In her heralded first novel, Gloria Naylor weaves together the stories of seven women living in Brewster Place, a bleak inner-city sanctuary. This powerful, moving portrait captures the strengths, struggles, and hopes of black women in America.

Vulnerable and resilient, openhanded and open-hearted, these women forge their lives in a place that in turn threatens and protects—a common prison and a shared home. Naylor renders both loving and painful human experiences with simple eloquence and uncommon intuition.

This touching and unforgettable read is a contemporary classic that explores the remarkable sense of community and history.