Sugar by Bernice McFadden - BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY {GIVEAWAY CLOSED)

 

Title:  Sugar
Author:  Bernice McFadden
Publisher:  Plume (The Penguin Group)
Category:  Fiction
Format:  Softcover, 204 pages
Originally published;  January, 2001
ISBN-10: 0452282209
ISBN-13: 9780452282209

From the publisher's website:

"Strong and folksy storytelling...think Zora Neale Hurston...Sugar speaks of what is real." --The Dallas Morning News 

From an exciting new voice in African-American contemporary fiction comes a novel Ebony praised for its "unforgettable images, unique characters, and moving story that keeps the pages turning until the end." The Chicago Defender calls Sugar "a literary explosion...McFadden reveals amazing talent." The novel opens when a young prostitute comes to Bigelow, Arkansas, to start over, far from her haunting past. Sugar moves next door to Pearl, who is still grieving for the daughter who was murdered fifteen years before. Over sweet-potato pie, an unlikely friendship begins, transforming both women's lives--and the life of an entire town.

Sugar brings a Southern African-American town vividly to life, with its flowering magnolia trees, lingering scents of jasmine and honeysuckle, and white picket fences that keep strangers out--but ignorance and superstition in. To read this novel is to take a journey through loss and suffering to a place of forgiveness, understanding, and grace.

This re-release of author Bernice McFadden's powerful debut novel is perfectly timed to coincide with her newest novel, "Glorious".  I was fortunate enough to win a copy of both of these books from Bookin With Bingo, and I must say, I was totally blown away.  It took a while for me to formulate this review, as I didn't want to write a mini-novella myself.  Read on for my review of "Sugar". 

My take:  The publisher's blurb does not do this book any justice.  This is truly a must-read book for anyone:  male/female, black/white, anyone who's a grownup and loves to read.

The book opens powerfully: to a tragic scene of loss.  The very first line;  Jude was dead 

A mother (Pearl) loses her only daughter in a horrible fashion - before the girl has had a chance to taste what it's like to be a woman.  The loss sets her reeling and takes away her laugh.  Even her loving and faithful husband and adoring sons can't bring the smile back into her eyes.

15 years later, in 1955, a young woman (Sugar) who has had a life almost devoid of any real human connections moves in next door in small-town Bigelow, Arkansas.  Her mother dropped her off almost at birth with a family of women who ran a house of prostitution, and the only life she's known has involved selling her body to get by.  She's never owned or had anything of her own, even a family.  Inheriting her own house (from someone she's never known, met, or even heard of) changes this and she decides to take full advantage of this opportunity.  She pays the bills the only way she knows how, which sets tongues to wagging and even some tempers to flaring.

Pearl has been asked by her minister to take Sugar under her wing when she arrives.  It takes a few visits and a few shattered sweet potato pies for these two to finally become friends.  Pearl's life, even with her loss, has been rather sheltered, revolving around her family, her small circle of friends, and her church.  It takes quite a while for her to figure out what her neighbor is doing to earn her living.  Despite this, she perseveres in her friendship with Sugar, who has an almost uncanny resemblance to her lost daughter Jude.  

Pearl, who is the soul of propriety and has never even gone to a juke joint (that is, until she met Sugar), is vilified by her "friends" almost as much as Sugar is. And yet ... there is just something about this young girl who could be her own that draws her in.

The tale of Sugar's life and of this friendship are the core of this book.  The tale of how many of the characters are connected comes out piece by tantalizing piece.  You, the reader, will know more about these connections than many of the characters themselves by the end of this journey.

This is the type of book that stays with you.  You will continue to think about it long after you've turned the last page.  It is not a pleasant book.  If you are a parent, you may not be able to get through the first few pages without crying, or, at the least, feeling your heart rip in pain for the tragedy that is described.  You will want to step inside of it's pages and punch some of the characters dead in their faces. Some of the scenes will punch YOU in the face. It will not end the way you want it to, but, considering the story itself, the ending is appropriate.  You will not believe that this is the author's debut novel, as it is so well and powerfully written.

Many reviewers have stated that there is no redemption in this book.  I respectfully disagree.  There IS a sort of redemption in having a taste of happiness when you haven't known any before.  When a life is this difficult, even having a day of love and laughter and knowing what it is is better than never having a chance to know it at all.  Being able to open yourself up to love someone new and to laugh again after a horrible loss is redemptive as well.

Some well-deserved awards:

Black Caucus Ala Literary Award
Black Writers Alliance Award
Gold Pen Award
Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers Award

Some other blog reviews (these are what made me really really want to read this book):

http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com/2010/04/book-review-sugar-by-bernice-mcfadden.html

http://www.rundpinne.com/2010/03/sugar-by-bernice-l-mcfadden.html

http://www.gerberadaisydiaries.com/2010/01/book-review-sugar.html

Sensitive Reader:  This book is not for you, due to violence, language, and sexual content

Quotes (also not for the sensitive reader): 

...When he made it to the clearing there was his father. Beaten so hard and for so long that his skin had bubbled up purple.  The top of his head was open and there he saw precious memories and somehow-someday dreams wrapped in I Love You colors spilled out for all of Bigelow to see.  Then came the wail and Black John lost a little bit of his time on earth.

The storm walked into their small town on two legs in spiked, red patent leather heels.  She waltzed right through the main square, blond wig bouncing to the rhythm of her walk, a leopard print pocketbook slung over one shoulder, matching suitcases in each hand.

"Ain't you got a mamma?" she said with shocked disbelief.
Sugar just stared blankly at her.  She had a May, a Sara and a Ruby. She didn't have a "mamma,"
"What's a mamma?" she asked ...

Book Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

BUY IT:  At Amazon, your local bookstore and other online booksellers.

Author's Website






WIN IT:  The author was kind enough to contact me and offer a copy for giveaway in conjunction with my review.  Because I feel so strongly about this novel, I am personally offering up two copies myself.  This makes it a total of 3 copies, open anywhere The Book Depository ships.  (Check this page to see if your country is included)

MANDATORY ENTRY:  Go to the Author's Website and tell me something you learned about her or her books there.

EXTRA ENTRIES (please leave a separate comment for each; if you already follow or subscribe prior to this post, leave 2 comments for each):

1. Follow Bernice McFadden on her blog, on Twitter, and/or "like" her on Facebook (1 entry per)

2. Follow Knitting and Sundries publicly on Google Friend Connect and/or Twitter

3. Subscribe via RSS and/or newsletter to Knitting and Sundries (buttons to the right) - I hate clutter in my email box, so my emails are just the headlines of whatever posts I put up that day - if you see one you like, you can click on it to read the full post - 1 entry for each you do

4. Spread the word! Tweet (maximum of ONCE daily - include @jewelknits in the tweet so that I see it. To make it easy, you can use the "Share" button at the bottom of this post!  Blog about - 2 entries/comments.  Sidebar link to giveaway - 1 entry/comment (leave the URL)

5.  Enter another one of my giveaways that are current at the time you post your entry comment. You can get one extra entry for each giveaway that you enter.

ALL ENTRIES:  Please leave your email in your comments: Like this: imacrazedmommy at whydidihavekids dot com OR like this imacrazedmommy(at)whydidihavekids(dot)com to avoid the spam bots.  If I can't reach you, you can't win!

In addition, if you follow, tweet, etc., please leave the name or email address you follow/tweet/subscribe under.

Eligibility: International, 18 and older. 

End date:  July 10, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST

I will pick the winner(s) using Random.org.  I will post the winner(s) on the site AND send an email to the email address used to enter.  The winner will then have 72 hours to reply with their mailing information; otherwise, a new winner will be picked.  The email will be easy to spot; the subject line will begin "You WON on Knitting and Sundries"

Disclosure:  This is a review of a book I personally own.  The author was kind enough to offer a complimentary copy for a giveaway in conjuntion with my review.  The Amazon links in this review are affiliate links, and will result in a small stipend if purchased through.  I was not compensated in any fashion for this review.