Morrison’s prose is – it manages to make the tragedy soft and even more emotional, and it carries you along the horrible events. There is a passage in the book in which Claudia describes her mother as singing a sad song, but because her mother has such a lovely singing voice, it makes the words of the songs easier to digest. I think this is what Morrison’s prose accomplishes here.
It’s worth noting that this book does contain some heavy trigger warnings, especially for abuse and rape, but I do believe this is a must read for anyone interested in Toni Morrison’s work, literature, and understanding the deep effects of generational trauma and racism suffered by an entire nation.
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
First on our list is Women Prize for Fiction winner Tayari Jones who took the title in 2019. This novel explores the wrongful conviction of Roy, an innocent Black man, after he is arrested for an assault he did not commit. His marriage to his wife Celestial is put to the test while he serves time in jail. By sending each other letters, they strive to keep their romance alive and save their marriage. However, as Roy settles down for his long sentence, Celestial finds new love and comfort in an old friend. So, when Roy is let out earlier than they all thought, he’s coming home to a wife who has already moved on.
“You can never really unlove somebody. Maybe it changes shape, but it’s there.”
It’s a sorrowful reality for many Black men who experience prejudice from society and the legal system which puts them behind bars, or at a disadvantage in a courtroom, due to the colour of their skin. Roy’s internal narration was honest and raw, and it made my heart ache to read about his struggle at the hands of discrimination.
Which books and authors will you be reading this month?
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