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Summary: Amazing book.....detail, wisdom, lyricism and humor.
Review: A friend recommended this book to me, and I was simply in love with it from the first page on. When I met my husband, I read this book to him at night before bed and we both cried and laughed and wondered at the marvelous, intriguing culture and people described. I wish to step into the book and look around me, the character of place and people is so good that I believe that I would know them. This book is highly recommeded. Ms. Naylor is such an excellent writer; she has the ability to express her soul to the reader, and I know that I will read this book again many times.
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Summary: GREAT
Review: A LINK BETWEEN THE TEMPEST(SHAKSPEARE) AND MODERN DAYS IN USA FOR BLACK AFRICAN PEOPLE
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Summary: Enchanting
Review: Below the Maxon-Dixon Line, deep within African heritage, and nestled between southern hospitality and family we find Gloria Naylor's Willow Springs. This story book community holds everything enchanting about the south; the sweet sounding southern drawl,homecooking,hot summer days,and knowing that you can always come home. Naylor's Cocoa journeys to New York to forge her own identity where she finds true love. Ironically, it is her love interest, George, that brings her closer to her community. Cocoa is aided by her "perfect mother," her grandmother and her great aunt Mama Day. Naylor masters the art of storytelling through her vivid imagery and varying perspectives. This book holds a permanent place on my bookshelf! I recommend it for anyone looking for a good read or just a piece of home.
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Summary: Brilliant!
Review: Brilliant! Powerful! A genius of a writer! Prose worthy of a Pulitzer! Would that I could aspire to be such a great writer. Naylor's style is at times playful, other times penetrating, piercing the soul of the reader with vivid images of the small town and colorful characters. Subject matter is a little dark for me (especially toward the end) but the writing is superb!
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: Brilliant! Powerful! A genius of a writer! Prose worthy of a Pulitzer! Would that I could aspire to be such a great writer. Naylor's style is at times playful, other times penetrating, piercing the soul of the reader with vivid images of the small town and colorful characters. Subject matter is a little dark for me (especially toward the end) but the writing is superb!
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Summary: My Favorite Book Ever.
Review: Gloria Naylor is a master storyteller. Her characters are vividly drawn, her humor is by turns laugh-out-load funny or subtlely sarcastic, and her prose quite often caused this reader to sit back and savor the sheer creativity, beauty and freshness of the images Ms. Naylor creates. She uses an interesting narrative technique where two chapters describe the same events, only one is from the perspective of Cocoa and the next from the perspective of George, the niece and 'nephew-in-law' of the title character. This creates a compelling love story, where the reader is allowed into the minds of both participants. Mama Day, the title character and a wonderfully realized force of nature, is the matriarch of both the Day family and the entire population of Willow Springs, an island loosely a part of the United States but not any particular state. This setting seems reminiscent of the Gullah Islands, where African-Americans have had freedom, land, and relative isolation since the early 1800's, and it allows Naylor to create characters who appear to be much more victorious over life than in some other novels by African-American authors. This novel is not about suffering with dignity. Rather, the inhabitants of Willow Springs have an idea there's something not quite right with those on the 'mainland', ie the rest of the country. In many ways, they appear to be right! This is a masterpiece of contemporary literature, a pleasure to experience. "Mama Day" is an entertaining and original look at family, community, and love. With a litte voodoo sprinkled in for good measure.
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Summary: Page-turner Romance
Review: Gloria Naylor's book Mama Day was wonderful. The story is told from the perspective of several main characters. The voice switches back and forth from character to character. You become attached the the characters and what is going on in their heads. You sympathize with them, want them to be happy. The romance between Cocoa and George is so honest and vibrant. They are not perfect, but they love each other. Mama Day portrays relationships as works in progress, not perfect ideals to be attained. Some of the themes include a search for identity and love of family and traditions. The community of Willow Springs is a community all its own, which hails no state affiliation. Naylor's phenomenal book makes the reader question his own identity in relation to his family history and relationships.
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Summary: A Thin Line Between Myth and Reality
Review: Gloria Naylor's novel touches our inner conscience and causes us to question the thin line between myth and reality. Naylor describes a world where mankind controls the elements of the air, their own destiny, and reality. Her descriptive passages allows her readers to enter into her world of magic in such a way, that one could delightfully lose themselves in the expression of her words. Willow Springs is a place where the whispers of our ancestors tingle our ears with secrets of the past and future. It is an excellent book to sit down, relax, and cross over a mental 'bridge' into an unmapped dimension.
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Summary: Mama Day
Review: I am an avid reader, and this is by far one of the most powerful books I have read in years. It is a love story unlike any love story I've ever encountered. It tells about love of one's home, one's family, one's life, one's passion, and one's lover. It is filled with a wisdom that I can only hope to have by the time I die. The book is set in both the Sea Islands off the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia and in New York City. Being from the South and having vacationed on various sea islands, as well as embarking on a new life in New York City in the next few months, I could not have been more enthusiastic about reading this book. Once started, I could not put it down. I feel like I've been allowed in on all these little secrets I would never know on my own - and I can't wait to go stand in the middle of the George Washington Bridge in order to add to my appreciation of New York. You'll have to read the book to discover what that is all about! To say I'm obsessed with this book is an understatement, and I've already bought it for every person that I care about. I could not give it a higher rating - truly added to my favorite book list (the other two are The Awakening and Anna Karenina). You MUST read this book!!! It will impress you in a way unlike any other...
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Summary: A great read for Haloween--or any time.
Review: I am reviewing this book in October and just realized what a great read this would be for this holiday. The core of the book centers around the power of love--but it is pitted against Black Magic of the old Deep South bayou country. Ms. Naylor really knows how to develop her characters, and to make you care about them. This is a wonderful book.
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