Caul Baby by Morgan Jerkins: Book Review

When Literati sent me a copy of Caul Baby by Morgan Jerkins for the September book club, I was both excited and nervous. It is unlike the books I usually pick up, but that was my goal this year. I really wanted to expand my reading horizons outside of YA fantasy and dystopia. I love those genres, but I want something more with my reading. Something productive. Which is why this book was the perfect addition to my September TBR.

Over the course of this month, I have read so many insightful and interesting points about this book from fellow readers on the Literati app, which has definitely enhance my enjoyment of this book. I love getting to hear other’s thoughts on the book as I am reading, and get insights about the story that I would have never seen myself. It is an incredible and intellectual read, that gets darker and more intense as the book goes on.

Disclaimer: I recieved a copy of this book for free from Literati, in exchange for a feature on my blog, which you can find here. This in no way impacted my review, all opinions are my own. For more information, please visit here.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Summary

Caul Baby by Morgan Jerkins follows the Melancon family, who are known for being born with the caul, a protective layer over their skin. Their caul is powerful, and it protects anyone who holds a piece of it from harm. Many birth-givers go to the Melancon family the purchase a piece they can keep with them during pregnancy to protect their baby. But when the Melancon family’s search for money and status leads them to reject their neighbors from Harlem from receiving the caul in favor of the rich, people in the community become upset.

This novel touches on subjects of gentrification, black motherhood, and the pain that losing a baby has on an entire community. As Jerkins’ debut fiction novel, it is a powerful story and an illuminating representation of motherhood.

Review

Content Warnings: Miscarriage, suicide, self-harm, arson, abortion, birth giving, abuse (emotional and physical)

This book was incredible. The author created fleshed-out characters who felt like real people that could walk off the page. Every time I picked up this book, I fell right back into the story with no problems. It felt like the setting of this book, a neighborhood in Harlem, was right outside my window. As if I would look outside and see Maman walking down the street, wih Hallow in tow. Throughout the story, the author gave an intimate look into the lives of the Melancon family. As a reader, I almost felt like I was intruding on their lives.

This story revolved entirely around black motherhood, and examins this experience that is so different from the white counterpart. Every character featured in this story was a mother, or intimately connected to one. Topics such as the higher mortality rates of black birth givers and their babies and the constant scrutiny they receive from others were discussed intimately in this novel. Each topic was deeply woven into the fabiric of these character’s lives. It was easy to see the clear connections between the character’s actions and the reasoning behind them.

Caul Baby by Morgan Jerkins followed three generations of women throughout the story, as they navigated generational responsibilities with their own desires. The narration of this story swept through the timeline, some chapters spanning months while others only spanned minutes. The story moved along quickly with this format, I barely noticed the time pass while I was reading. I felt fulfilled by the expanse of time that this book offered to it’s readers. The reader was privy to the character’s developement over the years that this book took place. It made the story feel complete and whole.

Another thing that pushed this story along was the shifting POVs. The reader is bounced around the story from character to character. As soon as one character connected with another, the reader then followed that new character until they found someone else, or the chapter ended. I absolutely loved this method of writing. It felt like I was floating through the world that Morgan Jerkins was creating. The readers gets a complete picture of each aspect of this story, with the multiple points of views while still having an intimate understanding of each character. Because of this writing style, I was able to understand the morally grey area that the Melancon family were in because I got both an inside and outside perspective.

Reading through this book, it felt like a descent into madness, with every chapter darker than the last. The author clearly created a tension in the atmosphere that the characters and readers then traveled through to get to the end of the book. Once you get to the end, it feels like a release. The tension that has been building throughout the entirety of the novel finally breaks into a satisfying conclusion.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Caul Baby by Morgan jerkins and would recommend it to anyone, no matter what genres you usually read. The book was incredibly well written, and It made me think, which I absolutely loved. I normally read escapist fiction, so being able to think and intellectualize the content of this book was a pleasure.

Jessamyn Ward, who chose this book for the Literati book club, hit the nail on the head with this story. I am also particularly excited for next month’s book, Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Marie Machado. It is a short story collection that includes subjects of feminism, sexuality, and more. I have never read a short story collection, so I am glad this book club is expanding my horizons even more. And I am sure it will make me think just as much as Caul Baby did.

If you are curious about Literati, you can visit this page for more information, or this page to join the book club!

Let me know in the comments below what you are planning to read this coming month! I will have my spooky books for spooky season TBR up soon! So stay tuned!

Thanks for reading!