sailormercury's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
rodiom's review against another edition
5.0
Gloria Naylor’s, Mama Day, is immersive and complex. Its plot is richly layered, flipping between first person narration and a community voice. Just like inhabitants of Willow Springs have coined events that resist definition, an “18 & 23”, this novel feels like it exceeds definition too. Have I mentioned yet, how much I loved it? Willow Springs imagined alternative forms of governance, policing, and medicine that exist outside of Western and patriarchal dominion. I’ll always cherish everything I learned about this fictional insular island, with epistemological values and systems that are so different from ours, here in the United States. Plus I adored the familial relationships and the complex romance between George and Cocoa. You could analyze this book forever.
cythera15's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
bookish_by_elle's review against another edition
5.0
This is exactly my book type - multiple POVs, non-linear plot, "magical realism", leaves you wondering what you just read long after the book has been closed. I was captivated by Naylor's writing from the get-go. She seamlessly unravels this story with two second-person narratives and Mama Day's third person narration. Mama Day brings the fictional island of Willow springs to life and documents how this close knit island evolved into the place that it is; it chronicles the far-from-perfect relationship between Mama Day's grandniece, Cocoa, and he husband George; and it tells of Mama Day who having descended from the seventh son of a seventh son, is Willow Springs' matriarch and healer. Paradoxically, Cocoa and George share a sacrificial love within their toxic, abusive relationship and Mama Day, while she has remained childless is the matriarch of and most highly demanded midwife in Willow Springs, which doesn't ever change but is constantly evolving. In spite of the contradiction, and sometimes because of it, this novel kept me engaged and invested. Naylor's writing is rhythmic and her telling is thought provoking, and culminates in this most satisfying book.
littlerlara's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Very surreal and sad
bt329's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book the first time and it did not disappoint me in my second reading. It's truly a masterpiece.
ahubbard10's review against another edition
5.0
Loved the whimsical small town southern vibes, the bickering, the magic, and loved loved loved the character of Mama Day, a very wise no-nonsense old lady too stubborn to die
tgrvs78's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the shifting narratives-so fill of unabashed emotions. Also, the supernatural/earthly elements were simply divine.
taevans18's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0