A review by ralowe
Sassafrass, Cypress and Indigo by Ntozake Shange

5.0

the cover to the edition i read of this book was driving me crazy, and corroborates the misdirection of the book's true structure. this book is not at all what i expected. i'm so poor at literary history that i don't know if the concept of magic realism applies to what's happening in this book. shange's world is one of the most enjoyable locations interpreting the black experience that i've ever read. appreciating this vision i also at times became bothered by the heterosexist entrapments of the women characters. well in reality, as soon as i started thinking that, the story goes in an entirely different direction with a character's sexuality. all these "developments" wind up feeling like misadventures through lush environments and perhaps the most noteworthy feature of the characters' various journeys is the suspension of judgment. the book is a meditation upon black life as improvisation. its healing magic emanates from this sense.