Maud Martha

Category: Maud Martha, written by Gwendolyn Brooks, is one of those books I’ve been meaning to read for years. At last, I read it.

My thoughts: Oh my goodness, this book is great! I love Gwendolyn Brooks’ poetry (particularly “A Bronzeville Mother Loiters in Mississippi. Meanwhile, a Mississippi Mother Burns Bacon,” which is about the murder of Emmett Till), and her language is delicious in this novel. Reading Maud Martha is like drinking a really good cup of coffee or soaking in a hot bath (both of these things, incidentally, are good to do while reading).

Maud Martha is about the life of a black Chicago woman, starting when she is a child. In little chapters, we get glimpses of her inner life and experiences, and meet her family members and neighbors. Maud Martha is very likable. She is observant, smart, fiercely loyal, and makes a mean cup of cocoa. One of my favorite moments is when she ferociously defends her brother against several bullies. We see early on that this girl has guts. Another great moment is when Maud Martha’s mother says that there isn’t enough cinnamon in the gingerbread, but it’s still good (Thanks, mom!). Maud Martha calmly informs her mother that she likes nutmeg better than cinnamon. Something about this moment made me fall in love with her. I like to bake, and I totally agree with her on this one. Cinnamon is nice, but nutmeg has kick. Of course Maud Martha likes it better than cinnamon.

One vignette that is particularly poignant is her desire to attack the white Santa Claus who all but ignores her eager daughter. She then ponders the moment when her daughter will realize that discrimination will be thrown in her face, sometimes in unexpected ways, because of the color of her skin. Maud Martha sadly thinks of how she cannot protect her child from pain. Maud Martha herself struggles to maintain her dignity in a world where, because she is black and female, people make it difficult for her to do that.

I can’t overstate how beautiful the language in this book is. There were passages that I read again and again, and this is a book that I’m going to recommend to people. After that, I’m going to buy some cocoa.

Great passage (and this is one of many great ones): One walked out from the almost perfect wall, spitting at the fire squad. What difference did it make whether the firing squad understood or did not understand the manner of one’s retaliation or why one had to retaliate?

Next…I’m not sure. Probably Bonjour Tristesse.