A review by j_f
Brown Girl, Brownstones by Paule Marshall

4.0

Written in a crisp, careful style that both engrosses and impresses the reader, this novel combines a slew of social issues that are as relevant today as they were in 1940 with a transcending story of a dysfunctional family, the members of which are each partially responsible for its measured downfall. I had not heard much about Brown Girl, Brownstones, which is a shame because it’s a critically important read on the Black Caribbean experience in North America, as well as being as significant to female coming of age as A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Perhaps its only weakness is the slow plot.