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A review by bookishevy
The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The Women of Brewster Place revolves around seven women.
-Mattie, the most prominent character in the novel. She ends up at Brewster Place after coddling her grown son causes her to lose her home.
-Etta, Mattie's life-long best friend, moves to Brewster Place to settle down but keeps looking for love in all the wrong places.
-Kiswana, formerly named Melanie, is from a middle-class family. She drops out of college and moves from the upscale Linden Hills to Brewster Place to the chagrin of her mother.
-Cora, loves having babies but neglects her children after infancy. She resolves to be a better mother after taking them to a Shakespeare play.
-Luciela, grows up alongside Mattie's son and later lives at Brewster Place with her boyfriend Eugene until a tragic event leaves her heartbroken.
-Theresa, a bold lesbian who doesn't care what others think but eventually becomes disturbed by the prejudice she and her partner face at Brewster Place.
--Lorraine, Theresa's timid girlfriend, worries about being judged by the other members of Brewster Place for her sexuality. This judgment gives way to acts of violence that lead to a breaking point when members of Brewster Place congregate for a block party.
I love Naylor's writing and how she balances the bleak picture she paints of Brewster Place with smart and funny dialogue. Brewster Place is both a last resort and sanctuary. The block is cut off from the rest of the community by a wall that symbolizes a distinction in class and race. That dead-end is a literal representation of these people's lives. Most of them seem to have accepted that it's not going to get better. The owner of the buildings of Brewster Place is a slumlord who doesn't care to refurbish these apartments that are inhabited by blacks. Living in poverty is frustrating, but there's also a lot of love at Brewster Place. Like Mattie and Etta, who make fun of, but accept, each other's flaws; and Kiswana, who is so caring to Cora's kids and brings her community together to demand change. This book is a celebration of the hopes of black women in America.
-Mattie, the most prominent character in the novel. She ends up at Brewster Place after coddling her grown son causes her to lose her home.
-Etta, Mattie's life-long best friend, moves to Brewster Place to settle down but keeps looking for love in all the wrong places.
-Kiswana, formerly named Melanie, is from a middle-class family. She drops out of college and moves from the upscale Linden Hills to Brewster Place to the chagrin of her mother.
-Cora, loves having babies but neglects her children after infancy. She resolves to be a better mother after taking them to a Shakespeare play.
-Luciela, grows up alongside Mattie's son and later lives at Brewster Place with her boyfriend Eugene until a tragic event leaves her heartbroken.
-Theresa, a bold lesbian who doesn't care what others think but eventually becomes disturbed by the prejudice she and her partner face at Brewster Place.
--Lorraine, Theresa's timid girlfriend, worries about being judged by the other members of Brewster Place for her sexuality. This judgment gives way to acts of violence that lead to a breaking point when members of Brewster Place congregate for a block party.
I love Naylor's writing and how she balances the bleak picture she paints of Brewster Place with smart and funny dialogue. Brewster Place is both a last resort and sanctuary. The block is cut off from the rest of the community by a wall that symbolizes a distinction in class and race. That dead-end is a literal representation of these people's lives. Most of them seem to have accepted that it's not going to get better. The owner of the buildings of Brewster Place is a slumlord who doesn't care to refurbish these apartments that are inhabited by blacks. Living in poverty is frustrating, but there's also a lot of love at Brewster Place. Like Mattie and Etta, who make fun of, but accept, each other's flaws; and Kiswana, who is so caring to Cora's kids and brings her community together to demand change. This book is a celebration of the hopes of black women in America.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Violence