God Help the Child Book Summary

In 'God Help the Child,' Toni Morrison explores the haunting effects of childhood trauma on identity and relationships. The story follows Bride, a young woman with dark skin, who struggles with her self-worth and the scars of her past, stemming from her parents' rejection. As she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and redemption, she encounters various characters who mirror her pain and resilience. Morrison weaves a rich tapestry of race, beauty, and the complexities of maternal bonds. This haunting narrative compels readers to ponder the depths of love, the weight of the past, and the possibility of healing.

By Toni Morrison

Published: 2016

"The hurt that you hold on to becomes the armour that you wear. Let it go, or you will never know the freedom of your own skin."

Book Review of God Help the Child

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A New York Times Notable Book • This fiery and provocative novel from the acclaimed Nobel Prize winner weaves a tale about the way the sufferings of childhood can shape, and misshape, the life of the adult. At the center: a young woman who calls herself Bride, whose stunning blue-black skin is only one element of her beauty, her boldness and confidence, her success in life, but which caused her light-skinned mother to deny her even the simplest forms of love. There is Booker, the man Bride loves, and loses to anger. Rain, the mysterious white child with whom she crosses paths. And finally, Bride’s mother herself, Sweetness, who takes a lifetime to come to understand that “what you do to children matters. And they might never forget.” “Powerful.... A tale that is as forceful as it is affecting, as fierce as it is resonant.” —Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

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The hurt that you hold on to becomes the armour that you wear. Let it go, or you will never know the freedom of your own skin.

God Help the Child

By Toni Morrison