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Starred review from June 1, 2025
The youngest of an affluent Black family in Michigan, Macon "Milkman" Dead III is spoiled by his mother and older sisters during childhood. His father, Macon Jr., is an avaricious slumlord who spends more time collecting rent than with his children. During his adolescence, Milkman meets his estranged Aunt Pilate, whose granddaughter Hagar later becomes his lover. As an adult, he becomes as egotistical as his father and takes the women in his life for granted. When he learns about a potential family treasure, Milkman leaves town to find it. However, his journey leads him to something more. Morrison's third novel, her first featuring a man protagonist, is a bildungsroman/family saga hybrid. Milkman is apathetic to others and to the racial climate of the 1950s-70s. Meanwhile, the women lose their sense of agency as Milkman and other men mistreat them. Usually, Morrison's poetic writing seamlessly fits with the story. This time, however, there are lengthy pockets of inertia because of an abundance of metaphors. VERDICT Although this National Book Critics Circle Award winner should not be the first one newcomers to Morrison read, longtime fans of her work will appreciate this tale about self-discovery.--Anjelica Rufus
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