1 of 1 copy available
“[A] shrewd and lyrical portrayal of many of the realities of black life . . . Naylor bravely risks sentimentality and melodrama to write her compassion and outrage large, and she pulls it off triumphantly.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Brims with inventiveness—and relevance.” —NPR's Fresh Air
In her heralded first novel, Gloria Naylor weaves together the stories of seven women living in Brewster Place, a bleak-inner city sanctuary, creating a powerful, moving portrait of the strengths, struggles, and hopes of black women in America. Vulnerable and resilient, openhanded and openhearted, these women forge their lives in a place that in turn threatens and protects—a common prison and a shared home. Naylor renders both loving and painful human experiences with simple eloquence and uncommon intuition in this touching and unforgettable read.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
July 9, 2019 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781984844002
- File size: 89831 KB
- Duration: 03:07:08
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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The Women of Brewster Place is a hard story about hard lives--the lives of a group of African-American women who live in poverty on a dead-end street. Despite hardships, their transcendent hope and humor lead them onward as the listener is led onward by Lynne Thigpen's hypnotic reading. Thigpen's languid, resonating voice so perfectly embellishes Naylor's characters that we can hardly imagine reading the book. Though the plot is sometimes difficult to follow in audio, this shortcoming is insignificant so lulled and caressed are we by Thigpen's melodic overtones which create an atmosphere of survival amid decay and degeneration. R.B.F. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine -
May 1, 1994
This new, slightly abridged audio version of The Women of Brewster Place is a good rendition of Naylor's 1982 debut novel, which won a National Book Award. Tonya Pinkins reads and presents the characters very well, catching the lyricism of each woman's story; the range of emotions is a demanding task, and Pinkins responds creatively and sensitively. The recording length captures the essence of Naylor's seven stories, but for those who know the book, this abridgment doesn't fully capture the power of the whole or the full devastation and pride of Naylor's characters. The program will have to be repackaged as the original box won't withstand much handling. This is appropriate for budget-pressed libraries that can't afford the unabridged version (Audio Reviews, LJ 11/15/93).-Joyce Kessel, Villa Maria Coll., Buffalo, N.Y.
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