The Novel That Required More From Me Than I Expected

I first attempted Beloved in college and stopped at page 30. The second attempt came five years later and ended around page 80. The third attempt came after I had spent a year reading more widely in American history and literature, and something in that preparation made the difference. Toni Morrison does not explain what she is doing. She trusts you to follow her into the grief of it, and the third time I was finally able to follow.