We don't talk about Toni Morrison enough. Her writing is heavy, full of topics others would want to sweep under the rug. She calls out issues in society as a whole, but also within the black community itself, which is usually taken with negative criticism.   

For being written in 1970 (about 1930s era black communities), this books themes of race/racism, women/femininity, home/family (or the lack of...), and sex/sexuality and how our characters deal with all of these things rings so true in today's world. The characters in this book all carry their stories with them, and are products of their environment and lack of addressing or growing from experiences. 

The way that this book focuses on Pecola's story all while telling stories of those around her is astounding and masterful. Each character, possibly aside from Frieda and Claudia, all struggle with ingrained self hatred because of the racism they've encountered in their world. This book highlights how even within a community, especially one so affected by racism,  racism exists inside of it, with lighter vs darker skinned African Americans. It shows how they strive for a sense of family and home, but have to distor  it and find their own way to create it and "love" or love in their surroundings. 

A book everyone should read and learn from.