Ginette B. (Niteowl7) reviewed on 12/13/2005 + 242 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

Toni writes a powerful book depicting a very poor African American girl, Pecola Breedlove, whose biggest desire is to have blue eyes so other blacks and whites can like her, and maybe even love her. Unfortunately for Pecola, she is quite unattractive and thinks blue eyes will transform her. Humiliated, insulted, raped and pitied in her own neighborhood, Pecola is a perfect victim. Yet, unlike many other victims in this country, she has nowhere to go nor anyone to mentor her into the healthy womanhood of self-acceptance and self-esteem. Nor do the other young girls in the neighborhood. The best they can do for survival is to become aggressive while at the same time fulfilling the roles of early motherhood and poverty as taught to them by their elders. Pecola has no such survival skills. Through the intervention of a psychic, she ends up believing that her eyes are truly blue. Even when she looks in the mirror, she sees blue eyes. But eventually it isn't enough for Pecola. She ends up wanting to have the bluest eyes in world and nothing else will satisfy her. It's a sad tale that's told with Ms. Morrison's ear for poetic language. The manner of telling makes it a beautiful book. The book stayed with me many days after I finished it.

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