Title: God Help the Child
Author:
Toni Morrison
Genre:
Contemporary, Fabulism* (*ish)
Verdict:
This was a pretty damned awesome book.
And, I'm told, by pretty much everyone, that Toni Morrison's other books are even better - so I'm totally going to check out more!
This follows Bride, who always felt unloved by her mother, Sweetness, as she tries to deal with her falling-apart relationship with boyfriend Booker.
It's really quite difficult to explain what this book is about - except childhood, and how it relates to everything else.
Because Bride's childhood, Booker's, even Sweetness', affects everything that comes after. And in Rain, the girl adopted by the hippie couple, we see the current face of a traumatised child.
Huge warning guys: child abuse is a big theme here.
There is child abuse of every type in this book - emotional, physical, and sexual. There's even some child murder.
It's handled well - but I figured I'd let you know in case that's going to be a problem for you.
There's also a butt-tonne of swearing.
Generally though? This book is fantastically well written, and infinitely readable.
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Last updated: 5th May 2026
