Sula by Toni Morrison

"Yes. But my lonely is mine. Now your lonely is somebody else's. Made by somebody else and handed to you. Ain't that something. A second hand lonely."

Sula by Toni Morrison has been on my to read list for years and years. I always want to pick it up but I tend to pick up others for some reason. I want to have the mental space and energy to really enjoy Sula. To grasp the text fully and understand what it’s saying. Sadly, I haven’t had too much time to do all that. But this Black History Month I promised myself I would finally sit down and read it. I have only had the pleasure to read two of Miss. Morrison’s books and they both were fascinating. Toni Morrison is a literary great. Someone who we all dream to be as talented as. She is up there with other greats such as James Baldwin and Maya Angelou. I mean, I can’t celebrate Black authors and their work without including her.

Sula follows the lives of two Black women as they grow up in a small Ohio town. Their paths diverge as they reach womanhood and as they reconcile again later in life. Nel Wright chooses to stay in their small town ,marry, raise a family, and ultimately become a pillar of their Black community. Sula Peace rejects the life that is expected of her and Nel. She escapes their town, goes to college, and lives a city life. When she finally returns, she is a rebel and a seductress. Both women must face the consequences of their actions. Together they tell the story of what it is to be a Black woman.

This book is extremely small and quick to read. But it speaks to so much in such a quick read. Toni Morrison knows human nature so well but she also explores what it means to be Black so eloquently. The small Black town this novel takes place in is like many others. The town is full of gossip, tradition, politics, and complicated relationships. The timeline of the novel takes place between the 1920’s and 1940’s. Reading about Sula and Nel was quite enjoyable. It broke my heart that in one act of betrayal their friendship was forgotten. The act seems straightforward but Miss. Morrison does a phenomenal job of making that act multi layered and not just black and white. Sula was a character I didn’t relate to but I found so much pity for. You could see how generational trauma and pain tend to manifest itself over and over.

Toni Morrison is one of the most talented authors of all time. She can write pain, joy, loneliness, and make those emotions almost jump off the page. She understands and conveys human nature in a way that many cannot. I read Sula in two days and I immediately wanted to read another Morrison book. I cannot wait to read the other books authored by her and be wowed by those also. Do yourself a favor and go read a book by Toni Morrison. You won't regret it!