Soul sisters

I discovered Sassafrass, Cypress and Indigo by Ntozake Shange by complete coincidence in 2007. I have never been a book snob, often trying out books based on titles that catch my eye. This was one of them, a novel I enjoyed so much I had to do a review for Preview Prefers. Here it is, printed as published:

It begins at Christmas.

Sassafrass, Cypress and Indigo carom around the house, partaking in a family tradition that brims with the tenderness and intimacy that only their Mama can provide. Pages fly with passages on love, recipes, herbal remedies and dreams.

At the hub of which is Indigo, the youngest, whose passion and curiosity drives the novel ever forward.

All in all, it is the story of three sisters coming into their own in a world that is, all too often, far too real. Each with their own gift to share and moved by the everyday magic that surrounds their lives. Shange creates a book that is as vivid as Sassafrass' tapestries, as fluid as Cypress' dancing body and as lyrical as Indigo's rebellious violin.

The speech of her prose reads like poetry, both a spiritual journey and an almost voyeuristic peek into the heart of the characters she created.