In prose that soars with the rhythms grandeur and tragic arc of an epic poem Toni Morrison
challenges our most fiercely held beliefs as she weaves folklore and history memory and myth
into an unforgettable meditation on race religion gender and a far-off past that is ever
present. They shoot the white girl first. With the rest they can take their time. So begins
Toni Morrison's Paradise which opens with a horrifying scene of mass violence and chronicles
its genesis in an all-black small town in rural Oklahoma. Founded by the descendants of freed
slaves and survivors in exodus from a hostile world the patriarchal community of Ruby is built
on righteousness rigidly enforced moral law and fear. But seventeen miles away another group
of exiles has gathered in a promised land of their own. And it is upon these women in flight
from death and despair that nine male citizens of Ruby will lay their pain their terror and
their murderous rage. A fascinating story wonderfully detailed. . . . The town is the stage
for a profound and provocative debate. -Los Angeles Times
