Comment

Jan 31, 2018RogerDeBlanck rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
With a literary career that spanned into its fifth decade with the publication of Home, Morrison continued to produce work as powerful and unforgettable as any fiction in this day and age. Home may be a slender novel, but it lacks none of the storytelling ingenuity and character depth that are hallmarks of every one of Morrison’s works. A veteran of the Korean War, Frank Money returns to the states with the great fortune of having escaped physical wounds. More distressingly, though, he suffers from nightmarish flashbacks over the atrocities he committed as a soldier. He is also distressed over any thought of returning to his godforsaken hometown of Lotus, Georgia. When a letter arrives from a resident of his childhood town telling him that his younger sister, Ycidra ("Cee"), has fallen victim to a crime, Frank bolts back to the place he despises in order to save her. The central story of Frank and Cee is compelling and tender. It recounts life's struggle to survive and to find ways to forgive and move on. Morrison packs surprises and shocks, and the ending is tremendously sad and beautiful in its power to explore how any transgression can be faced with dignity and how solace can be found in a redeeming act of grace. The main plot is supplemented with side stories, full of their own intrigue. Even in such a short novel such as Home, Morrison's range of narrative is extraordinary. Everything feels so authentic and every character, no matter how minor, feels so real. Her novels are never one straightforward narrative. They are canvases with various spots of unforgettable insight. They are interwoven tableaus of places and people. Morrison offers up fascinating details, and her prose is vibrant and fresh, reminding us of her brilliance. Even in its brevity, Home is another testament that with each work Toni Morrison breaks new ground as an artist and re-establishes the measure of what every writer should do: challenge their self and continue to produce work that bristles with emotion, packs a punch, and evokes admiration.