For The Week magazine, she named her six best books. One title on the list.
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison (Vintage, $15).Read about the other books on Chevalier's list.
I read this novel when I was a college student, and it has stayed with me. It’s about the black experience in America, and coming to terms with a past steeped in slavery. It sounds heavy, but Morrison throws magic realism into the mix, as well as striking prose. Twenty-six years later, I still remember some of the descriptions from Song of Solomon—they’re that powerful.
Song of Solomon is one of Jodie Foster's favorite books.
--Marshal Zeringue