| Name of the book | The Women of Brewster Place |
| Author | Gloria Naylor |
| Publisher & Year of Publishing | Penguin USA, 1982 |
| Price | ₹ 650 |
Book Review: The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor
CHECKLIST RATING: 4.3/5
Reviewer: Aienla A
“They were hard-edged, soft centered, brutally demanding and easily pleased, these women of Brewster place. They came, they went, grew up and grew old beyond their years. Like an ebony phoenix, each in her own time and with her own season had a story.” – From The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor
The Women of Brewster Place (1982) by Gloria Naylor, acclaimed National Book Award winner. The novel essentially reminds us of the harsh realities of life, though the stories seem scattered, it is the collective experiences of failed relationships, broken families and the complex lives of single women. The Seven stories recounts the characters who share a bond of love and support in times of grief.
The more I read the book, the more I am swimmingly convinced because I am reminded how each story navigates around the search for acceptance. As the book talks much of their struggle and their search for a belongingness.
One of the most lasting reflections of the novel pertains to the friendship and the bonding of each character. In a literal sense, I don’t see Brewster place as a grim reality but identify with how characters crave the value in attachment. Once the characters begin to migrate, it’s the collective experience that tunes in harmoniously. After all, Naylor writes in which the impression of despair is simply expressed.
By despair, I mean Mattie’s separation from her family, her estranged relationship with her father. Etta’s loneliness, Mattie extending her support after the death of Ciel’s daughter, In Eva, Mattie identifies a mother and did not want to face sorrow of losing another mother. Kiswana’s initiative to improve the living condition of residents in Brewster place is an exciting part of the book. It moves me primed for an appealing ending.
Interestingly, the book seems to drip with virtues of friendship, takes closer to the bonding of characters despite the prejudice. African American Women are seen living impactful lives and the fact that this book is written by a woman is no reason for an amazement.
The Novel is for feminist and for all bibliophiles. I think we all love to dive in such a fictional place in spite of limitation, this is an imaginary urban setting that I would love revisiting each time when I reread. It is the sole reason why this book exists.
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