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“More Sugar, Please
Ms Toni wrote this review Saturday, August 13, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Okay, so I’ve heard about this book, heard about this book and heard about this book. Haven’t run into a single person who read it and didn’t love it. But this is me we’re talking about so that doesn’t mean anything to me. I had read a previous title by Bernice McFadden and it didn’t do anything for me. I tried her alter ego, Geneva Holiday, and wasn’t moved. It wasn’t until a dear friend who is also a bookseller actually put the book in my hand and told me to take it and read it that I gave in. Even still, it sat on my shelf for over a year. Determined to put a dent in the unread books on my shelf, I made “Sugar” a challenge read, and here we are. I finally did it! And you know what? I enjoyed it.
“Sugar” tells the story of two women, very opposite yet in need of each other. Pearl is only a shell of the woman she used to be after the murder of her daughter. Sugar is a prostitute who moves into town and next door to Pearl. The two form an unlikely friendship unknowingly forcing the other to reconcile with the past.
Two people, the exact opposites, becoming friends and learning to appreciate the other and learning what’s important in life is not a new theme. However, the somewhat predictability of this tale forces readers to rely on the author’s storytelling skills and on the journey itself to entertain. And entertaining it was. I quickly became emotionally vested in Pearl and Sugar, rooting for them and their growth the whole way. Bernice McFadden does a wonderful job of placing readers in Bigelow, Arkansas, in 1955.
“Sugar” was worth the read and I now join the chorus of voices recommending it to others.
”
“Wow!! Wow!! Wow!! Absolutely AMAZING!!!! ”
Tia W wrote this review Thursday, August 4, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This story took me on a roller coaster ride of happiness and sadness. Even though the ending was not what I expected or wanted, I felt like both women shared something that was desperately needed by the other.”
Yolanda wrote this review Monday, June 20, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Admittedly, I did not see the ending (or maybe more accurately last seven-eighths of this book) coming and it didn't seem to gel with the rest of the tale, but the book was good, not simply for its story line, but more for the author's vivid descriptions of people, places, situations and sexuality. Had the actual story been better with a more cohesive ending, I would have rated it higher.”
Val B wrote this review Monday, June 20, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Great story. One of my favorites. Highly Recommend.”
Miss C. wrote this review Tuesday, June 7, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Decent story. I was shocked at the language and explicit details from time to time. Wasn't what I thought it was going to be but overall enjoyed the book.”
Wendy wrote this review Friday, May 13, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Superb! - www.afro-editions.com
www.Afro-Editions.com wrote this review Monday, March 21, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
See full list of recommended reads at http://www.afro-editions.com/AFRO_PICKS.html
”
“The publisher's blurb does not do this book any justice. This is truly a must-read book for anyone: male/female, black/white, anyone who's a grownup and loves to read.
Julie S wrote this review Friday, March 11, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The book opens powerfully: to a tragic scene of loss. The very first line; Jude was dead
A mother (Pearl) loses her only daughter in a horrible fashion - before the girl has had a chance to taste what it's like to be a woman. The loss sets her reeling and takes away her laugh. Even her loving and faithful husband and adoring sons can't bring the smile back into her eyes.
15 years later, in 1955, a young woman (Sugar) who has had a life almost devoid of any real human connections moves in next door in small-town Bigelow, Arkansas. Her mother dropped her off almost at birth with a family of women who ran a house of prostitution, and the only life she's known has involved selling her body to get by. She's never owned or had anything of her own, even a family. Inheriting her own house (from someone she's never known, met, or even heard of) changes this and she decides to take full advantage of this opportunity. She pays the bills the only way she knows how, which sets tongues to wagging and even some tempers to flaring.
Pearl has been asked by her minister to take Sugar under her wing when she arrives. It takes a few visits and a few shattered sweet potato pies for these two to finally become friends. Pearl's life, even with her loss, has been rather sheltered, revolving around her family, her small circle of friends, and her church. It takes quite a while for her to figure out what her neighbor is doing to earn her living. Despite this, she perseveres in her friendship with Sugar, who has an almost uncanny resemblance to her lost daughter Jude.
Pearl, who is the soul of propriety and has never even gone to a juke joint (that is, until she met Sugar), is vilified by her "friends" almost as much as Sugar is. And yet ... there is just something about this young girl who could be her own that draws her in.
The tale of Sugar's life and of this friendship are the core of this book. The tale of how many of the characters are connected comes out piece by tantalizing piece. You, the reader, will know more about these connections than many of the characters themselves by the end of this journey.
This is the type of book that stays with you. You will continue to think about it long after you've turned the last page. It is not a pleasant book. If you are a parent, you may not be able to get through the first few pages without crying, or, at the least, feeling your heart rip in pain for the tragedy that is described. You will want to step inside of it's pages and punch some of the characters dead in their faces. Some of the scenes will punch YOU in the face. It will not end the way you want it to, but, considering the story itself, the ending is appropriate. You will not believe that this is the author's debut novel, as it is so well and powerfully written.
Many reviewers have stated that there is no redemption in this book. I respectfully disagree. There IS a sort of redemption in having a taste of happiness when you haven't known any before. When a life is this difficult, even having a day of love and laughter and knowing what it is is better than never having a chance to know it at all. Being able to open yourself up to love someone new and to laugh again after a horrible loss is redemptive as well.
Some well-deserved awards:
Black Caucus Ala Literary Award
Black Writers Alliance Award
Gold Pen Award
Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers Award
Some other blog reviews (these are what made me really really want to read this book):
http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com/2010/04/book-review-sugar-by-bernice-mcfadden.html
http://www.rundpinne.com/2010/03/sugar-by-bernice-l-mcfadden.html
http://www.gerberadaisydiaries.com/2010/01/book-review-sugar.html
Sensitive Reader: This book is not for you, due to violence, language, and sexual content
Quotes (also not for the sensitive reader):
...When he made it to the clearing there was his father. Beaten so hard and for so long that his skin had bubbled up purple. The top of his head was open and there he saw precious memories and somehow-someday dreams wrapped in I Love You colors spilled out for all of Bigelow to see. Then came the wail and Black John lost a little bit of his time on earth.
The storm walked into their small town on two legs in spiked, red patent leather heels. She waltzed right through the main square, blond wig bouncing to the rhythm of her walk, a leopard print pocketbook slung over one shoulder, matching suitcases in each hand.
"Ain't you got a mamma?" she said with shocked disbelief.
Sugar just stared blankly at her. She had a May, a Sara and a Ruby. She didn't have a "mamma,"
"What's a mamma?" she asked ...
”“I'd give this a 3.5 really. Intersting story but I abhor the style of writing and there were several annoying mistakes. The style makes the story confusing; sometimes you don't even know what's going on or what's being said or where the setting is or how much time has passed etc... Ultimately I was not satisfied with this book. I felt like it ended like it began and there was no real closure. I would have liked it better if the same story was crafted the hands of a more gifted writer.”
Cosima S wrote this review Sunday, March 6, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A great story that left me wanting more.”
PinkPower216 wrote this review Thursday, February 24, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
