Tar Baby

By: Toni Morrison

Narrated by: Desiree Coleman

A ravishingly beautiful and emotionally incendiary reinvention of the love story by the legendary Nobel Prize winner

Jadine Childs is a Black fashion model with a white patron, a white boyfriend, and a coat made out of ninety perfect sealskins. Son is a Black fugitive who embodies everything she loathes and desires. As Morrison follows their affair, which plays out from the Caribbean to Manhattan and the deep South, she charts all the nuances of obligation and betrayal between Blacks and whites, masters and servants, and men and women.

©1982 Toni Morrison (P)2011 Random House

Critic reviews

1993, Nobel Prize, Winner

“Deeply perceptive. . . . Return[s] risk and mischief to the contemporary American novel.” (John Irving, The New York Times Book Review)

“Arresting images, fierce intelligence, poetic language . . . One becomes entranced by Toni Morrison’s story.” (The Washington Post)

Loved

Not sure why I hadn't read this sooner. A masterpiece! I see why it won the Nobel Prize. The language is so richly woven together.

Great !!

I loved every minute of this book .The narrator was very good at making you like you were right in the story but let's face it Toni Morrison is a phenomenal writer.

Great

Loved it and the narrator was very good at the story telling it made me feel like I was part of the story.

Just as good as I was expecting :)

I usually don't like fiction on Audio, but this was on one of those buy one get one sale's and I'm a sucker for a sale so I got this book knowing that I couldn't go wrong with Toni Morrison and I was correct. I still would have preferred to just read it myself because with fiction it's like letting someone else paint the mental pictures of the books world and I prefer to do that myself, but the performance was great and the story and writing is just so lovely and compelling.

A Different, Intriguing Story, Narrated Superbly

This is a very different, interesting story, by a great author. There is a lot of symbolism and required my full attention. As great as the novel is, the narration was better. Extremely well read…. Not a light read.

So good that I'm writing my first Audible review!

I've enjoyed Morrison's *Beloved* and *The Bluest Eye* for years, but hadn't heard of *Tar Baby* until recently. Now that I've listened to *Tar Baby*, though, it's quickly replaced *The Bluest Eye* as my favorite Morrison text!

*Tar Baby* is a rich, complex love story that explores many questions, particularly those of race solidarity, heritage, and trauma. Valerian Street, a rich white retiree, lives on a tiny island in the Caribbean with his troubled younger wife, Margaret, as well as two faithful old servants, Sydney and Ondine—both black. Sydney and Ondine have long acted as guardians for their orphaned mixed-race niece, Jadine Childs, now 25 years old, a college graduate, and a successful international fashion model.

The household is thrown into chaos when Margaret discovers a strange black man hiding in her closet. This man, known as “Son,” has been squatting in the house for several days, yet Valerian inexplicably invites him to stay at the house as an honored guest. Jadine, though initially repulsed by the filthy, scruffy intruder, soon begins a clandestine sexual relationship with him. The ensuing romance drives most of the remainder of the novel and forms the backdrop for Morrison's provocative questions regarding race, gender, love, and power.

Desiree Coleman's narration of this book is excellent. I am moderately hearing-impaired, yet had very little trouble understanding her. The ways in which she dramatizes various characters' voices are consistent and appropriate--neither boringly bland nor over-the-top. Her narration was smooth and distraction-free, allowing me to get lost in Morrison's story instead of Coleman's reading.

In short, highly recommended!

Beautiful Story

I loved listening to Alfre Woodard narrate. Added texture to the story. A very deep concept of knowing when to let go.

so much individual truth

wow! I loved it all . the struggle, the love, the anger, the fear! it spoke to all types of people. and WE ALL share similar experiences just looking through different lenses! my 1st Toni Morrison novel but definitely not my last.

Excellent book and reader

The book is great. I had a problem at first with the reader and originally rated the reader low, however after several hours of listening, I started really enjoying the reader's voice. I highly recommend this Audible reading of the Tar Baby.

Didn't like the characters

First let me say that Toni Morrison writes beautifully! Her poetic language, use of repeition to add to the melody of the story, and overall descriptions were vivid and sensuous.

However, I found this plot to be distressing. I didn't like the character of Son (Sun?). His situation seemed far-fetched. I don't want to provide any spoilers, but the other main character also seemed to lack some good, common sense. Maybe that wasn't the point, but I cannot recommend this story although I love other Toni Morrison stories.