What do You think about Sugar (2001)?
McFadden's style reminds me a lot of J. California Cooper, who IMHO is THE BEST African-American author I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I was half-way through "Sugar" before I found out there was a sequel to the story, "This Bitter Earth". I promptly ordered the sequel and look forward to adding the rest of McFadden's titles to my library. The characters were so real - it seemed as if they were people I actually grew up around...or with. The story drew you in from the beginning and held you until the end. Excellent author, excellent book! Highly recommend!
—Not Now...Mommy's Reading
I didn't know what to expect from Sugar as I read the opening scene of a horrendous murder of a young black girl named Jude and the devastated mother she left behind named Pearl. The year was 1940, the place was a southern black town, and it was the era of segregation..."No one cared except the people who carried the same skin color"Bernice McFadden made me feel the anguish of a mother who lost her child; the injustice of the times as it was known nothing was going to be done about it... And then she whisked me ahead 15 years. Pearl is still mourning the loss of her daughter, Jude, in her quiet reserved manner... But there's a new girl in town, and her name is Sugar - a young prostitute looking to change her life. Sugar exudes sex, with her short short skirts, spiky high heels, and BIG attitude. Pearl is a quiet obedient church-going wife. Their unlikely friendship creates amazing changes in both of them... much to the dismay of Pearl's church going friends, but to the delight of Pearls family.Bernice is a master storyteller. Her prose is beautiful. As the layers of this story unfold, of murder, secrets, jealousy and pride, Bernice seamlessly weaves it all together to an amazing ending. I felt a whirlwind of emotions as I read Sugar; I laughed, I cried and I felt anger. I saw past those short skirts Sugar wore and found a little girl struggling to catch her breathe. And I walked through a small town scared to open its arms to someone who obviously wasn't 'one of them'... or was she? I kept turning those pages... Graphic in nature at times, but not gratuitous, you will appreciate Sugar's sincerity. You'll appreciate the rich, complex and strong female characters fully fleshed out and who don't shy away from sharing their feelings. Bernice has also captured the feel of small town life, with the soft whispers heard between small clutches of people. The story will grab your attention, and your heart, and will not let you go until the very last page.Sugar is friendship... it's honesty wrapped up in the poetry of words... it's redemption and it's powerful...
—Suzanne (Chick with Books) Yester
I finished reading Bernice L. McFadden’s Sugar this morning at the gym. I have to confess that I did happen to see a review that mentioned something about the ending not being a very happy one, so I braced myself as I approached the last chapter. Happy ending or no happy ending, Sugar was as sweet a read as the title…bittersweet in places, but sweet just the same. I not only fell in love with Bernice’s writing style, but I also found a deep place in my heart for the two main women in the novel— Pearl, a middle-aged church-going woman who’s daughter’s brutal demise left her void of any zeal to live and Sugar, a prostitute who had never known true love and who had long given up trying to find it. I also fell in love with Joe, Pearl’s husband. I experienced every human emotion and then some while I hungrily read the story that epitomizes love, forgiveness and acceptance. The character development is flawless and I loved how Pearl and Sugar, over time, found what they had been in search of in each other. Bernice is a superb storyteller and I loved how she tied the harrowing opening to the end, revealing the true identity of Sugar. A few of my favorite scenes are as follows: 1) Sugar’s entrance into Bigelow 2) Shirley and Pearl catching Sugar in her window and Shirley’s reaction. 3) Sugar giving Pearl a makeover. 3) Joe’s reaction to Pearl’s new look. 4) Seth and Sugar.If you’re looking for a page-turner that will have you laughing and crying at the same time, Sugar is “The One.” Bravo to Ms. McFadden!
—Alretha Thomas
