By “You looked at them and wondered why they were so ugly; you looked closely and could not find the source. Then you realized that it came from conviction, their conviction. It was as though some mysterious all-knowing master had given each one a cloak of ugliness to wear, and they had each accepted it without question.”
We took a small break but now the This Black Girl Reads Book Club is BACK, and ready to read. So dust off your highlighters and let’s do this.
We’ve been hearing A LOT about banned books these days, and it’s incredible that in this age of information people are still wanting to censor what people read.
One of the top banned books of our time is this month’s Book Club Pick of the Month and quite frankly still one of my favourites, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison.
We all remember our very first love, I know I do, and “The Bluest Eye’ by Toni Morrison is the very first book I ever fell in love with.
I first read it when I was seventeen and I remember seeing myself for the first time in the book. Growing up in an ALL-white town, I was used to being the only Black girl in the classroom and privy to questions of my otherness. Surprisingly I never wanted blue eyes or straight hair or lighter skin, I just wanted to be seen. The same way Pecola, the main character, searches to be seen.
Book Club Pick of the Month- March 2022
The Bluest Eye is Toni Morrison’s first novel, a book heralded for its richness of language and boldness of vision. Set in the author’s girlhood hometown of Lorain, Ohio, it tells the story of Black, eleven-year-old Pecola Breedlove.
Pecola prays for her eyes to turn blue so that she will be as beautiful and beloved as all the blond, blue-eyed children in America. In the autumn of 1941, the year the marigolds in the Breedloves’ garden do not bloom. Pecola’s life does change- in painful, devastating ways.
This book is bold and unforgettable speaking to the human spirit in a way that only Morrison can.
So grab your book from your local library or bookstore and let the reading begin. Don’t forget to jot down notes and ideas for the discussion! If you want to listen to the audiobook check out LibroFM
Our discussion will take place via Google Meet on March 25th at 7pm, so mark your calendars! I’ll be in touch as you read. Until then, if you have any questions or comments come join the discussion in our TBGR Book Club Facebook Group.
It’s great to have you with us. Happy Reading!
Sincerely,
Lalaa aka @ThisBlackGirlReads
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What do you think?