This short story by Toni Morrison is a masterpiece. Recitatif is a thought-provoking, brilliant literary work. Even months after reading this, I'm still left baffled and pondering who the Black person between Twyla and Roberta is. Perhaps what made this story a timeless masterpiece is how Morrison left so many ambiguous indications who among the two characters is White or Black—leaving us contemplating our own preconceived notions and perceptions of racial class.

The introduction by Zadie Smith was also insightful, especially on how she dissected and analyzed certain parts of the story.