You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
lindseyzank 's review for:
Sassafrass, Cypress and Indigo
by Ntozake Shange
*3.5 stars*
I loved getting to know these daughters and how they interpret Geechee culture as they go off to make their own lives amidst the Civil Rights Movement. Shange’s writing is sensual, soulful, and poetic. She connects dance to Africa, explores sexuality and sexual satisfaction through a variety of relationships (including woman to woman), and depicts the deep love between sisters, daughters, and mothers. Her female characters are strong, rebellious, and refuse to accept their lot as Black women in the United States, instead bushwacking their own paths to freedom and self-expression. The story moves you through Black communities in Charleston, LA, San Francisco, and New York and celebrates Black culture throughout. Shange writes in mixed media, blending journal entries, letters, poems, songs, cooking recipes, and herbal remedy recipes to capture the textures and vibrancy of Geechee and African American cultures. My main critique of this novel is that it simply isn’t long enough to develop all of the characters and storylines. While I did come to know each daughter as completely separate and unique women, I didn’t feel like I was able to follow their individual stories for long enough nor was I able to see enough of how they relate to each other. For example, we get Indigo’s story when she’s a young girl for the first part of the book but then she doesn’t appear until many pages later and only briefly before the end. And the mother writes many letters but you never see the daughters’ responses to those letters. I wanted so much more! Even so, I adore Shange’s writing style (it’s an experience for all of your senses) and still know her to be such an important Black female writer.
I loved getting to know these daughters and how they interpret Geechee culture as they go off to make their own lives amidst the Civil Rights Movement. Shange’s writing is sensual, soulful, and poetic. She connects dance to Africa, explores sexuality and sexual satisfaction through a variety of relationships (including woman to woman), and depicts the deep love between sisters, daughters, and mothers. Her female characters are strong, rebellious, and refuse to accept their lot as Black women in the United States, instead bushwacking their own paths to freedom and self-expression. The story moves you through Black communities in Charleston, LA, San Francisco, and New York and celebrates Black culture throughout. Shange writes in mixed media, blending journal entries, letters, poems, songs, cooking recipes, and herbal remedy recipes to capture the textures and vibrancy of Geechee and African American cultures. My main critique of this novel is that it simply isn’t long enough to develop all of the characters and storylines. While I did come to know each daughter as completely separate and unique women, I didn’t feel like I was able to follow their individual stories for long enough nor was I able to see enough of how they relate to each other. For example, we get Indigo’s story when she’s a young girl for the first part of the book but then she doesn’t appear until many pages later and only briefly before the end. And the mother writes many letters but you never see the daughters’ responses to those letters. I wanted so much more! Even so, I adore Shange’s writing style (it’s an experience for all of your senses) and still know her to be such an important Black female writer.