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Caul baby : a novel

by Jerkins, Morgan,

Format: Print Book 2021
Availability: Available at 19 Libraries 19 of 20 copies

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Summary


"The true strength of this book has a profound impact: in conveying the life-giving and life-sustaining power of Black women's bodies, and the blood relationships between them. . . . The women Jerkins creates do not need men or any other outsiders to rescue them; they rescue themselves." -New York Times Book Review

New York Times bestselling author Morgan Jerkins makes her fiction debut with this electrifying novel, for fans of Ta-Nehisi Coates and Jacqueline Woodson, that brings to life one powerful and enigmatic family in a tale rife with secrets, betrayal, intrigue, and magic.

Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Year by Time, BuzzFeed, Parade, O: The Oprah Magazine, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Ms. Magazine, Marie Claire, Goodreads, Lit Hub, and Electric Literature, among others

Laila desperately wants to become a mother, but each of her previous pregnancies has ended in heartbreak. This time has to be different, so she turns to the Melancons, an old and powerful Harlem family known for their caul, a precious layer of skin that is the secret source of their healing power.

When a deal for Laila to acquire a piece of caul falls through, she is heartbroken, but when the child is stillborn, she is overcome with grief and rage. What she doesn't know is that a baby will soon be delivered in her family--by her niece, Amara, an ambitious college student--and delivered to the Melancons to raise as one of their own. Hallow is special: she's born with a caul, and their matriarch, Maman, predicts the girl will restore the family's prosperity.

Growing up, Hallow feels that something in her life is not right. Did Josephine, the woman she calls mother, really bring her into the world Why does her cousin Helena get to go to school and roam the streets of New York freely while she's confined to the family's decrepit brownstone

As the Melancons' thirst to maintain their status grows, Amara, now a successful lawyer running for district attorney, looks for a way to avenge her longstanding grudge against the family. When mother and daughter cross paths, Hallow will be forced to decide where she truly belongs.

Engrossing, unique, and page-turning, Caul Baby illuminates the search for familial connection, the enduring power of tradition, and the dark corners of the human heart.

Published Reviews
Booklist Review: "The Melacons are a three-generation family of women living in a brownstone in gentrifying Harlem. They are beautiful, wealthy, and famously known for their caul, an invisible layer of skin that gives them the power to heal others. Laila, newly pregnant after suffering multiple miscarriages, visits the Melacons for help to ensure she has a successful pregnancy. After a series of unexpected events, Laila's niece, Hallow, is born with caul and raised by the Melacons. As she matures, Hallow struggles with her moral compass, wondering whether she should continue the Melacon tradition of selling their caul only to wealthy white families, or use it to help their fellow native Harlemites. Jerkins' debut novel is a multilayered reflection of contemporary dilemmas with a touch of magic realism. With themes such as motherhood, acceptance, and a duty to be of service, the novel is well paced, with alluring anticipation. The writing is sharp with an empathetic undertone, encouraging readers to understand characters' choices even if they don't agree. Readers are taken through a spectrum of emotions with a satisfying payoff. On the heels of her excellent memoir Wandering in Strange Lands (2020), Jerkins solidifies herself as one of our guiding literary lights, no matter the genre."
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Publisher's Weekly Review: "Jerkins (Wandering in Strange Lands) makes her fiction debut with the rich if didactic story of the Melancon family and the shadow they cast over present-day Harlem. Dominated by hard-hearted matriarch Maman, the Melancons are female healers notorious for selling fragments of the rare, skinlike caul they were born with to wealthy white buyers looking for protective amulets to ward off disease and misfortune. Indifferent to the woes of ailing Black folks in their own neighborhood, the Melancons have long scorned supplicants like Laila Reserve, who suffered a miscarriage and lost her mind after she was ejected from the Melancon brownstone, a spectacle that has reverberated throughout the community for decades. Now, only the youngest Melancon, Hallow, can uncover the truth behind her origins and the relationship between her family and the Reserves. While Jerkins effectively blends folk legend with contemporary details such as references to the Black Lives Matter movement and gentrification in Harlem, the premise is restricted by occasionally prosaic writing ("strands of hair roamed throughout her scalp") and the heavy-handed moral of the story, which implies that Black women who fail to support other Black women will pay a price. Still, it's vividly conceived, and the strong plot will carry readers to the end. Agent: Monica Odom, Liza Dawson Assoc. (Apr.)"
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Additional Information
Subjects Pregnancy -- Fiction.
Family secrets -- Fiction.
Healers -- Fiction.
African Americans -- New York (State) -- New York -- Fiction.
Identity (Psychology) -- Fiction.
Folklore -- Fiction.
Magic realist fiction.
Publisher New York, NY :Harper,2021
Edition First edition.
Language English
Description 342 pages ; 24 cm
ISBN 9780062873088
0062873083
Other Classic View