One small complaint is that the concluding chapters could have had a little more depth and examined some difficult subjects more intensely however, by the last pages of the novel, Morrison does make the story feel like it comes full-circle without a lot of loose ends.

For those who have never read a Toni Morrison novel but want to familiarize themselves with her writing, this book is actually a good selection to start with. That being said, Home does have a slightly more restrained feel, is more tightly written and straightforward, and provides an “easier read” than other Morrison selections like Belovedor The Bluest Eye. The book flows with her familiar lyrical writing style, is filled with the obvious symbolism and allegory she packs into all her stories, introduces us to rich, complex characters, and layers itself with multiple meanings and interpretations. This arrangement works well because we get a first-hand glimpse into Frank’s private thoughts, while from the third person aspect, we learn more about Cee and her own story of sorrow and hardship.Īlthough brief in length, Home is still classic Toni Morrison.

The novel is structured so that it is mainly told in third person, but with Frank periodically narrating chapters. Once free, he begins a dangerous and eye-opening journey back to his younger sister, Cee, who is gravely ill under mysterious circumstances in Georgia.Īs the plot unfolds, Frank desperately struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder, encounters senseless racism, learns what the real meaning of “home” is for him, and eventually confronts the truth about a horrible and deadly decision he made in Korea that has continued to “tilt” his mental stability. Less than 200 pages long, this short but powerful offering begins with Frank escaping from a Seattle mental hospital for reasons he can’t or chooses not to remember. In Toni Morrison’s latest novel, Home, 24-year old Frank Money is an African-American army veteran struggling to maintain his sanity, his manhood, and find his place in the world a year after returning from the Korean War.

Home morrison novel