Review of Sugar by Bernice L. McFadden

Bernice McFadden’s debut novel Sugar is a richly woven tapestry of black life and culture in the 1950’s South. From the steps of the one hundred year old Baptist church to the smoky late night stomping and wailing at the town’s only juke joint, Sugar holds you captive in the moment.

The story begins when Sugar, a platinum wig wearing, wanna-be singer turned prostitute, struts into Bigelow, Arkansas on stiletto heels to claim an inheritance. Not only does she claim the inheritance, she also claims the reluctant fascination of her next door neighbor, Pearl.

Pearl has been cocooned in grief for the past fifteen years because of the murder of her young daughter, and Sugar’s attempts to release her from that grief inspire a transformation in Pearl that the whole town can see. But, more surprisingly, it inspires a transformation in Sugar that gives her unexpected hope for her future.

Amazon.com: Books: Sugar